Marathon training? You should keep a running journal — here’s the free app I use for mine

I’d been running for five years before I started to keep a proper running journal, and when I did finally begin to log all my runs properly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed doing it and the benefits it brought, especially when marathon training.

Taking the time to reflect on your run usually brings a fresh perspective to your training and helps me feel more positive about it. I love having a record of my runs to look back on when I near race day and need a confidence boost.

For the first few years, I used a written journal, but two years ago, I started using the Day One journal app, and it’s been so easy to use that I doubt I’ll go back to pen and paper.

Using a digital journal means you can search your past runs to see the training you’ve done and the kit you’ve used, and I love the way Day One is laid out and shows a map of your run if you paste in a Strava link.

Here are four reasons why I think every runner should try keeping a journal, and a bit more on how I use Day One.

You take the time to consider your training

It’s never a bad idea to reflect on your training to check in on your effort levels and how you feel about it afterwards. I’ve found that you nearly always will take a more positive spin on what you’ve done when you take a second look at it.

I like to jot down the training I’ve done and how I feel it went, and using a journal means you can also compare it to similar runs you’ve done in the past to look at your progress.

In the past, I’ve used emojis or effort ratings as well for each run, but now I prefer to just write how I felt the run went or any notable things that happened.

You can opt to include whatever stats you like too — I record pace, distance and time — but you can record whatever feels necessary with regards to what you want to remember about that run.

Running can be hard, and simply taking the time to acknowledge the run you just did is a good way to make you feel proud of the work done that day.

You can use it to build confidence

Every runner gets nervous when race day draws near, and all kinds of doubts about their fitness and ability will start to crop up.

This is particularly true for marathoners, to the point that it has its own term — maranoia — to describe the anxiety that appears in race week.

When I get worried before a race, opening up my training journal and scrolling through past workouts is a great way to make it clear how much work I’ve done and reaffirm that I’m capable of hitting my targets.

You can track the running kit you use

This is particularly useful for me as I review the best running shoes and kit, so I take notes for those reviews in my running journal, but it’s also useful for runners in general.

You can log how much distance you’ve done in running shoes so you know when they might need replacing, and get a clear idea of the kit and sneakers that work for you.

When marathon training, you can also use your journal to log the nutrition you’ve tried during long runs, and get your fueling strategy nailed down ahead of race day.

You can make notes on anything — maybe a certain top or shorts start to chafe after 10 miles, or you get blisters from certain socks. It’s all useful info that can inform future runs.

You can log great running routes to come back

I usually run 60-80 miles a week, and that means I have thoroughly explored most of the areas near my house, but now and again, I spot a new path to try and discover a pleasant place to run.

You might think you’d remember that after a run naturally, but that is not the case in my experience — logging the run and why the area was good has been invaluable for me in ensuring I do recall new routes.

It’s especially useful for me when running in my local forest, because I can also keep a note of conditions. For example, some paths in my local forest become impassibly muddy in winter, so I track when things are drying out.

Why I like the Day One app

The Day One app is available on phones, laptops and even through your web browser and it’s free to use in one place, though you need a premium subscription to use the same journal across your phone and laptop.

I use the free version of the app on my phone, but have used premium in the past to make it quicker to log runs on my laptop.

The main thing I love about the app is that it automatically displays a route and stats for your run when you post a link to your Strava activity, so the journal shows all your runs as maps when you zoom out.

It’s also easy to search through your past runs in the app to bring up all your records of certain shoes, routes, or workout types.

You do, of course, get a lot of this info on Strava, but I then add my own thoughts on the run that I generally want to keep private. I think of Strava as something separate, a social network app rather than a running journal, and Day One is just for me.

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