Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Running, Period.


I'm lucky enough to have female runner friends to talk to, ask questions of, swap clothes with, etc, etc.  I know others aren't as lucky, so today I bring you - "The Joys of Womanhood." 

For any men reading, if you think a women's menstrual cycle is "icky," feel free to skip this post and go watch Sports Center.  (Then again, if you're a woman reading, and you likewise think the topic is icky, I also direct you to Sports Center.  Who doesn't like Sports Center??)



Ok, now that I've successfully cleared the room (hopefully not of everyone)...


I never pay attention to my period.  Seriously, I don't.  I'm on Ortho Evra (birth control patch), so I'm fairly "regular," but I really don't pay any attention.  I don't usually notice if I'm more bloated, crankier, more tired, etc, etc.  I am completely out of tune with my body.  It bleeds for 4 - 6 days every month, and yet, as my husband "jokes," I don't die.   Whatever.  No bigs.

Except, now that I'm a runner, I've started to pay more attention to my body, and have begun to question things.  Why does this run feel so hard/slow?  Is it what I'm eating/not eating? My sleep patterns?  Or could it be, just maybe, that my period is starting soon, and that's why I'm feeling so sluggish while I'm chugging along on an "easy" three mile run?

So, like I said, I asked my female runner friends.  Turns out, feeling sluggish during runs in the days before your period is pretty common. Doing a little Googling, I found a bunch of articles on the subject.


So how about you?  Do you notice any differences in your running during certain times of the month? When changing birth control?  While pregnant?  After menopause?










10 comments:

  1. Funny, years ago after trudging through a 16 mile run (actually I'm pretty sure I walked almost all of the last 6) I was discouraged and couldn't figure out why the run had sucked so much. The next morning when I started my period it all made sense!!
    Thankfully I've sense put an end to all of that nonsense (since I'm not having more kids) - I had an ablation - best move ever (it was for medical reasons but the other benefits have been awesome!!).

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    1. It's probably wrong of me to say I'm jealous, so I won't. But decreased (or no!) periods sounds awesome. Oh, well. I'll just have to wait till menopause. More fun! =)

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  2. Runner Academy did a podcast on this not that long ago. You can find it here http://runneracademy.com/ra025-dr-jason-karp/
    It was incredibly interesting and all made sense, def go out and listen to it.

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  3. Actually, running has had a really positive influence on my cycle. Since I started a few months ago, I have been more regular, less crampy, haven't suffered any headaches and have been less exhausted. It's still a monthly inconvenience but it's been much more tolerable.

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    1. That's great to hear! =) I'm still waiting for my uterus to fall out. Isn't that what they used to tell women? "You can't run, your uterus will fall out." So far, nothing. LOL

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  4. I've always heard that having your period on race day makes you run fast, but I don't think I've ever experienced that.

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    1. I've never had my period during a race, so I have no idea. If it were true, though, I would plan my races very strategically! =)

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  5. YES I have noticed horrible runs a few days before I have no idea why! Once it comes, I am fine, but before, ugh.

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    1. I wonder how the elites deal with it? I mean, it's not like you can say "Oh, no, can't run in the Olympics today, sorry. I'm PMSing."

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