Week 16 Recap - End of a Training Plan

Somehow we're at the end. 16 weeks of training and one 70.3 race done. Hard to believe, but we did it!

Race week was really hard. I felt kind of run down after last Sunday's run and I thought the Iron Fit plan was a little aggressive. I paired it down significantly so I could get the rest I needed to feel comfortable for the race.

Best Workout of the Week
Without a doubt, Muncie. Duh. More on that later. For now, it's over. and I'm just a little bit (Read: a lot) sad about it. For the last 16+ weeks this race has been my everything. Now that it's over I feel just a little bit lost. But it was the best day of my life. I'm so proud that I did it.

Best Meal of the Week
The chips and guac I had at Chilis after the race. Also every egg sandwich I had ever during the race.

How do those 16 weeks add up? March 21 - July 11, 215:

And now it's done. So what's next? I really don't know, and that really really bothers me.

Happy Running!

Did you race this weekend?
Do you ever have "goal letdown"? How do you cope?

Week 14 Recap

14 down, 2 to go. How is it that the last 14 weeks have gone by so slowly and yet so quickly? I sure don't know.

44 miles seems like so few! 

One swim & 10 minutes of biking away from perfection

I keep thinking, "What will I do with all of my free time once Muncie is over?" and the reality is that I don't feel overtrained. At least, not in that respect. I don't feel like I've had to sacrifice time and all that to get the training in. I take my Mondays and Fridays and I keep them sacred for the recovery gods. The two-a-days are getting a little old, but all in all I kinda like it. Probably won't be going for 11 mile runs on Sundays after Muncie though. Nope, probably not.

Best Workout of the Week
This is a tough one just because there wasn't anything super memorable. I felt pretty good Monday after Sunday's 50 miler but Tuesday I was a little sore. Tuesday morning's run was a little tough to say the least. Worse was Tuesday's swim. I definitely regretted blanking on my swims the last 2 weeks. My "easy" brick Wednesday was really nice. I kept up some decent paces and felt great on the run. That Wednesday-Thursday combo has been really hard because Thursday's volleyball gets in the way of doubles on Thursdays. I've been doing my 45 min cycle on Wednesday and the shorter recovery ride Thursday but....that's not what my plan says and I think i'm seeing why. Live and learn, right?

Best Meal of the Week
I'm still super hyped on eggs. Egg sandwiches with mexican cheese on english muffins. Omg. Perfection. I had one for dinner Tuesday night and one for lunch today. They're so damn tasty. I think it's the salt that I'm craving (since I salt the shit out of my eggs so they taste less like, well, eggs!). But I'm proud of myself for getting in more protein, if nothing else. My love of sweets continues. It's my downfall.

This week begins a three or four week stint for me of 4 day work weeks. It cannot come at any better time. Work has been super hectic lately, in a couple of different ways. My work is so strange because it is a constant onslaught of stuff to do. It never stops. You get two things done and 2 more are waiting and 5 more get added. That's the nature of it. But then there's the emotional/psychological stuff. It takes the right balance of disconnection and empathy, compassion and coldness to get out alive. I lacked that balance significantly the last two weeks. It's just so funny that the things that make people good social workers, good public defenders, are what makes them weak and vulnerable to the casualties of compassion. It's so much easier being a heartless sonofabitch!

Hopefully this week - and the promise of a 4 day weekend! - brings a new adventure.

Happy Running!

How do you deal with the work/life balance? 
Eggs - yes or no? How do you cook them? Teach me!

Week 11 Recap - Hill Climbs & Bike Trouble

Didn't quite get everything in I'd hoped this week, but I made some big strides in key areas. Lets check it out.

62 miles seems like a lot

So even with my cross training minutes I was way under my target. I got 2:00hrs/26 miles into my 3:15/45 mile bike ride on Saturday and had mechanical issues. Had to have Hubz come get me. Boo. I'm confident I would've finished the ride, but who knows maybe it was for the best. Legs were still really tired for today's easy run. Now lets just keep fingers crossed that Ghost is back up and running in time for Race the Bridge this weekend!

Waiting for Hubz to come pick us up

Best Workout of the Week
The triathlon club does a hill session on Wednesday nights. When they started posting them I emailed the ride captain because it seemed pretty intimidating. He told me I should maybe work on some smaller climbs before tackling these. Wednesday there was an 'alternate' route that tackled some of the 'moderate' hills. There were three of us and I had a blast! I was super anxious, not knowing anything about the route or the hills, but they made sure not to drop me and I hauled some ass. We met up with the non-alternate (read: badass) riders and then headed back to our car. I'm glad we got done when we did because the sun was setting, but I had a blast!

