Okay, I need some advice.
After years of not being able to run for more than a few minutes at a time without pain, I have finally made some real progress in physical therapy and am up to 15 minutes of pain-free running 3X a week. (It doesn't sound like a lot, but this is a big deal for me). I could probably do more than 15 minutes, but I am playing it safe and trying to take things slow.
My first goal is to run 15 minutes 4 times a week. Currently I am running on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. When adding a new day, I'd do Thursday or Friday.
Once I am up to 15 minutes four times a week, my second goal is to start gradually upping the duration of my runs.
So here are my questions:
When adding this 4th run a week, should I just try to do it and see what happens, or should I build up to it gradually? If it's better for me to build up to it gradually, how gradual should I go?
Also, once I am up to four 15-minute runs a week, by what percentage and/or how minutes should I increase my runs each week? (My third goal is to get up to 30-45 minutes of running four times a week. After that, I'll reassess and set another running/training goal).
I would like some feedback on this because my natural inclination is to start doing too much too soon, so I want to play it safe. At the same time, I don't want to be overly conservative, either. Thus, I need some advice on what a balanced approach would entail.
Thanks!