To run or not to run...

...that is the question.

So my mom calls me up last night and when I answered the phone she says "Oh, Lindy!" as in, 'Lindy that voice sounds like a character out of Star Wars!' Then she went on to basically suggest I shouldn't be trying to run this weekend blah blah blah. She reads my blog, you see. The whole phlegm thing is probably what prompted her call.

So not having run at all this week, I'm still recuperating. Hoping for a miracle and that this cold leaves my chest. I seem to be better today, only the occasional coughing fit.

I googled "running while sick," "running with a cold," etc...and read about the "neck test", and that if your symptoms are above the neck (sore throat, headache, sniffles) and you feel ok to run, go for it. But if it's below the neck (chest, stomach, uh, bowels) sit tight. Same for a fever, and that you can't sweat out a fever by sweating. I was all like, you can't? But then they said that if your body can't regulate its temperature when you're just sitting still, how on earth will it do so when you're running? Good point.

Then in a few articles they talked about on some instances, that the added stress of running for long distances when sick is enough to kill you. Really? And I saw the reference on several sites, which kinda wigged me out.

Here are a few of the articles I read:

here

and here

and here

and this blogger/coach here.

Ok, and I guess it was all the forums (read: random miscellaneous non experts) talking about so-called heart issues.

That being said, I will wait and see how I feel tomorrow before making a decision for running the 20-miler "Ready to Run 20-Miler" with a few thousand or so other runners. SHould would be more ideal than by my lonesome. Yes. The decision should be made tomorrow, because if I have to wait until Sunday to decide, than that should tell me already that the answer is to hold off a few more days. :(