On top of Spikert Knob

Trying to show how high we were

Favorite Meal of the Week
Ok so I'm cheating a little bit. Friday night I went to one of those paint & sip things with my mom. Since we'd be gone all night (and drinking) I got the Hummus Trio from Zoe's kitchen and ate all of it. It was SO good! Loved the three different types of hummus (particularly the pesto) and the chips. Also loved having so much fun with my mom. I got her the gift certificate for her birthday and hoped she'd picked me. We both better keep our day jobs, but I think our masterpieces turned out great!

Everybody keep your fingers crossed for Ghost this week. The wheel guy is in the shop tomorrow so I should know something then. Also, I'm hoping to do an open water swim in the Ohio river tomorrow so definitely hoping the projected thunder storms hold off!

Happy Running!

Have you ever had bike mechanical issues? How bad?
Do you love my painting? How much would you pay for it? 

Week 8 Recap - Half Way!

Done with my base building phase and officially half way through with Muncie training. It was an unremarkable week otherwise. Lets check it out.

52 miles? Okay!

I skipped my Tuesday swim. I was still feeling pretty sore from the race last weekend and my friends from work were up for a run. Just can't do two morning workouts at the gym a week with work and carpooling. Luckily, I got in a great run with the girls after work. Some of my workouts got goofed around, which I'm ok with. For instance, we ran for 1:00 on Tuesday so I didn't do my 15 min run on Wednesday. Instead, I did my longer ride Wednesday and shorter one before work on Thursday. Whatever it takes to get it in (healthy and without injury), right? Right.

Best Workout of the Week
Probably my long run today, but I'm going to go with my ride yesterday. I rode with the Louisville Bicycle Club for the first time. It was so intimidating and nerve-wracking. I was so anxious about the whole thing - never having ridden in a group or done the route before. I'm also, well, slow. Luckily, one of the gals from the Triathlon club was there and made me feel at home before we left off. They offered a long ride (35 miles) and a short ride (21 miles) both for relative beginners. The short ride was a lot of fun and I wasn't too far behind the pack. In fact, I wouldn't have been behind at all if not for a few poorly timed lights. Next week I hope to do the long ride.

New route through a new part of town 

From today's sunrise 9 miler

Best Meal of the Week
Nothing really stood out to me this week. I made a batch of my amazing Chuy's knockoff Creamy Jalapeño sauce and we ate it on Fajitas and with Quesadillas. That was awesome. So probably those quesadillas with the leftover veggies, chicken and jalapeno sauce. yum yum.

The Hubz is in Los Angeles for the week on a "work" trip. I say work because he's with people from work and supposedly attending a work related conference. I say "work" because I know damn well they'll be on the beach drinking beer 99% of the time. Jerk.

This week begins the "peak training" phase of my plan. Eek! Workouts get longer and more intense. Time for speed work! I think I've put in the effort though and hopefully my body is ready to adapt.  According to Garmin, here are my totals for the first 8 weeks of training:

296 miles. On to the next 200!

Happy Running!

Did you eat anything particularly scrumptious last week? 
What's on your "plate" for next week?
Does your spouse get to go to exotic locations without you? How much do you hate them? 

Week 7 Recap and My First Oly

Well I'm one week away from finishing the Base Building Phase and I'm officially an Olympic Distance Finisher. Week 7, you are officially toast.

This may be my first week that I actually hit all of my workouts. I was a little low on overall time (when you take out my volleyball game) but most of that was because I nailed my swim during Saturday's Tri. My workouts are typically 2000yards in 45 minutes. I swam the 1650 yard open water leg in 21.

Best Workout of the Week
Duh. My race. It was intense. It was by far the most difficult thing I've ever done (probably). I haven't  pushed myself to new limits since I took on the Flying Pig Marathon back in 2008. In terms of speed, I haven't pushed myself since the 2008 Louisville Half Marathon. So yeah, this was super terrifying. I finished in 4 hours, which was about 25 minutes slower than I was hoping. But it was also my first ever Olympic on a hilly bike course. I guess I'll cut myself some slack.

Finisher!!!

