When should you skip a run?

I had plans to meet a group at run at 7a last Saturday morning. It was going to be one of two long runs between Saturday and Monday to get ready for my big relay race the following Friday. Before the alarm went off I had already woken up with a terrible sore throat and burning in my upper chest. I thought I would feel better if I had something warm to drink and walked around a bit to drain whatever was causing me issues out of my head.

WRONG!

When I went to ask my husband for a cup of tea, I literally could not make a sound. With an evil glint in his eye he then began to ask a series of questions in his voice and then answer in a falsetto version of mine with things I would never ever say or agree to...then he helped me get a cup of tea made and I returned to bed. I knew then I really needed to slip into low gear and not head out for that run. But I got dressed, everything but shoes, just in case I felt better at the last minute. 

My husband brought me a second cup of tea and before I finished it, I had fallen fast asleep. That right there told me it was not the right morning for a run, even one that was foggy, cool and practically perfect in every other way. I do not normally pass up a Mary Poppins of a run time, but glad I chose to this time. 

I took a Day-Quil when I woke. Correction, when I was awoken asking me when I was going to wake up. Love the man, but gee whiz, let the sick sleep! At that point I decided to get up and stay up. More hot tea and I got my voice back, began to feel better but still not great. 

By the late afternoon I did feel well enough to run and run I did. Half of what I'd planned to run, but felt it was a good idea to get out there but not to overdo it. I have got to be in good health for the relay and I already know I can do the amount of running needed, so a day or two missed won't upset that applecart. 

At one point I would have forced myself to do something simply because I had created a schedule that said to do it. But listening to my body on a real issue...not just that I did not want to get out of bed...and taking cues from me about me was a growth point for me. And I was actually proud of myself for not forcing myself into a situation where I might have been letting my whole team down the next week. 

For me to skip a run I need to know I have a way to make it up within 24 hours, that it makes sense to delay and that it is not an excuse, but a reason. Now if I had gotten sicker and sicker that day I certainly would not have run that afternoon. Applying some common sense...even though it isn't so common any longer can go a long way in training!