Even though running requires relatively little in the way of gear, I did need a decent pair of running shoes and a sport bra to call my own.  Fortunately, I live around the corner from See Jane Run.  The salesperson was incredibly patient as I tried on eight or ten pair of shoes and walked around to see how they felt.  In the end I bought the ones she had secretly expected to fit the best after analyzing my gait.  I guess that's how they get their jollies at SJR.

One down, bra to go.  Sport bras are not generally my idea of a good time.  They smash you into an unattractive monoboob and are ugly to boot.  I found one that wasn't too awful looking, and while it does indeed press my breasts into a single rounded shape, it zips up the front making it the easiest to put on and take off.  In my book that counts for a lot.

Sadly, they only had the bra I wanted in "nude".  I really hate "nude".  But they found my size in black at another store and arranged to have it sent over.  During the following week--while  waiting for my bra to arrive--I continued to run wearing various sport tops with built-in bras, reinforced with a regular bra underneath.  It felt like my chest was wrapped tight in an ACE bandage but my jerry-rigged brassiere seemed to do the job.

A set-back

Meanwhile, my knee went wonky and started to hurt so much I had to slow my work-outs down to a walk.  I rolled out my IT bands, stretched my quads, performed countless knee sets--all in an effort to stop the pain.  It wasn't getting worse, but it wasn't getting better either.

I resigned myself to the possibility I am not destined to be a runner, but I kept showing up at the track.  The track in question is above the Clark Kerr Campus at Cal.  It's about 5 minutes from my house by car.  Although I feel slightly goofy driving to my running work-out, I'm convinced the dirt track is better for me and my knee.
I walked the track for 30 minutes every other day until my knee stopped hurting.  This happened to coincide with putting arch supports in my shoes, but I honestly don't know if the two things are related.  The arch supports are still there and my knee no longer hurts.  I plan to leave well enough alone.

Having finally finished Week 2, I prepared to move on to Week 3.  I listened to the first part of the W3 podcast.  After a 5 minutes walk to warm-up, it calls for two repetitions of the following pattern: 90 seconds running, 90 seconds brisk walking, 3 minutes running, 3 minutes brisk walking.

Those 3 minute runs had me worried.