Roadblock

Last week was up and down. Monday I got a vicious stitch in my side and didn't finish the last run, maybe by about 2 minutes. Stitch aside though, I think a lot of the problem was mental - when I listened to Suz describe the run, I thought she said that there were two 3-minute runs followed by 90 seconds of walking and ONE five minute run, but there was a second 5-minute one right at the end. On top of that, I think I was running faster - at one point I passed a couple on one of those two-seater bikes. I slowed it down on Wednesday and Friday and finished without any problems. I also ran the entire week without a bandage on my right ankle and it didn't so much as twinge.

Then there was yesterday. I was quite confident that it would be fine - I can totally do three 5-minute runs. I hadn't hashed all weekend (Saturday hangover, Sunday by design) and so I figured I'd be well rested. I wasn't feeling too great at work though, enough to pop some Advil Cold & Sinus. I only finished the first 5-minute run and barely did the last at all.

So now I am stuck deciding what to do about running while I have a cold. I don't want to take the time off entirely - beyond the fact that it totally breaks the pattern of strapping on those shoes and just getting out there every day, I also worry that even a week would put me back. I figure I'll go out there tomorrow and try the scheduled run. If that doesn't work, well, I guess I'm not attempting 20-minutes non-stop on Friday. I'll just do the Week 5, Part 1 run again and try to maintain where I am. I can always start Week 5 all over again next week.

But if I'm honest with myself, I really want tomorrow to be a success so that I can tackle that 20 mintues on Friday. I don't like the idea of fucking up the program at all - in spite of the fact that I originally never thought I'd get through it in just 9 weeks.

Sigh.