Casablanca Half on Sunday after 4 weeks off?

Help! Can I get your votes on whether it is risky to run a half marathon on Sunday after 4 weeks off due to injury & now a cold? The injury (piriformis pain causing referred pain through the leg) is under control but I'm worried than I will have lost fitness and muscle condition and therefore risk causing secondary injuries. I've been in the gym but for only half of those 4 weeks due to the head cold. I've been running for 5 years doing on average 2 or 3 organized halves every year but this year I've been off more than on due to a variety of injuries. I've kind of accepted I shouldn't run but I'm flying over anyway and I fear on race day I'll get caught up in the atmos and what to run! What to do?!

From the sounds of it, you have plenty of running experience behind you and are likely to have retained a good level of fitness.  If your head cold hasn't got to your chest, then you should be OK.

As its Casablanca rather than a local race, I'd still run it - but I'd reduce my target pace by about 1 min a mile (e.g. if you normally run 8 m/m then run it at 9 m/m).  If your running better than expected, you can always increase the pace in the second half.

Mind you, I just ran a Half on Sunday after having almost two weeks out with a chest cold that I thought had cleared on the Thursday before.  I ended up with my worst ever half time, and really suffered in the last three miles.  With hindsight I probably sholdn't have run! 

 

Thank you. Tip about reducing my time expectations is a prudent reminder that if I do run I shouldn't "race" it! Very annoying though as I think I was probably on track for a pb. I'll see how I feel - being able to breath properly should be a good measure! Oh well, I'll always have my Paris 2010 pb (scuse the awful film pun).
Thanks!