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?
