Feeling under the weather can leave runners wondering whether to push through or press pause. You might tell yourself, “It’s just a cold,” while lacing up anyway, or feel guilty for skipping a session. Every runner’s been there.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, there are clear signs that can help you decide what’s best for your body.
An important note from us at Runna: this guidance is based on coaching best practices and general training principles. It is not medical advice. If you’re unsure about your symptoms, have an underlying condition, or feel concerned about your health, please seek advice from a medical professional.
What Happens When You Choose to Adjust Your Plan
You can adjust your plan in seconds and take the pressure off. Head to the Manage Plan section of your Runna app to get started.
You’ll want to select Manage Plan > Adapt Your Plan > Not Feeling 100% > Add Adjustment and follow the prompts.
Choose How Long You Want the Adjustment to Last
You can adjust your plan for up to 14 days. This gives you space to let those minor aches settle. This isn’t taking a step back. It’s training intelligently.
Tell Us How You Want to Adapt Your Plan
Reducing difficulty
Doing easy and long runs only
Doing short easy runs only
Not running for a bit
Think of this as a conversation between you, your body, and your training. It’s not a rigid schedule you’re expected to follow no matter what.
Select How You Want to Return to Full Training
Once your adjustment period ends, you can choose the pace at which you’d like to rebuild:
Slowly: A gentle return with extra easy running and reduced load. Ideal if you’ve been feeling under the weather or your body needs a bit more care.
Balanced: A steady progression back to full training. Great when you’ve had a lighter week due to work, travel, or general fatigue.
Quickly: A faster transition back to your normal plan. Perfect for situations where life got busy, but your fitness and energy still feel solid.
Choosing your return style ensures you don’t jump back in too fast, or too tentatively, and lets the plan meet you exactly where you are.
If anything feels off, adjust again. It’s not a sign of weakness — it’s good self-management.
When It’s Time to Rest
There’s no medal for powering through a virus. Most runners who’ve tried will tell you it only delays recovery.
If you’re on the fence, it’s usually smarter to err on the side of rest. A few missed runs won’t erase your fitness, but pushing through can risk injury, dehydration, or even burnout once your immune system is depleted.
Take the same discipline you use to stick to your training and apply it to your recovery. Resting intentionally is still part of the plan.
The “Above the Neck” vs. “Below the Neck” Rule
If you’ve ever Googled “should I run with a cold,” you’ve probably come across the “above the neck” rule. It’s a classic coaching guideline that helps runners make quick, sensible decisions.
Above the neck symptoms: a runny nose, mild sore throat, or sneezing, may mean you can continue running lightly, if you feel up to it.
Below the neck symptoms: coughing, chest tightness, fever, body aches, or stomach issues, are your body’s way of saying it needs rest.
If your illness involves a fever, flu-like symptoms, or fatigue that makes even walking feel hard, it’s best to stop training altogether until you’ve recovered. Remember: no run is worth prolonging your recovery.
Keep Your Body Moving With Mobility Work
When you scale back your running, it can be helpful to keep some gentle movement in your week. Mobility work such as our Yoga, Pilates, and Stretch & Stability sessions are ideal here. They’re low-impact, supportive, and help you stay loose without adding extra load.
These sessions maintain joint mobility, reduce stiffness, and build the kind of balance and control that underpin healthy running. They’re simple ways to stay connected to your routine while giving your body the space it needs to recover.
You can add these in the Manage Plan section of your Runna app.
Be Patient: RPE and Heart Rate Will Feel Different
One of the most common mistakes runners make is expecting to feel “normal” when they’re not 100%. When you’re unwell, your Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) will almost always feel higher than usual. That’s your body working overtime to heal and move simultaneously.
You might notice your heart rate creeping up, even on easy runs. That’s a sign your body is still under stress, not that your fitness has declined. Take it as useful data — an indicator that you need more rest or lighter training for now.
Think of this as temporary turbulence. Give yourself grace, adjust your expectations, and remember: recovery is part of training.
Check out our full guide on returning to running after a break.
The Bottom Line
Even the most dedicated runners need to hit pause sometimes. Being unwell is a reminder that your body is an active system, not a machine, and the best athletes know when to ease off so they can come back stronger.
By learning to read your body’s signals, adjusting your intensity, and ramping back up with patience, you’ll not only recover faster, you’ll build better self-awareness for every future training block.
So if you’re sick today, don’t stress. The miles will still be there when you’re ready to run them.