Exporting your Planned Training into Outlook 2003 - Explained in 27 easy steps but it works.

Hello. I struggled with being 43 weeks away from IMWI (now 42)with putting in all of the training into my Outlook so that it would show up in my Iphone calendar.  I saw that there is not a program provided by BT to do this.  It became a mission over the past few weeks to do it and even though I am not a techie, I did it!.  Now, a disclaimer.  I will not act as the super help guy.  As a matter of fact, I will be cranky if you ask me so don't rely on me to help you all the time. Also, realize that I have Outlook 2003 and Excel 97 so it may be different with your system.  I found one important fact as I was plowing through this.  The range name is important that it is very different if you make an error.  Also, go to the link that one BT'er gave that shows how to import into outlook and the article shows the 22 data fields that outlook recognizes.  All of this greek to you?  Then I would not do this but go the old cut and paste every one into outlook way.

Here goes, Possibly I could do a video of the screen as I work to show you but I dont know how to record what my screen is doing.  It looks hard with all the steps, but it goes by quick if you know what you are doing.  Have a good time with it and Mr. BT Techie support dude......  Please make a program for all of us to do this more simply.  Comon, it is a BT limiter and would be a huge value added program to enhance user loyalty.  

1. At the home screen and with you signed in go to the top to the wrench "Settings" Then go to ""training Log Settings" Then click on "export Log Data"

2. You want to export "planned data" for your calendar so click that only.  Put the range that you want to populate your outlook calendar.  I have mine 2010-11-16 and end at 2010-12-31.  click on "include empty days in export" and the other one leave open.

3. Click on Export and it will download a .csv file to your download file.  We hate these type of files so open it up in excel, and click file, save as, and then select in "save as type" as a "excel 97 workbook"  It will have an .xls extension.  Then click go to the top and select where you want to save it to.  Make sure you remember the name and location.
4. Now, close the file and go to where it is and open it again.  We do this to assure that you can find it again.
5. Open up your xls file.
6. You will see the first row as a "log date"  Outlook calnedar only sees certian names that it accepts.  Delete the A1 label and type "Start Date" without the quotes.
 7. Next, click on A to highligh the entire column, and right click on your mouse and hit insert column.  Do the same and highlight the entire C column and right click and insert row again.  Now you will have a blank column in A and in C.
8. Type in A1 "Description" and in C1 "Subject"
Understand that Xcel will talk to Outlook but only with the proper names so type carefully.
9.  Now for the fun part, Just trust me and copy and paste this next line into cell A2.    =CONCATENATE(L2,CHAR(10),AD2, CHAR(10), AV2)
The above is a formula that will combine the commentary sections of Swim, Bike and Run in the calendar so that , if you have a nice data phone for example, you will be able to read what the coaches have written for you to beat on you today.  Each funny Char(10) is just making it so that you can read it on your puny screen
10.  Now, for C2, we will do the same.  Copy and paste this whole formula into the C2 box.      =CONCATENATE("S ",D2," min ", E2, " yards", CHAR(10),"B: ",W2, "  mins", CHAR(10), "R ", AO2)
This will put what you see when you open your calendar as Swim Bike and Run basics(no I did not include strength stuff).  If there is nothing for that day, you will still see the "S" for example.  I did not have time to make that go away but you get what you pay for!
11.  Hit the ESC button.  Now, highlight cell A2.  Do you see in the bottom right hand corner on the border of this cell a little box ever so small?  Place your cursor over that little box until it changes and then while it is over it, hold down on your LEFT mouse button.  Stay holding it now.  Now while holding it, Drag your mouse all the way down column A until you are at the very bottom of your data.  Let go of the mouse.  This dragged and copied the formula to every cell.
12.  Do the same thing for Column C starting with C2.
13 If you go this far, I am impressed.  Its hard to describe this.
14.  Now, with Outlook, it needs to know where to go look for first, the date, and then go an grab the information that you want in your calendar.
15. You have to give your data a name.  So, Start in A1 and push the left mouse button down, hold it down, and drag your mouse all the way down to where your data stops in Column C at the very bottom.  This should have highlighted darker the three Columns. Let go of the mouse and relax.
16.  Lets give our data range a name shall we?  Go up to the top of excel and in the "insert" tab, click insert  then "name".  Give that box a Name like "A" (without the quotes)
17.  Click OK and then do what you should, make sure that you now save your file again.  do you remember what your file name is and where it is saved?  Do it.  Close out this file now that it is saved.  
18.  You should have seen all of your comments, description and then the date.  in this file, if not, this will not work.
19.  Now the easy part.  open up Outlook and click on "file" at the top and then "import and export"
20. The wizard will show up.  Click "from another program"  then "next"
21. Click on "microsoft Excel" then click next
22. Then "file to import"?  Click browse and go an identify your file where you saved it.
23. Leave "allow duplicates" since you will make no mistakes and this will work the first time (I hope for you)
24. Next you select and highligh the "calendar" since that is where you want it to go.
 25. The next screen will kick your butt if you have not closed out the file.  It will ask you to "map" your description.  This is jsut to assure that you have labeled your columns correctly so that Outlook understands.  
26. Click on the box that shows the name that you gave your range of data.  We called ours A in our example.  
27.  Hit Finish and then whammo, you should have your calendar populated.

Print this off and don't swear at me when you are plowing through it for the first time.  I tried to be as detailed as possible but don't hold any responsibility for errors.  Have a good time.

Edited by hemsmar 2010-11-19 4:12 PM