Keeping your mojo

SUNDAY
Pre-workout fuel: Healthy Valley Organic granola bar and cinnamon roast coffee
Workout: Ran 6.23 miles in 58 minutes, 45 seconds; average pace, 9:26.

TODAY/MONDAY
Pre-workout fuel: 1/2 slice wheat toast pre-yoga, bowl of cereal post-yoga
Workout: 30 minutes yoga, 2-mile walk with dog, 30 minutes "No More Trouble Zones"

I was combing through my e-mail as I sipped my morning latte when a message/newsletter from Fitness Magazine caught my eye.

"Never Miss a Workout Again," the subject line said. While I am pretty good at guilting myself into a workout if I feel like I want to skip it, I am always looking for ways to keep myself motivated. Maintain the mojo. The article advised readers of seven habits of effective exercisers:

• Don't put away your gear.
• Turn your commute into a workout.
• Invest in more workout clothes.
• Log your workouts online.
• Involve your causes.
• Make friends with class regulars.
• Create an exercise contest.

Thanks, Fitness Magazine. I never thought about having my everything set out for the gym before. Where was my head?

Maybe that's a little snarky but I didn't find the tips all that helpful. I'm not going to run home from work - it's a bit dangerous in dress shoes. I can only buy workout clothes as the budget allows, and I workout at home - not the gym. No class buddies for me. I will say that I have thought about running a marathon to raise cash for breast cancer research, and I do log runs on a personal spreadsheet that notes distance, time and pace.

For me, though, my biggest motivators are having a goal (i.e. race) to work toward and having a schedule, which I post on the refrigerator. I even put a sticker on each day of the schedule/calendar after a successful workout. It's totally nerdy but I love seeing a month full of stickers.

What do you do to stay motivated?