“ A lot of studies have shown that three weeks seems to be a magical time for some strange reason to recondition and reprogram the brain . So , I tell patients , ‘ Look , you may not like this for the first three weeks . You may hate life . You may be a bear to your family . But if you can get past those first three weeks , you ’ ll start to feel a lot better .”
Dr . Ryan Modlinski , nonsurgical orthopaedic physician with Norton Orthopaedic Specialists
As you set out in your training , Modlinski also advises taking it at a pace that doesn ’ t rock your current routine too severely . This will help prevent burn out and is also the best method to get your body used to your new regimen . “ I stress to patients that you will get stronger and better by pushing the body and allowing it time to adapt ,” he said . “ Taking a day off between training actually helps you get a little bit better . When you get farther along in your journey , maybe we can go up to four or five days a week . And we talk about not biting off too much as far as a timeframe . So many people set a goal by a certain date or a certain race . If they start in January for the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and they get off their schedule by a week or two , then they start to panic and start to press more , which can lead to more pain and injuries and less success with their goals . So , if it ’ s your first ( race ), I ’ d throw out the deadlines and timeframes .”
With all those factors in mind – focusing on being healthy , setting realistic goals and sticking to a reasonable pace of training – you ’ re ready to run . Just keep in mind that every individual is different , Modlinski said . What takes someone else three months may take you six , and what takes you four weeks could take someone else eight . Listen to your body and push yourself . As long as you keep your own health in focus , you are positioned for success . And once you achieve your goal , every late-night gym session or early morning run will suddenly seem worth it .
“ It ’ s exhilarating ,” Modlinski said of finally crossing the finish line . “ No matter what your time is , the concept of starting toward a goal for 10 weeks or three months or six months and setting out from where you start to where you finish and then finishing that race and finishing it healthy and feeling good gives you a great sense of accomplishment and motivation because you can finish it and say , ‘ I felt great , I felt amazing , it was such a thrill to do this and accomplish a goal I set out to do – now , what ’ s next ?’”
Lesley Kinney and JD Dotson . 21