Best Meal of the Week
I screwed the pooch a little bit last week in terms of my 'planning'. Whoops. First slip up since January. Guess it's really not that big of a deal. I made my mixed veggie hash with a chile lime chicken burger again. Yum. I'm also happy about how I've been eating better lunches. Tonight I made a variation of one of my favorite meals from home, chicken and pasta. My dad makes it better, but it was pretty yummy.

Being the smartypants that I am, I took tomorrow off as a random vacation day. I sat down in January when I was planning my race schedule and took a bunch of random days off so that I got each and every one of my vacation days. I'm so excited! I have a long to-do list but it's way better than anything that would happen at work. Hopefully a race recap (and recaps for the Shelbyville Tri and Derby Mini) will be on the list too.

Happy Happy Ellie

Happy Running!!

How was your weekend? Did you race? Tell me about it
What's your favorite meal from 'home'? Does your family have any classics?

A Better Start

First brick workout of the cycle tonight!! 

But first, a recap of the first 1/2 of the week. Monday I missed body pump due to some work obligations. The work/home balance is constantly a struggle and it's never perfect. Hasn't been the last 2 years and it won't be for the next however many I'm there. If I'm at work too much I regret it, if I'm not at work enough I regret it. C'est la vie. So Monday was a real rest day. 

Tuesday I ran with some girls from work. I love running with them, even if they kick my butt. I love my co-workers and there's a special bond that comes from doing what we do. It's so nice to get out and do something that's not office related. They kicked my ass though. 

 Ellie definitely likes it when I'm home on time. 

Today was BEAUTIFUL! 75 and sunny and dry. Also, my triathlon club gear came in!!

I love it! I got a jersey and a tri kit. Wore the jersey & tri shorts for my ride tonight and changed into a regular shirt for the run. I did a 20 minute easy ride, mostly getting used to being on the bike. I definitely picked up some bad habits on the trainer! I did a quick "transition" and headed out for my short run. I felt really slow, like I was running in mud. My watch said I was pushing 10s though. Whaaaa? I'll take it!!

So the beautiful weather was short lived for now. The cold comes back this weekend. Looks like I might not be done with the trainer and the treadmill. 

Where-O-Where

I've had this post written forever but no pictures to go with it.  Call me lazy, but I just haven't had any motivation to do much of anything, let alone copy and edit all of the ridiculous photos that could accompany this otherwise boring post. So we'll just add some random pictorial interest points in along the way.

Where I've been

It's been almost three weeks since the bar exam! At the end of the day, it was exactly as horrific as everyone had told me it would be. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like my months of study really got me anywhere (and I'm not alone in feeling like that). Oh well - I find out in late September whether I get to do it all again. 

Since then, I've been doing a lot of nothing. It's been glorious. I wake up, drive Josh to work and go to the gym where I immerse myself in Olympics coverage. Then I come home and spend most of my time like this:

Or sometimes this:

There are days that I feel really guilty about Josh going off to his 9-5 and me turning around and going to the gym or back to the house to take the pup to the park. But mostly I'm just trying to enjoy this lull while I've got it.

Where I Am
I started training for the Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon last week! After a few weeks of sloth & gluttony it's really nice to have some structure - and just to be running again period. I've decided on ____ key markers to gauge my progress through this training cycle. I'm hoping by focusing on a few key things I can see gains overall at the end and not just in my splits or my overall time (which will be badass, of course). They are:

Speed

Stepping back from running this summer has really upped my speed. During the exam period it was too hot to get any real distance in so short runs were all I could muster. I'm really going to try to focus on speedwork this time around to keep my legs peppy. I'm going for an A time of 2:20 (10:41 min/mi) & a B time of 2:24 (11:00 min/mi) both of which I think are really do-able.

Flexibility

The big gains I made in flexibility over the spring were lost over the summer. I'm just barely able to touch ye-old-toes. How important is flexibility in running? Not too much, truly. But being flexible makes me feel strong, and it really helps me release tension. A flexible back and shoulders is important in keeping me calm and relaxed, so I definitely have some work to do here.

Weight Management

I am a champion stress eater. I could stress eat this guy outta this world. That being said, the exam was definitely a set back for this particular fitness point. But I'm back on the healthy body bandwagon and making strides!

Endurance

Despite the recent need for speed, my lungs and legs have kept some of their stamina up. I can get in five miles (about an hour of activity) without feeling 'tired'. I'm interested to see how my first 5+ miler goes!

