All is quiet ...

Because I haven't been running (sad!).

Last week I went for a run over lunch on Thursday. When I left, it was sunny. About two and a half miles in, it started raining. Well, pouring. Sideways. And blowing. I had two miles back to the office, in the cold rain (and had left in shorts and a thin shirt). So not only was I running faster than normal, I was probably also paying less attention to my form. Of course, my knee was really bothering me at the end of that run.

The next day, bam! Head cold. So now, my knee hurts (even when I'm walking) and my head is all stuffy. With my poor body screaming that loudly, I had to stop, and haven't run for a week. Tomorrow is the first run, 4.5 miles. I missed a long run, so I'll go seven miles on Saturday, but next weekend have to run 9. I don't like the idea of a two-mile jump, but I don't really have an option. And besides, the most I'll run before the half marathon is 10, so that will be a 3.1 mile jump. Might as well get a little practice in, huh?

In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of squats and hip strengthening exercises at home, to help keep my knee where it's supposed to be when I run. I'm going to have quads of steel. (ha).