Working with an LLM¶

AI opens up new possibilities for using historical training data to inform your training program. Fitdocs makes it easy for LLMs to understand your training history, by giving them tools to explore it. They can search the wiki’s pages, query the analytics database, and when necessary, read the underlying .fit files directly.

Ask questions¶

LLMs make it easy to learn fast. With your wiki in front of it, a model can explain what a threshold is and where yours came from, walk through this morning’s intervals lap by lap, compare this month with the same month last year, and point out the pattern you’d never have spotted in a spreadsheet. Ask it the questions you’d ask a knowledgeable friend, and when you don’t understand something, dig in and ask for a clearer explanation. LLMs are great at explaining concepts in a way that works for you. Keep a skeptical mind, push back, and continue asking questions until you’re satisfied that the response is well founded.

LLMs can’t replace your judgement. After you’ve explored the possibilities, the decision of what to do with it is only yours. Fitdocs closes the feedback loop; you train, fitdocs keeps the record, LLMs use that to inform your next steps, you make a decision of what to do next, then the loop repeats.

A working rhythm¶

Here are some ideas for how to use fitdocs and an LLM to build a rich training history.

Daily¶

After a workout and before you look at your data, write down how you thought it went. Capture anything that seems relevant or useful to remember in the future. Document any niggles or discomfort, so you have an objective record and can catch injuries before they snowball.

Then, ask the LLM to explore the data and connect it back. How does your perception match up against the underlying metrics? If they differ, is there a clear explanation? Any red flags, or unexplained outlyers in the data? How does this workout fit into your recent training history? What’s your current fitness trajectory? Are there any signals that your existing training plan needs to be tweaked? Dig in as much -- or as little -- as you want.

Ask the LLM to summarize your recap into the notes section of your fitdocs page, so that your learnings today become durable and inform your future decisions.

Mesocycle¶

Once a week, ask for a review: this week’s load against the four weeks before it, which pages carry warnings, and what your notes say about how you were feeling. A good review answers questions your curious about, and surfaces insights that you didn’t have known to ask for. Be specific in the things you want to see, and ask the LLM to highlight things in the data that you’re not yet thinking about. Before you end the session, have the LLM summarize your insights onto the page.

Block¶

At the start of a block, start by identifying your goals for this block. What do you want to achieve? When inevitably you can’t have it all, what is most important to you about your training? Is it reaching the highest levels of performance possible? Overcoming an injury cycle and maintaining consistency? Or establishing a healthy exercise routine that you actually enjoy? Use the LLM as a sounding board and reality check, and don’t be afraid to insist on what you want. You’re the one who will live with your training block; take the time to plan a program you’re excited about.

Use your agent to research best practices and common wisdom around the type of training your most interested in. There are many different approaches to every discipline, and every one won’t be the right fit for you. Fitness is built over decades, not weeks or months. When you find what works for you, build a core routine around it that you can hold for years.

At the end of a block, take some time to reflect on how it went. Were you able to complete the block as planned? If not, what got in your way? What worked for you this block, and kept you excited for the next workout? And what felt like a drag and kept you from getting out the door? A good training block balances ease with discomfort; the daily work should be easy and enjoyable, and quality sessions should be challenging enough that your body learns to adapt.

Rework as needed¶

When things go off the rails and the plan isn’t working for you, take a moment to reflect where you’re at, and log it to fitdocs. You can have your LLM create a plan amendment to take an unexpected rest day, move your strength session earlier in the week, swap out a workout for crosstraining, or update the specifics of a workout. Some flexibility is essential when training, especially for athletes balancing a fitness routine on top of family, friends, and work obligations. Too many alterations to a plan is good signal that the plan wasn’t a good fit for one reason or another. Get curious -- were you unable to execute the plan due to unrealistic expectations, unforeseen interruptions, injury? -- and carry those learnings forward into the next block. If your plan is really not working for you, you can always end it early and begin a more sustainable plan.

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