The hardest part of my workout

Friday: Yoga, swim 2,350 yards

Saturday: Bike 17 miles, run 3.5 miles

This was one of those stereotypical days when I really didn't want to work out, but afterward I felt great. You'd think I'd learn to anticipate the feeling-great part and show a little more motivation on the front end, but it never seems to work that way.

I think one big reason is that a bike-run workout requires just a ridiculous amount of preparation before I even push Start on the timer. Here's what I have to do:

• Copy the workouts down on a little card to take with me.
• Pack up my gym bag with my keys, phone, and the clothes I want to wear for the day and set it by the door.
• Get running clothes out and set them by the bike.
• Find and put on my heart rate monitor.
• Get dressed for the bike ride.
• Get food and water for the bike ride.
• Put on shoes, sweat band, and headphones; turn on the fan; and make sure everything I need is within arm's reach.

I'm actually getting better at the whole drill, but for a disorganized person like me, any one of those steps can take a disastrous turn (like finding my keys, say, or enough dry laundry) and the items I need are usually on three different levels of the house. The whole thing usually takes 20 minutes, plus at least 20 more just to psych myself up to get started.