Oh running, I'll never take you for granted again

My foot felt fine this morning. I had taped it the night before. There was no pain, just some stiffness. So I packed my running clothes in my bag and got a lift to work.

During the day, my foot sent me mixed signals. I thought I felt something a couple of times, but then I'd start walking and it'd feel OK. So I ran home after work, all the while listening for signals that my body might be sending me. 5,5 km later I got home having felt nothing but a mild ache right at the beginning of my run. I stretched with particular emphasis on my feet. Then I made the mistake of touching the arch of my foot, towards the heel. Verdict: sore.

It's not so painful as to not be able to walk, but there's definitely something there when I touch it. I understand that I might not be able to run any long runs in the coming weeks, but not even 5 km? This is bad...

I want to challenge myself a little bit everyday. But my foot won't let me.
Pretty illustration by Alex Noriega.

So how will I know when to ignore the pain (because it might only be in my head - I am kind of a hypochondriac when it comes to running) and when to listen to my body? Common sense says it's better to rest now, to ensure that I can keep running for many many years. But how will I balance that with the need to go running today?