First run since returning from Copenhagen

Yesterday I tried running for the first time since my return from Copenhagen on the 10th of November. I have been fighting a bad cold that started on the flight back. I finished my last antibiotic on Saturday so I wanted to get going with my training for the Gardenspot Marathon in April. I decided to run my favorite course…I call it "private lane" because I run on a little road marked private. The route starts at my house, runs through an area of nice homes before entering the Lehigh Parkway where I run along a crushed stone path before leaving by way of the private lane and returning home. It is a little over 5 miles, has hills, crushed stone, beautiful scenery and little traffic; a little bit of everything. I also decided to use the run/walk method by Galloway by first walking for five minutes to warm-up and then start running 1/4 (run one minute then walk four minutes). After a mile I go to 2/4 then mile three 3/4 and so on until I am running four minutes/walking one minute. This is a proven method that lowers your chance of injury and lets you run longer distances. The run went well, no pains which is good because I have been experiencing some left knee pain since my last two half marathons. I am signed up for my first full marathon next April and I may use the Galloway method for this attempt because I am running a half marathon a few weeks after that and I want to try a PR of under two hours for the half. So as I start to recoup from this cold I am formulating a training plan which includes strength training; I am doing the Iron Strength program from the book The Athlete's Book of Home Remedies by Dr. Jorden D. Metzl. In addition to being a physician, Dr. Metzl is a marathoner and an Iron Man. He developed theses workouts to exercise every muscle in your body and lesson injury from your primary sport.