A TIP FROM COACH JAY:

DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEING 100%

One of the questions that is difficult to answer as a runner is, "Should I race if I'm less than 100% and a bit under the weather?" It depends, and what it depends on most is your willingness not to put too much weight on the performance if it goes poorly. You can't quantify the amount of time your sickness would add to a "healthy" performance so you have to be able to simply run and say, "I was less than 100% today and no doubt I would have run faster had I not been sick."

It's difficult. As runners we value the times we run and when we run slower than expected we want to know why, yet if you're sick the answer is so simple - you're sick! - but even then it's hard to accept.

As long as you're 90% well doing a workout or a race, it often (not always) makes sense, yet make sure you're willing to blow off the time you run and not try to analyze what could have been or should have been if you were 100% healthy.

*Coach Jay's advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.