Recovery

Active recovery is the name of the game this time around. I've been using my HR monitor to keep me on track, making recovery runs actually restful. Nothing really to report on this point right now because I haven't done much that would require recovery :)

Where I'm Going
79 Days until my next half marathon! I'm so excited I could burst. It feels like the Derby Fest was so long ago and I"m eager to get out and race again.

Just before the bar I got hired on to my dream job as a public defender here in town. I can't tell you what a blessing this was, as it was the only job in the world I wanted (besides professional pool lounger, of course). I start on the 27th and I'm eager to figure out how to work running into my new 60 hour work week :)

Perhaps the biggest destination on the horizon....Marriage-ville! We're only 18 short days away from the nuptials and I couldn't be more ready to go. We're also 18 short days away from the start of UofL Football season. If I told you how many people have complained that the two days are the same, you wouldn't believe it.

Happy Running!


Where have you been? I'm trying to catch up!

2 Weeks out & A new Running Partner

I woke up this morning and realized that it has been almost 2 weeks since the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon. I can't decide if it feels a lot longer or shorter than that, but somehow 2 weeks just doesn't seem right.

My body is almost completely back to normal after the race. During the first week out I managed to get some quality walk/runs in, going for time rather than distance. My hips feel a lot better and those two horrible blisters on my feet have all but disappeared. Well, one has turned to a callous that all but dominates one of my toes. Oh well, I'll take it!

Life post marathon is a little bit weird. I finished Law School and my marathon in the same week which was exciting and thrilling and depressing all at the same time. With both I experienced the overwhelming feeling of, "that's it? oh." I know sometimes you come off of a race and you're so high, and it feels so good that you feel like you're floating on a cloud for the next week. For me, neither one of these major achievements left me with this feeling.

Instead, we're turning life upside down!

• Old - Clerking at the Public Defenders Office. New - Working retail at the Mall
• Old - Legal Education. New - Prepping for the Kentucky Bar Exam in July
• Old - Current Just-Me Apartment. New - House with Josh
• Old - Training for KDF Marathon. New - [Giant Blank Space]
• Old - Running Solo. New - Running With Ellie

Among all of these crazy new things, the new running partner has to be the most notable running-related item. Who is this new running buddy you ask? Meet Eleanor

Back in January I opined that I needed a dog like the desserts needed the rain. I was studiously doing my research, checking into the rescue associations so we could rescue our new best friend. Lo and behold Saturday after a rescue event we stopped by our local human society and there she was. Two month old Beagle Mix just waiting for us. 

She does great on a leash for a pup that's only had a collar on for four days and I can already tell she'll be needing some evening tempo runs to wear her down. I'm over the moon. Now if only she'd stop trying to chew my hair off (and stop pooping in my bedroom, but one thing at a time). 

 While the addition of a new pup and a new job are making it really hard to get out and run (as in I have only done 30 minutes of physical activity this week, ugh), these lazy summer days spent with puppies are once in a lifetime. I'll try to ignore the non-running blues and soak up the puppy kisses. 

Happy Running!

Have you ever had a case of the blues after finishing a big race?

The End is in Sight!

This week has been a whirlwind. I guess maybe if I posted more than once a week, I wouldn't have mammoth posts about the million things that have been going on. But that's not the way life is (right now) so lets see.....

First and foremost, it is an amazing time to be in the bluegrass. While it may not be a huge deal to many (most) of you, Louisville is in the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Not only that, but Louisville is playing arch rival, mortal enemy and number one seeded Kentucky. I can't explain Bluegrass basketball to you in this paragraph, but it's something special. 2012 is such a special year to me for so many other reasons (graduating law school, taking/passing the bar, getting married, apocalyptic birthday, etc.) but  being able to add "University of Louisville goes to Final Four" is something truly special.

Secondly, I went out for my longest long run since my 2009 Flying Pig marathon on Sunday! I'm happy to report it was one million times better than last week's 10 miler. The weather was much cooler and nicely overcast. I set out with a vague idea of where I needed to go to get in all my miles, and ended up spending almost all 17 miles within 2 miles of the river

Yep - I went through three different cities and 2 different states. Something about that always just tickles me. Heading out on long-runs like these Josh tends to get a little nervous. He (rightly) insists I take a cell phone in case of emergency and lately I've been sending him photos along the way. Though I do it to ease his fears, I love that I have something to share from my beautiful morning!

