Goal 2013 #2: Keep track of your freaking efforts!

So I'm procrastinating from bill paying this morning...and it dawns on my that not only do I have no idea of my mileage count for 2012 (Which is making it difficult for me to come up with a mileage goal for 2013...I think I'm going to go that way for my running goal) I totally didn't keep track of my races this year.  I have a piece of paper somewhere in a pile that listed all my 'possible races' for the year, but I haven't seen that since June.

It's been easy enough the past couple of years to track my races/times...since I've only been doing around 3 a year since I started running.  This year my goal was at least 1 event a month (officially organized/timed and/or paid for.  Group club runs didn't count, although paid-a whopping 25 cents- and organized...I decided that was not enough) and I tried to come up with a list of events just now, and I can't remember them all!

I do know I didn't do a run in January, because I didn't come up with the goal until the end of the month after it dawned on me that I had registered for a half marathon and a 15K and hadn't even gotten my husband to get the treadmill set up in the basement.  I pestered him until he did it, and my first official run was in February, in memory of Sherry Arnold.  I had planned on my first one being in March with the America's Greatest Heart Run/Walk, but I was shaken when I read Sherry's story, realizing that that could have been anyone I know.  I knew I had to do it.  I don't remember my time, and I can't find my picture of me wearing the race bib.  But I remember that run on the treadmill, and the time I spent thinking about a woman and her family that I didn't know at all, but felt so connected to at that moment.

I plan on rounding out my year with a free but official run at a park next weekend evening.  I hope the weather cooperates (for the drive to the park, which is an hour away, not the run...I actually hope there's some snow for it).  It looks really great, a run through Lights On the Lake, which is an amazing holiday display of lights you normally drive through.  We went when I was a kid, but I haven't been back since.

 

It's a 2 mile display of animated lights, and the run takes place right before they turn them off for the season.  I think I've talked my mother in law into running it with me.  I'm going to try and recruit a few other friends from work as well.

I'm kind of sad I can't remember what races I did all year.  I came up with a list that gets most of them, and I KNOW I did one each month...I just can't find any evidence of it.  I don't keep most of my race bibs, and don't really keep track of times (thank goodness for google!  I was able to look up my 5k PR!)

So my second goal for 2013 is to keep track of my mileage and my races.  Simple, and totally doable...or it should be!  I have a completely unused and empty Runners World training log.  And I always forget to turn on Run Keeper before I go anywhere.  And I don't have a Garmin (I'm a bia holdout!.  I could use an idea of how to easily keep track of things.  Especially since many of my runs happen after work before I head home in the precious 30 minute pocket of time that exists between when I am released from work and my kids get off the bus.  I speed-change at work, run my bags to my car and start running, return to my car roughly 25 minutes later, and jet home to get the kids.  


How much do YOU keep track of your running efforts?  Any simple systems or programs?