Well I completed run 3 of week 2 this morning and really feel like I'm starting to hit my stride! I found the step up from week 1 to week 2 a bit of a struggle and W2R2 was even harder still, but today everything seemed to fall into place. I suppose like many others I've started to get questions about whether I'm running at the right speed and how to make the transitions between stages so I was delighted to come across this forum today where I have found myself doing far too much reading (and not enough working) taking advice from all you good people!
A little self-indulgent piece about me: my goal is to get back to playing hockey again after far too many seasons out with ill health through a heart problem. Pacemaker #2 and I have now made peace, which is more than can be said for pacemaker #1 (thankfully, he has now been consigned to the big clinical waste bin in the sky). I turned 30-plus-VAT a couple of weeks ago and did my very first run the following day. This is going to be my year!
So currently I'm on the dreadmill and haven't ventured outside yet, and that's the first question I've got answered today. At the moment I think I'm going to stick with it until I graduate before hitting the streets. I've lost nearly four stones since the beginning of the year but my BMI is still over 40 so I'm a big unit. I just feel safer with the slight cushioning of the dreadmill what with the old dodgy knee just waiting in the wings to jump out and bite me on the bum. Speed-wise I'm walking at 6.0 (kph) and jogging at 7.7, with the last couple of intervals at 8.0 today. That seems about average for dreadmillers, from what I've seen. I've been at an incline of 1.0 since starting out, and upped it to 1.5 today, so again I feel like I've got that right if I eventually want to progress outdoors. So far I've completed every session first time so perhaps that's as good a measure that I am not overdoing it as I can get.
So anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful posts, blogs, support and advice. Looking forward to watching everyone get better, stronger, faster and going further! :o)