Step 1. I shower and eat food. I'm usually quite manic after a hard training session, so if you're standing in between me and food, GTFO. This is serious. I'm renown for getting realllllly grumpy when hungry.
Step 2. I log into my TrainingPeaks account and I upload my data file once it has been downloaded from my watch (I use a Garmin Forerunner 310xt for OWS, bike and run, and I just use my brain's memory storage for pool swims).
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The coach gave me this workout a while back: warm up for 30', then do 3x30' at HIM effort on 30' of easy spinning. |
Step 3. The data (power, pace, distance, HR, etc) is all there, ready to be analyzed by myself and my coach. All I need to add is additional comments. Not to sound too new-age, but I write down how I was feeling, I sometimes am very serious and detail oriented, and other times the workout was so ridiculous that I have to write a joke or two. In general, I stick to the facts.
Step 4. On top of all my facts and feelings, I add how this session was good, how I gained from it, and/or how I can improve upon it for future sessions.
Some notes:
- I always mention what I ate and drank (if anything).
e.g. nutrition: what I ate (number of calories), then how many cals that meant per hr.
e.g. hydration: how many bottles of water/nuun
- If the ride had specific sets, I break down how each one went, whether I hit my target power numbers, paces or HR zones or not, etc, and if I did, whether the RPE changed at all throughout.
- I mention any outside factors that might influence how the workout went
e.g. Yes, power numbers were high zone 4 but I only achieved 21km/hr? Weird? NOT REALLY, we had a 70-80km/hr northwesterly wind, so I'm amazed I survived!!! If heat is a factor, as it might be on the run, then I might mention that as well.
- Other comments...
e.g. I FELT LIKE I WAS FLYING, IT WAS AWESOME!!
e.g. I'm pretty sure gnomes snuck into my room at night and injected 10 kilos of lead into my legs while I was asleep. They feel sooooooo heavy. I think I'm dying.
Clearly, my coach has a bit of information to dig through here, and it all helps in him seeing the bigger picture. I like doing my own wee analysis as well. For example, on the bike I mainly check my power numbers; I have a mental picture of what a certain power range felt like 1-2 months ago, and what it feels like now. It's very rough analysis, but I go mainly by feel. It's made me realize what works well for me, and what doesn't. I respond very poorly to "run 3x15' at HR zone 4, on 5' rest interval", but respond like a raving maniac (awesomely!) if told "run like you stole something for 3x approx 10-15' (about how long it takes to run away), on 5' of blending into the crowd, acting normal, cruisey jogging". Yes, I recognize that I act like a 5 year old. What triathlete doesn't??