I guess I got too tired after 10 to keep taking pictures!
oh and the last one is taken in front of the KFC Yum! Center, i'm bad at cropping

Because I know you're super attentive readers you may have noticed my long run was on a Sunday rather than my usual Saturday. Excellent explanation - fun happened. Friday night was our "Barristers Ball" which is essentially Prom for law students. Saturday morning I was so tired and sore from all the fun I'd had - there was dancing, there was good food, there was an open bar - I just knew I couldn't run. There are seldom excuses as great as this one to move a very important run. 

If being awkward was a job, we would be fully employed

After such a great weekend Monday was a horrible dose of the reality that is the next three weeks. My 20 miler is scheduled for Saturday, but alas, so is the major event I'm in charge of throwing. Sunday is the opener for my summer sand Vball league, so I think i'll just have to risk playing really horribly in order to get in my 20. Which brings me to...

Depending on which calender I look at, I'm about [ ] close to tapering! I planned it so that I could get my 20 miles in this weekend or next weekend, depending on how the schedule fell. Depending on how this weekend goes, I may or may not do another one. So my wish for the week is to plan my taper! I want to make it fun and yet keep it challenging so I'm fresh but strong on race day.

Happy Running!

And then there's Summer

Thanks for all of your input, sympathy and advice about this week's long run. I decided to go the 'make it up as I go along' route and just let my body dictate everything. I didn't end up running Saturday but I did manage to get a lot crossed of my to-do list. Saturday I went out for a 10 miler around 10am. Almost every single step- save maybe the middle two miles - were awful. C'est la vie - I did it, it's over and I'm stronger for it.

The biggest difference between this run and all of the others? The weather. We here in the Bluegrass have lucked into a very mild winter (more of an extended fall, really). Temperatures have averaged around 40 since November. Most weekends I would wait until around 10 or 11 a.m. to head out on my long run.  Not anymore.

Almost overnight we switched from winter(fall) to summer! When I headed out on Saturday I wasn't expecting the temperatures to be quite so warm, and was totally unprepared. Time to clean out the running bag - my favorite old ASICS backpack - and reconnect with all of my warm weather running stuff!

Here are a few of my "must-have" warm weather items

1. BodyGlide
     I'm not ashamed to admit it, I love and depend on BodyGlide in the hot summer months. Heck I slather it on in the winter too. This stuff does what regular vaseline can't - it protects all your delicate skin from chafing and blistering despite gallons of sweat. If it's raining or particularly hot I'll coat my feet in it to keep from getting blisters. If you have anything that rubs, sticks, or itches when you run this stuff will save your life.

2. Bondi Bands
     Now I love my Active Bands - they're cute, they keep my hair back, and they fit great. But when it's hot and I'm sweating so much that I no longer look like a human being, this is my go-to headgear. I'll even wear it under my hat/visor so that when I take it on and off my wispy little hairs stay back and out of my face. Or dunk them in water and just wear them around my neck. Amazing.

3. Nuun
    I became a Nuun convert during the last of my hot summer training in the run up to the Chicago Half Marathon last year. What I love is that it has absolutely zero sugar. Sugar seems to be the trigger for my mid-run GI distress so finding this little gem was particularly awesome. Easy to use, lots of electrolytes and has just a fain taste. We all know how awesome yellow-powdered gatorade mix tastes round about mile 25. Yeah, not good. Tri-Berry is my fave, citrus is not my fave, and if my kroger doesn't start carrying Tropical I might have to order it online. yummm.

4. A good solid everyday waterbottle
    A good daily waterbottle is something all runners and athletes should have and carry with them, but in the summer time it's a must. If your schedule is anything like mine, sometimes you just have to get a run in at a minutes notice. Since that makes it hard to plan for fuel and hydration, it's important to stay hydrated all day. Find a waterbottle that suits you - it sounds stupid, but don't get a big 64oz Nalgene if it's too big to put in your purse. Better to get something small that you can always keep with you, even if you have to refill often. Personally? I'm in love with my Camelbak Eddy.

