Whats on your calendar?

We all write down (yes, I still use a paper calendar!) dentist appointments, meetings, and all important happenings on our calendars.  But, do you write down when you need to workout?  One of the most effective ways of making sure your workouts happen is scheduling them just like you would anything else.  If you are training for an event, write down what your miles are supposed to be for every day up to the event on your calendar.  Sounds like a lot of work?  Try doing that event with not enough training.  Much harder.  If you aren't training for an event, but you are trying to stay fit, write down what you are going to do everyday for a month.

If you use a paper calendar, hang it up by your workout gear.  Or put it on the fridge so you can see it often to remind you what you need to do.  Or reward yourself with a non-food related treat when you make it to all of your workouts for the month (pedicure, massage, or new workout clothes).  If you use a calendar on your computer/phone, set up alerts that go off a half-hour before you're supposed to workout so that you can make sure not to "forget".

Whats on your calendar for this year?  Signing up for a run that is a length that will challenge you is a great way to get fit, and stay organized with your workouts.  Its also a big payoff at the end, because you'll see what you've accomplished for all the work you've done.  Or, if you aren't a big runner, sign up for a bike ride, or an open water swim.

Keeping track of your mileage is also helpful to keep you motivated.  I track my mileage on www.dailymile.com, which is a great place to see what you've accomplished.  It also helps you stay with your training plan, because you don't want to write down less than you had originally planned on going.  Sometimes when I want to quit running, I think "I don't want to write 2 miles down, I want to write 3 miles down, because that was my original plan".  It helps hold yourself accountable, and if you make friends (its also a social networking site) on there, they can also hold you accountable, or congratulate you on a job well done.