I have over 20 years experience with EC. Here are my recommedations for a newbie:
If you've never taken it before, build up slowly. When I go off for long periods, I only need 12mgs E and 100mgs C when I start taking it again... I could clean my entire house in 1 hour.
Do not take 3x a day at first... you won't need to. Start with 1/2 dose first thing in the morning and see how you feel later.
I use EC for fat loss only: Take it first thing in the morning with lots of water on an empty stomach, then go do cardio.
I workout later in the day so I never took E as a pre-workout booster, only C.
EC tends to have a another strange effect that nobody ever mentions... if you are an old BBer like me, old injuries tend to flare up when I take EC in higher doses. I don't know the exact cause for this.. probably has something to do with the CNS effect, but it definitely happens to me.
CNS effects tend to lessen with time. Never take after 5pm unless you want to stay up all night.
Aspirin is definitely not necessary. IMO, that was misinformation handed down from a BBing mag in the early 90's... might have been Ironman or Musclemag.
Another myth is that EC raises your body temperature. That is totally bogus.