[dAnceguy117]

Originally Posted by inDheart

i dunno, i'm just averse to spending money on equipment; i didn't even buy spikes until several years after i started, and just did my races in a big heavy pair of training shoes.

howwwwwwww x.x

it was always so much harder for me to run for time (on anything longer than a mile) without a lighter pair. the spikes themselves helped too, of course, but just the weight of those trainers... gah.

on topic: I've been a couch potato for months, but I wanna try to get back into it soon, perhaps with the help of this thread as a reminder.

I'm in agreement with those who have said it's best not to worry much about pace at first. for me, there's such a huge difference in my comfort level and stamina between my first week or two starting out versus the entire time afterward. I don't bother at all with really pushing myself until I've gotten those first dozen+ miles in.

personally, I haven't found ice treatment to be necessary unless I'm putting in competitive-level work, which I last did years ago. might not be the same for everyone, though.