Logging your daily metrics in Sportlyzer online training log
Keeping a training log does not mean just marking down how much, at what intensity and what activity did you do. There are many other factors included and this post focuses on one of them – the daily metrics that you can log in Sportlyzer online training log.
There are numerous things that one can track about oneself, but the problem is that systems with too much reporting don’t tend to be sustainable in long term. We have been selecting carefully the most important metrics to be tracked:
To log your daily metrics you have to be using Sportlyzer as an athlete (click here if you’re not sure how to). Choose a day in your training diary and click on the “+” button. A number of choices appear and the calendar-like button opens your Daily metrics log.
Weight – The most accurate way to weigh yourself is in the morning, naked, after visiting the bathroom.
Sleeping hours – Getting enough sleep is very important for your reaction, attention and recovery from training loads. Advised amount of sleep is 7.5-9 hours per day, but athletes training with high loads may need even 10 or more hours of sleep.
Height – This is a metric that you don’t need to measure or log very often, especially when you’re an adult. But as it is used in the calculation of body mass index, you need to enter it at least once.
Morning heart rate and orthostatic test
It’s up to you whether you track your resting heart rate simply when lying down or you use the orthostatic method. These are both possible in Sportlyzer:
Measuring your resting heart rate
Do it as a first thing in the morning before getting out of the bed.
1. Take any watch with a second counter (alternatively, you can use your heart rate monitor – in this case, write down the result and skip the next points).
2. Relax and breathe normally to let your heart rate calm down again.
3. Find your pulse on your wrist or neck.
4. Count how many times your heart beats within a 20 seconds.
5. Multiply that number by 3 (e.g. 3 x 19 beats = 57 beats per minute or bpm).
Orthostatic test
Orthostatic test is a step further – it compares your heart rates of lying down and standing up and it’s considered to reflect your recovery from training better.
1. Measure your resting heart rate lying down as explained above.
2. Stand up and wait for 15 seconds.
3. Measure your heart rate standing up (within 60 seconds).
4. The difference between standing up and lying down heart rates is the result of the test (e.g. standing 70 – lying 50 = 20).
Analyzing the results through time you learn what’s your usual resting heart rate or your orthostatic heart rate. Soon you’ll discover that these numbers are higher when you’re tired and lower when your physical condition improves. A clear rise in the result is a sign of insufficient recovery and you need to say it to your coach and maybe change the training routine.
Tracking your feeling
Objective data is not enough to give a proper understanding how your body responds to training load. Therefore, we have added 5 sliders to give you and your coach a better understanding of the situation. Draw the sliders on a scale of 1-5 to a position where the emoticon describes your feeling best.
Fatigue – how tired are you generally?
Muscle pain – how painful are your muscles?
Stress – how nervous and irritable are you?
Sleep quality – do you wake up often or have trouble falling asleep?
Work/study load – how hard are your working or studying at he moment?