5. Sunscreen (no, seriously)
    This is one of those things I'm making an effort to keep in my bag this year. Not just because my wedding dress is strapless, but because I know limiting exposure to harmful UVA/UVB rays is good for me. I like to keep a generic sweat-proof spray on around because it's so easy. May not be the best coverage, but it's better than nothing (which is my current alternative).

lets be honest though, it's all because I want to avoid this

6.  Hat/Visor
    I hate wearing sunglasses while running. Anything that bounces, rubs, moves, or does anything like that annoys the crap out of me and I spend the whole run - no matter how long - thinking about it. Thus, a visor. I won an Asics Everyday II Run Visor at a volleyball competition (runners up got a giant bag of swag, including visor, winners got a volleyball. Suckers). It's light, it fits my dainty lady head, and effortlessly protects my eyes from the gallons of sweat seeping out of my forehead. Sold.

7. Cheapo Beach Towel from the dollar store
    Have you not picked up that I sweat like a 400lb dude? If it's over 75 degrees I need something to put between me and my upholstered interior lest I permanently dampen the seat. I keep these cheapo towels in my car like Kleenex.


These are just some of the things that make summer running tolerable down here in Kentucky. Before we know it, I'll be reminiscing about 80 degree days and talking about how I've got the vapers and what not in the 70% humidity and 110 degree heat. Until then, whew, pass the ice water!

What are your hot/warm-weather must haves? What changes do you make to your training when the temperatures start to climb?


To everyone who raced this weekend - YOU ROCK! I've loved looking at all of the pictures and seeing you in all of your green-glory.

The Other-Other F Word

It happens to the best of us, and usually hits like a freight train carrying a whole load of acme anvils. The flu. No, I'm not talking about the cold/flu viral sinus thing (I was lucky enough to kick that sucker back in January). No, I'm talking about the other Flu. You know.

Sunday I was riding the high of my Saturday run and excited to start a week of "spring break" wherein I would be responsible for one class and no work instead of 3 classes, work, and an externship. I made a fabulous recipe I'd been DYING to try, and some ridiculously gluttonous Oreo-Chocolate Chip cookies. perfection.

And then Monday morning I woke up and got so sick I thought my insides were going to be on the outside. I threw up for 5 hours straight, took phenergan, then threw up for another hour before finally my innards finally gave up their siege. Needless to say - it was not what I had planned for Monday. By the time Tuesday rolled around I'd survived entirely on Gatorade and stubbornness. Tuesday was lost to recovery.

Wednesday I was feeling a lot stronger and got so far as to eat some fruit snacks (YES!) without any issue. Excited by my progress but not quite ready to run, Josh and I took a nice long walk. I was famished. I turned to my favorite sure-fire "easy belly" meal - a plain white bread sandwich with turkey only. It tasted amazing.

This morning as I packed my running bag for a nice after school run....well, I thought Monday might repeat itself. I felt nauseous, my stomach cramped, my arms and legs were heavy. I searched the pantry for anything that sounded or looked appetizing. Fruit loops? Nope. Granola bar? Nope. Et tu, applesauce? Yeah...definitely not. In short,  today has been a big step back. Back on the hydration train so hopefully the guts get what they need to start chugging along the solid-food highway again.

So here's my question to you!


I have to competing interests/feelings at the moment:

1. I've accepted the fact that there's absolutely no way that I will be getting my 35-38 miles in this week; BUT
2. I have a 17 mile long run scheduled saturday and I don't want to "lose my fitness"

Of course I'm aware that missing one long run won't screw me out of 11 weeks of relatively good training. On the other hand, there's only 6 more weeks of training and this 17-18mi long run is a big step to getting me to my goal of 20 pre-marathon miles. Some options I've considered:

• Do it - Do the 17 and don't worry at all about how long it takes. Stop when you need to, drink lots of water, and walk if you have to
• Spread out the mileage - do 9ish on Saturday and 9ish on Sunday
• Maximize Minutes - Don't worry about mileage, focus on minutes. 17-18 miles would take me roughly 3.5 hours. Rather than get in "miles", focus on spending 3.5 hours doing some kind of cardio
• Get over it - After a week of not running at all, trying to get in 3.5 hours of cardio of any kind is kind of stupid. Do what you can, worry about the rest next week. 
• Move the step-down - Next week is a "step-down" week with a goal of 14mile long run. Move that up to this week and do 17 next week. 

I'm thinking some kind of combo of Move the step down and doing the cardio rather than all running. But I want to hear from you! What's your gut reaction?

Throw it out there (or up there, har har) and let me know what you think!