Review: BelieveIAm Training Journal

It's here! It's finally here! My very own BelieveIAm Training Journal.

I read about BelieveIAm on Mile Posts by Dorothy Beal. She got the Relaxed Hoody-Dress as a gift, but mentioned the awesome training journal. I checked it out online, but only just recently decided to purchase it.

BelieveIAm is a little start-up by Lauren Fleshman & Roisin McGettigan. They met in 2003, but started collaborating in 2010. BelieveIAm was born. The Training Journal is printed in the U.S.A & made with 100% recycled paper & vegetable-based ink (if you care about that sort of thing).

I ordered the journal without thinking about putting special instructions to protect the paper from the elements. Oftentimes, our mail shows up soaking wet & the contents can be easily ruined. So when I saw the packaging, I kind of freaked out.

Uh oh... is it safe?

I opened the package & was relieved. Nothing was wet or damaged. As I pulled out the Training Journal, a few "extras" fell out of the package. I was delighted!

There's a handwritten note & sticker!

I was surprised to find a handwritten note, as well as the inside cover signed by Lauren Fleshman. I'd seen lots of pictures of the training journal, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. All I was hoping for was pretty & girlie. It's definitely both of those things.

So what to do with it? I combed through the pages to become acquainted with the format. There's lots of nifty-girlie drawings, lots of motivation, & a whole lot of inspiration. The drawings? They're called "Visual Cues." I don't want to give away the secret, but I will say I feel super-smart when I'm able to figure them out.  ;D

After going through the Training Journal page-by-page, I started to think about how to use the journal. So the first thing I did was make sure I didn't lose the handwritten note. The personal touch of that note struck a chord with me... I can't explain why, but the note really "got" to me.

That's a lot of tape.

It's a Training Journal, so there should be some sort of training schedule... right? I manipulated my half-marathon training schedule into the smallest format EVER & put that in there, too.

Half Marathon 6 May 2012

I thought this would be a good idea to keep me motivated. As I was taping up my brand new Training Journal, I realized something: I'm going to use mine as type of scrapbook of my running exploits. My goal [again] this year to actually complete a marathon, so this would be a nice way to keep track of my activities. I'm going to print out photos & tape them in here, too. Let's be honest: I clearly love tape. I think it'll make a great keepsake of my running life in 2012.

I haven't used it yet, but based on the personal touches & the quality of the product, I'd recommend the BelieveIAm Training Journal to anyone looking for a new way to record their training. We're all used to the digital age; we wear our Garmins, log into our web sites, & record everything online. This is a more personal relationship with yourself & your running. And don't forget: there are personal notes. That's wicked sweet!