Yes, I know. As I asked a hanful people about the idea of a Hillrunner.com Training log, the second most common response was "Aren't there already too many training log options online?" Of course, the most common response was "Great idea! Go for it!" That, combined with my interest in building a training log that is different than what I have been able to find so far led to taking the plunge.
So, what exactly is wrong with what is out there now? Well, honestly, nothing. There are many training logs online already, I'm sure a number of you are using one or another already. Personally, I've tried many of them. I never found "the one" though. Each had its own problems, from taking as long to enter a run in a complex form as it took to complete the run to poor coding resulting in basic mathematical errors. I wanted to build something that was simple to use but accurate, reliable, and that more complex features could be added on in a way that does not take away from the simplicity for those who do not want those features.
So, with a huge assist from Ed and some help from others, I began working on the
Hillrunner.com Training Log. What you see now is very simple, consider it the start of a very long process. I wanted to get everyone who might be interested involved early so you could help shape the training log into what would work best for you (we'll get into this more later) so I discussed with Ed what the most basic features would be and we decided to make it public with only the most basic feature set.
Features of the Hillrunner.com Training LogAs mentioned, the current features are the most basic set needed for a training log. That will change in the near future, as we're already working on new features. More about the coming features and how you can help shape them later. As for now, here's what you can do with the log.
Logging on: Your training log account is tied to your forums account. If you have an account on the forums and are logged on, then you're ready to use your training log. Note: Currently, when you sign up for an account on the forums, it will take a bit of time for your training log account to be added. Your training log account will be available within a day and, soon, your account will be available immediate.
Changing your settings: By visiting the
My Settings page, you can set a few key settings on your training log. First, you can decide whether or not to display your local weather. Be sure to enter your zip code (works very well for US and Canada zip codes, more hit and miss for others unfortunately) so you will see your local weather and not somebody else's. You can also select the day of the week that you would like your weeks to begin on, which affects how your log is viewed. Finally, you can also set the default unit of distance for you training log. This affects the default unit that is selected in the workout entry forms, as well as how totals and averages are calculated when viewing your log.
Entering workouts: There are three places you can enter a workout from. The most basic form is available on the
log's homepage and the
simple workout entry form. There is also an
advanced workout entry form where you can enter a multi-segment workout.
What is a multi-segment workout? My intent of a multi-segment workout is to handle workouts that have more than one distinct portion. For example, on race day, most of us do a warmup and a cooldown. When logging this, how do you log your race distance and time accurately while logging the warmup and cooldown in a way that allows for accurate tracking of your total running volume for the day? My answer to this is a multi-segment workout. Segment 1 is your warmup, segment 2 is your race, and segment 3 is your cooldown. Presently, you can enter a workout of up to 3 segments (for 2 segments, use the advanced form and just leave one of the segments blank). In the near future, you will be able to specify how many segments you want.
I think the rest of the features of entering a workout are pretty clear. If anything is not clear, feel free to contact me.
Viewing workouts: Currently, there is only a weekly view for viewing your workouts but that will be changing in the near future. The weekly view will show your workouts for the week. Of course, what determines a week is based on your settings. Your weeks can start on any given day of the week. The weekly view shows each workout logged for the given week individually with all the details of the workout displayed. If you entered something wrong, in the near future, you will have the ability to modify a workout. Currently, you can delete the workout and re-enter it. Navigation through your log is also being worked on so you can view any week you want more easily.
As I already mentioned, there are many more features to come but I would like you to help shape those features so I know we are building a log that will be most useful to you. On that note, I hope you will check out the training log and share your thoughts with me, either publicly through the general discussion forum or privately through private message or e-mail. In the meantime, I hope you like what we have so far.
Oh, one other question that came up with the few people who have it so far: How long will your workouts be kept and how secure are they? My intention is to make them as secure as possible and retain them forever. Don't believe me? I've been using this training log exclusively since late last year. I have no intention of losing months worth of my own training so believe me when I say that retention and maintenance of the data and its integrity are my primary concern.
