Workout logging guide
How to log interval training
Record work bouts, recoveries, splits, and effort so interval sessions remain comparable instead of collapsing into one average pace.
The short answer
Log interval training as a sequence, not one average. Preserve the warm-up, number and length of work bouts, target and completed splits or output, recovery duration and type, cooldown, and effort. This shows whether you completed the intended stimulus, how performance changed across repetitions, and whether a later workout is genuinely comparable.
Put this into practice
Run + Lift
5 days a week · 8 weeks · See every workout free
View the complete planPreserve every repeat
Turn interval shorthand into a usable session.
Describe work and recovery in one entry, then let LogFast structure duration, distance, and effort for review before saving.
Log an interval workoutPreserve both the plan and the completion
Write the prescription before or alongside the result: number of repeats, work duration or distance, target intensity, recovery, and any stop rule. Then record what happened. “6 × 2 minutes hard” is incomplete if the recoveries ranged from one to four minutes or the last two reps were skipped.
Interval labels cover very different sessions. Short maximal sprints, longer hard aerobic repeats, and controlled threshold-style work should not share one generic comparison. Reviews of interval training show that protocol details matter, so your log should retain the structure that makes the session identifiable.
- Warm-up: duration and relevant drills or strides
- Work: repetitions, duration or distance, split or output, and target effort
- Recovery: duration, active or passive type, and whether it changed
- Finish: completed reps, cooldown, session RPE, and any modification
Treat recovery as part of the workout
Recovery length and activity change what can be produced in the next bout. Record whether you jogged, walked, stood, or used very easy cycling, plus the actual duration. Evidence does not establish one recovery mode as best for every long-term interval plan, which is another reason to preserve the protocol rather than silently switching methods.
When recovery changes mid-session, say why. “Final two recoveries extended from 90 seconds to 2 minutes to keep the target split” is useful information. It distinguishes a modified but coherent workout from a falsely perfect summary and gives you a concrete choice when repeating it.
Use a format you can scan in seconds
A time-based example is: “12 min warm-up; 6 × 2 min hard / 2 min easy jog; work reps RPE 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9; all completed; 10 min cooldown.” Add pace, power, distance, or heart rate only if it supports the session's goal. Do not let one noisy measurement replace the structure.
A distance-based entry might be: “5 × 800 m, target 3:35–3:40, completed 3:38 / 3:37 / 3:39 / 3:42 / 3:43, 400 m easy jog recovery, final two reps above target.” The pattern shows a mild fade that the overall average would hide.
If the next repetition depended on it, the recovery belongs in the log too.
Review quality before rewarding intensity
Compare the same protocol: similar work bouts, recovery, surface or machine, and target. Look at completion, split range, late-session fade, effort, and whether form or output remained controlled. A higher peak is not necessarily progress if the final repetitions disappear or recovery doubles.
Describe the interval structure in LogFast, preserve split and recovery detail in the entry, and correct structured distance, duration, or effort after the session. Coach can compare the recent structured metrics it receives, but it does not receive every split or recovery note. The app records what you report rather than importing or inventing device details.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to log every interval split?
Log each split when consistency, pacing, or late-session fade matters. For less structured sessions, a range and completion note may be enough, but preserve the number of bouts and recovery.
Should recovery time count in workout duration?
Yes, total duration should include the whole session. Also record recovery separately so the work-to-recovery structure remains comparable.
How should I log a failed interval workout?
Record the planned session, completed reps, any changed recoveries, and why you stopped or modified it. An honest partial entry is more useful than deleting the workout or rounding it into a success.