This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Over the past few weeks, the cold and flu season has caught some serious momentum. With the bad weather keeping people indoors, it’s likely this may continue for a while. Runners aren’t immune. Several of the runners I coach have recently dealt with colds and I got hit by one last week (which is why my blog is a day late this week).

So what do we do during this cold season? Obviously, the first step is to try to avoid the virus with all the usual precautions that we have all heard a million times and I’m not going to bore everyone by repeating. What happens when that isn’t enough, though? It’s the age old question that runners face. Do I run through this cold or not and, if I do, how much do I have to back off?

I know some people like to say if it’s above the shoulders, keep running. If it’s below, don’t run. That’s a decent general guideline but sometimes we have bad head colds and would benefit from a day or two off. While more rare, sometimes we get a chest cold that isn’t too severe and some easy running won’t be harmful.

How often do I say listen to your body? Well, here’s another case. Your body will tell you how to handle the illness. If you’re feeling run down before you even grab your running gear, how do you think your run is going to go? It’s not going to be good and what are you going to accomplish? You’re better off giving your body some extra rest so it can fight off the virus. If you are feeling up for trying a run, go for it but pay attention to how you feel while running. If you’re feeling fine, keep going but consider skipping hard or long workouts. If not, then adjust as necessary. Keep your pace very easy, just go short and do something to get your blood flowing, which can help you fight the illness if it’s not too severe.

As an example of how we may apply this, I’ll offer my training from last week. Monday, I woke up early in the morning with a sore throat. I knew immediately what was going on but, other than the sore throat, I felt fine so I went out and got in a good 9 mile run. Tuesday, the congestion started but again wasn’t bad. I felt fine. I went out and got in another 9 mile run, though not quite as fast. Wednesday, I felt fine while not running so I went for my run. Once running, I instantly knew my energy levels were very low so I just did 5 miles at about 2 minutes per mile slower than my prior 9 mile runs. Thursday, I felt a little better but my energy levels were still low so I did another 5 miles barely faster than Wednesday. By Friday, I felt better and my pace was returning to normal but I wanted to play it safe so I just did 6 miles. Since the cold was still lingering over the weekend, even though I felt fine while running, I continued building slowly, adding a mile a day while making sure I continued recovering. By Monday, I was back to my usual 9 mile run at a pace that was very solid given the conditions. I still have a few lingering symptoms but, by backing off when my energy was low, I ensured the cold didn’t develop into something worse or drag on, draining my energy for longer than necessary. Now I’m back into my normal routine less than a week after the cold first began affecting my training.

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

This weekend, I did something with every runner I’m coaching that I think surprised at least a few of them. I asked them to think about and send me two primary goals for 2014. I was looking for not just time goals but everything associated with running. Why did they hire me as a coach? If it was just for time goals, then let me know those goals specifically. If it was for more, what else was it for? To avoid injury? To find a running/life balance that would allow them to do certain things in both running and the rest of their lives? To learn more about training theory? To take their training to the "next level" in whatever way they may think it’s been lacking?

Don’t get me wrong. I haven’t overlooked talking about goals previously. It’s something I’m always thinking about and it’s one of the first things I ask a runner about when the runner contacts me with an interest in coaching.

What I was looking for were two short, precise points of focus for 2014. I am adding these to a private page I keep with links to training logs so, every time I go to look at someone’s training log, I’d see that person’s goals also. I’ll be constantly reminded of the end result we’re going after.

Why does this matter? Sometimes, when in middle of a long block of training, we get so focused on today, tomorrow, next week that we forget to think about the big picture. We forget the ultimate target. While it’s important to focus on the process, it’s also important to ensure the process is pointing us toward where we want to go. It’s easy to get away from that when you’re too focused on the moment.

For the record, I also performed this exercise on myself. One of my goals is not a race time. It’s to be running strong in September and October. In recent years, I too often found myself peaking in July or August and just hanging on as the fall races rolled around. This year, I’m going to have that "Run strong in September and October" goal in my face every week as I lay out my week’s training plan. I’m not going to overextend myself in May and June because I’m going to be reminded that I want a more sustainable training approach that leaves me running well in the summer but even better in the fall.

Seeing this goal every week is going to keep me honest. It’s going to help me ensure I plan sustainable workouts that will build fitness without breaking me down prematurely. It’s going to help me be honest with myself in those workouts and not run them harder than I should. It’s going to leave me running my best during my favorite time of the year to race. I’m hoping I have enough left in the tank to even consider expanding my fall racing schedule.

As for the runners I coach, I will have their top priorities in mind every time I’m developing long term training plans as well as every time I’m sending them short term plans. It will allow me to better tailor their training plans to their specific needs and desires.

So what do you do? First, think seriously about what your goals are. Not just racing goals but your overall running goals. What do you want out of your running this year? Then come up with two specific goals that you can express in short, concise sentences. Finally, keep those goals in front of you. Always be thinking about where you want to go. Focus on what you’re going to do today but in the context of how it’s going to get you to where you want to be three, six or twelve months from now.