A tracking log is much more than just a record of each track. It enables you to observe through time how your dog interacts with the environment, how he handles new problems, when he makes mistakes, when you make mistakes, and much more. A simple loose leaf notebook is fine. See figure 1. It is not necessary to fill in all the information, but the more data you collect, the more useful it may be.
For the novice this may seem to be too much effort, for the more experienced person - something they might not needed. While this may be true in both cases, I can assure you that the long term benefits far outweigh the small investment of time and energy put into doing this work. An immediate benefit is that you are forced to remember your track and the simportant aspects of it. With time and practice, you can develop the ability to remember exactly where your track is. You will get to a point where you will often be able to walk up to a field and lay out the track, including turns, right from the starting pad (see video #xx).
I have always found it useful to sketch the track, mark article locations, landmarks, etc., in one color pencil (black, e.g.), either as you lay the track (even before in some circumstances), or if that is too hard, right after you lay it, (using the time the track is aging to do this), and sketch the run track in another color pencil (red), making particular note of where the dog deviates from the track, pauses, gets distracted, circles (which shouldn't happen, but can), etc. Of use for me have been notations of wind direction (and strength), time of day, moisture, surface characteristics, method of laying the track (stomping vs. walking, e.g.), food drop locations, article locations, if any, track end motivation, age, equipment used, markers.
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