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Having broken into Week 2 after three weeks of running Week 1, I was feeling proud. However, I'm now struck down with an awful cold, which seems to be heading for my sinuses and chest. Thick head, bad cough. I haven't run for five days and still can't drag myself out.

Two questions - is it ok to break off to allow myself to recover, or have I blown all the (limited) progress I've made? And should I go back to Week 1 when I do start again?

Yours croakingly!

Everything I've read says "below the neck, take a break." That is, you can run with a head cold, but if it moves to your chest, STOP. I have heard horror stories of people running with a chest cold and then it turned to pneumonia and they took MONTHS to recover.

It is hard to take a break, though! I've got bronchitis, and its misery is exacerbated by the fact that I WANT to run and can't. I want to get better, not make it worse! So I sit, and I cough, and I wonder how much this is setting me back.

You are definitely doing the right thing by waiting. Feel better soon!

Thanks. I hope you feel much better soon too.

Me too. It's so frustrating. Don't worry if the intention is there you'll be back with it in no time. Get well soon.

A good rule after a break is that you start with the last fully completed week.

Get well soon!

So how are you doing, Shuffler? Try not to be too discouraged when you start running again, all right? I'm struggling to get back to where I was, distance-wise, and it's very frustrating. Hands down, I'd say this is tougher than any other challenge I've faced running.

We'll get back to where we were eventually! And we'll keep improving!

Thanks for your concern, Starknut. I left off running for a complete week, and when my cold had pretty much passed I did another run. Pleasantly surprised that I managed my Week 2 run almost exactly the same as pre cold. Not quite fully according to instructions but pretty good. Since then I missed a day due to the extreme cold weather, but am about to go out again now. Wish me luck!