When I started c25k it was easy. Trainers, phone, off I go.
Then:
Learned about stretching
Got a running belt
Discovered the joy of lycra
Got fancy headphones
Graduated and discovered NRC
Got the Garmin
...all the gear, no idea...
Hurt myself. Learned a lesson.
So today was my third run since getting new trainers. I've now got running socks too (even more gear π). Thanks to the ligament and a blister the exact size of a 10 pence piece I needed to add the following steps to my preparation to run:
Apply blister plaster to big blister
Apply ordinary plasters to the two smaller blisters I got from the new backless sandals I had to buy because of the massive blister on my heel
Do physio and then foam roller the dodgy ligament
Then, of course, dynamic stretches, turn on the Garmin, turn on location tracking on WhatsApp in case anything happens while I'm out, choose some music and finally off I went. Listened to Coach Bennett's Worst Advice Ever and managed just over 3k in half an hour, quite respectable for me. I was deliberately trying to go slowly and pretty much achieved it. No blister problems, no ankle problems, I'll know tomorrow if I overdid it but I'm optimistic I haven't.
So, the big question for me is 'what next?' Do another 3k on Saturday or....Park Run? I know I shouldn't run it all yet, that's what did me in last time but if I walk the uphill bits and some of the rest? By the time I walk there and back and do the run its about 7km in all so I wonder if it'd be too much.
As I write this I think I might stick with NRC, the temptation to go bonkers is probably too much in Parkrun.
PS Mr Garmin knocked another year off my VO2 age today π
PPS my new shoes are all grubby now thanks to overnight rain π