The Importance of Pre and Post Work Out Fueling

On Friday, I missed my morning workout- because even though my gyms pool is inside, it shuts down if there is lighting.  - My YMCA never used to pull us out of the pool in a thunderstorm, so I'm not quite sure why all the protective measures but whatever-  So I decided to go and swim after work.  On a Friday evening I knew that exercise would not be top of mosts mind, so I figured Id have my pick of lap lanes (which I did- yay).  So Friday had been a fairly hectic day and my eating for most of the day was sub-par.  A Handful of crackers and some coffee for breakfast, a sandwich from Einstein's for lunch- no snacks, no proteins-  and then right into the pool.

Now originally, I had intended it to be just a nice easy swim, just to keep the muscle memory and the mechanics.  But, instead I decided to "check" how fast I could swim the Triathlon distance.  When I finished in 12 minutes- I went again - because twelve minutes wasn't good enough.  and again, and again... but at that point my arms and legs felt like lead- I had to stop and cut the workout there.  However, because I hadn't eaten before I worked out- I felt shaky and weak -  I could barely make it back to my car.

I know I've discussed this before, specifically regarding a Workout With Brutus  but its worth repeating- because clearly, even people who KNOW what they should be doing, sometimes forget or think that they don't have to -always- play by the rules.  If the gas tank is empty- it can not fuel with the workout-  if you're not properly fueling the workout, you are stepping backwards instead of stepping forwards.

Anyone else have a problem remembering to fuel before workouts?  What are your solutions to this - especially if you are before work or right after work exerciser?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!