Rest is best

Everyone who either runs or enjoys any form of exercise knows that telling you that you can't exercise or run, is asking a lot! A rest day once a week is one thing...I look forward to those! But not being able to run at all for most of the week...torture!  Even my doctor understands that! When I started feeling the symptoms of a cold on Monday I wasn't worried.  It was rest day and after a day of home remedies, I was sure I would be fine by Tuesday.  Which I was! Had a great run on Tuesday afternoon and was feeling good about this week of carefully planned tapering.  Plus, that sore throat was barely bothering me anymore.  Wednesday I wasn't so lucky and this cold seemed to have finally arrived in full force.  More self medication, one more rest day...surely I would be back on the road on Thursday? Wrong! Thursday I felt so ill I could hardly make it through the work day before rushing off to a last minute appointment at the doctor.  What a disaster! The cold symptoms were now out in full force and before I knew it I was on antibiotics, booked off work and instructed to rest.  In fact the doctor admitted that he knew how difficult it is for runners not to run, so he gave me the go ahead to run if I absolutely had to, provided I take it very easy and stop if I feel bad.  Despite this, and despite the fact that I was freaking out about not running with a little over two weeks til Comrades, I just couldn't run! I got straight into bed and pretty much rested right through til this morning.  In addition to feeling a little cabin feverish, it had now been 3 whole days of no running and I was starting to stress about Comrades.  Realistically I know that at this stage three days of rest won't do much to change my race..not when I've put eight months of hard work in! But still-I couldn't let it be 4 days! So this morning I decided to go out for a slow run, seeing as though the antibiotics seem to be clearing this cold away.  The run was slow and sluggish and I know it's because I'm still recovering and not because I've lost fitness in three days (as a runner, I can be a little irrational at times) but I felt terrible at the end.  So I've had to be mature and cancel all weekend plans, get back into bed and keep resting for another day.  Here's hoping it's all cleared up before 3 June!!!!!