Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Training Day 1

So... A little over a month ago, I found out I won the lottery... figuratively. I had applied for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler lottery and my name was drawn as a runner for the race. I also signed up for the intermediate virtual training plan. It starts today. I'm supposed to run between 2 and 4 miles at an easy pace. This morning, we had lovely freezing rain on top of the snow we got Friday.

This is what it looks like outside. My wonderful husband has already shoveled our sidewalk, but they community association doesn't shovel unless we get at least 3 inches of snow.

I could go to the gym. Except Milk Dud has a snotty nose and looks like this:

I'm not one of those parents who dumps a sick kid in the gym childcare. I took my well kids there last year when there were sick kids and they brought home several colds and the norovirus twice. Vomiting small children isn't fun for anyone and with the new super bug that is going around this year, I don't want to take them unless I have no other choice. 

So, my choices are to run on the ice in the dark when my husband gets home from work, skip the training run, or to find some alternate training. We have a little-used exercise bike. I hate the exercise bike, but I am thinking that doing 30 minutes on there tonight while watching TV. It isn't the same training, but it is cardio and will be less pain on my joints. I know I need to work out or I will go crazy and look like this:

What do you do for alternate training when your plans don't happen the way you want?