delicate flower
Thanks! After reading the responses, I realize that I knew the answer before I asked the question. I guess I just needed to hear it. Maybe I'm just weird that way, but probably not. I'm sure others have the same issue. Sometimes common sense just needs reinforcement.
Yeah, you won't get a lot of folks here telling you to run through your knee pain.
<3
My record streak is 11 days which happened by chance. I know that I need 1 rest day a week which works for me.
Smaller By The Day
So, I took a rest day. Decided that I didn't feel anything in my knee today, and thought I'd test it out. I really toyed with the idea of two rest days in a row. Then, I decided that I'd just take a short run, and reduce my mileage for the rest of the week before I start really training for my spring half.
Today's run went well. The extra rest, and a new pair of shoes put a bit of pep in my step. I wasn't really tracking my pace, but it turned out I was about a minute faster than my easy pace. I should probably ease up a bit on my next run, but it felt so good. The only time I felt the knee was when I turned to look over my shoulder and check for traffic. So, I guess it isn't 100%, but that's the only time I really felt anything. I think the mileage cutback will take care of the rest, but I will be mindful that it's okay to take a rest day if needed. 3.34 miles at 9:27 mm.
Improvements
Weight 100 pounds lost
5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)
10K 48:59 April 2013
HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013
MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013
When I stop and think about how my upcoming training plan is put together, I wonder if the reason it is so flexible isn't just for that reason. Jack Daniels talks a lot about the importance of rest, and his programs are basically, "Here's your quality work. Get your easy miles in throughout the week.". There really isn't any set structure for the easy miles. So, rest days can be taken when you need them. I guess that makes sense.
That's another reason I'm a fan of Daniels. He builds a lot of flexibility into his plans. Indeed, if you read his book rather than just flipping to the plans, he talks about being flexible and how to substitute various workouts such as a hill workout in place of speed reps. Beyond that, I don't know anyone with a full time job and kids that can possibly execute every workout of a training plan exactly as scheduled.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Coming late to the party here but I'd have kept up the streak. Actually the answer depends on what the streak does for you. if it motivates you, keeps you going, then by all means run. Or walk. Or whatever you've defined your streak to be. If its a meaningless lark, then rest up and start again if you like. I've been streaking for a while now and the longer I streak the less I want to break it. I haven't had to make any hard choices yet, thank goodness, I hope to be able to make the right call if I need to.