9 Things No One Tells Runners About Menopause

No matter how much we wish we could avoid it, no woman gets out of this life without going through menopause. The average age for menopause is 51. Perimenopause, that fun period of time when things start happening, can begin 10 years before that. Cue Tammy Wynette singing "Sometimes it's hard to be a woman..."

While perimenopause was like being an adolescent all over again--mood swings, hot flashes, acne, and heavy periods--I did some of my best running during those years. Who PRs a marathon and a half marathon in their early 50s? I did. I was running so well that I thought I'd be able to snag a BQ!

Yeah, not so much. My body had other ideas.  Here are 9 things I've learned about running with menopause. It's time to talk about it.

No One Talks About Running Through Menopause.
No one really talks about menopause. It's like some big shameful secret instead of a natural physiological process that every woman goes through. Bring up the topic and watch people squirm uncomfortably. In my younger days, I heard women refer to it as "the change", as in "she's going through the change of life". There were whispers about "the change" when one of my aunts who, while in the throes of menopause, threw all her dishes out into the backyard. One of my bosses referred to hot flashes as her "personal summers". Ick. I get clammy just thinking about that. One of my coworkers, who is my age, used to say she was "too cool" to go through menopause.

She's still cool. She's also menopausal. Proving that it is possible to be the bomb diggity even when your estrogen levels are hovering around zero.

Even less than people talk about menopause, no one talks about menopause and running. While I was preparing this post, I did a Google search on menopause and running. I found a few articles here with general information but nothing of depth. Apparently, scientists aren't interested in studying old crones, even athletic ones. Here you go grandma, take some estrogen pills or an antidepressant and stop complaining. You'd think that our next stop was the nursing home instead of the starting line to a race. I have my thoughts on aging as a woman in the US, but this is a running blog, not a personal op-ed.

I started talking about this to some of my peers, running friends who share an age group with me. Most of us that are still running are making our way to the back of the pack. I learned that it wasn't just me. We were all going through the same thing. Slowing down isn't easy.

No one's talking...

You Will Slow Down
My slowdown started about 2 1/2 years ago. I flew down to Panama City Beach to run a half marathon with my friends Holly and Marcia and a bunch of other middle-aged bloggers. It was so much fun! I was excited to run in Florida in December and set a goal to sub 2 this half.

Much to my surprise, even though my training indicated I was fully capable of a sub 2 half, I couldn't do it. I struggled with pacing about 2 miles in. At the time, I didn't know what was going on. The conditions were perfect, the course was flat, and I had Holly as my rabbit. One week after the race, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and I was certain that was the reason I was slowing down.

Maybe it was but most likely it wasn't. I had some success with running a few more half marathons over the next couple of years, but I never did sub-2 a half marathon after that. My endurance started to suffer, and I had to incorporate walk breaks into my long runs. There would be no more marathons. In January of this year, I ran the Mobile Half Marathon, feeling good and finishing with a 2:15. Never did I think I would celebrate a 2:15 half marathon, but there it was.

And Then, You Will Fall Off A Cliff. Not literally, but figuratively.
This recent slowdown was dramatic. A month after the Mobile half marathon, I couldn't run 3 miles without stopping. Pushing it to 6 or 8 miles, even with walk intervals, was a struggle. My mile per minute pace dropped precipitously. I was heartbroken. What the hell was happening to me? I blamed RA, but with my blood work indicating low disease activity, I had nothing else to blame but menopause. Am I done with distance running? Will there be no more half marathons for me?

You Will Gain Weight Around Your Middle. No matter what you do.
The lack of estrogen causes a deposit of fat right smack in the middle of your abdomen. The "menopot". One of my friends calls it a "donut". No matter how hard you work out, no matter what you eat, it's there. I eat a lot of salads. I don't eat junk or sweets. I am still very active, including strength training and bootcamp. Yet...there it is. Flubber. Yeah, no bare midriffs over here. Don't even get me started on the back fat.

Things Will Start to Sag. A lot.
When I was a nursing student, my first clinical was in a nursing home and we had to dress the elderly ladies. It was when I first learned about what was called "pendulous breasts". Meaning they were looooong. How to put the bra on? Do you roll them up and stick them in the cup? Was this my future? Well, guys, suddenly, my sports bras aren't supporting the girls. I put on my bra, hoist up my breasts, and mold them into the cups. At the end of a run, they've kind of slid out of position. Do they sell bras in a 34 long?

Chafing Occurs in Strange, Unmentionable Places
Can I say this? You will chafe where you've never chafed before. Especially in the land down under. Lack of estrogen leads to vaginal atrophy and dryness. Before running, I recommend using one of those new silicone anti-chafing products. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Leakage happens.
I know a lot of women who have this problem. Maybe that's why old ladies don't laugh as much--they're afraid of peeing their pants. Lack of estrogen causes weakening of the urinary tract. There are treatments for this, including physical therapy. Talk to your doctor. Sure beats wearing Depends.

You'll Sweat. And not necessarily when you're working out.
Hot flashes are the WORST! There have been times when I have been seeing patients and beads of perspiration break out on my face. I can feel my face flushing. I act like nothing is happening, because that's what we do, right? I have never experienced a hot flash when I've been running though. Maybe because I'm already hot and sweaty.

Insomnia is real and it's ridiculous.
I'm tired. I like to read before I fall asleep and it doesn't take long before my eyelids are drooping. A couple of hours later, I'm awake. Wide awake. My mind starts running. I get up to go to the bathroom. And then I lay there. Sometimes, as a bonus, I'll have a hot flash. Then I'm kicking off the covers. By the time I fall asleep again, it's time to wake up for the day. Guys, I'm tired! That makes it tough to work out.

There is good news. 

Not everyone slows down with menopause. There are some old ladies who are just killing it. One of my friends from high school can still run a sub-4 marathon. She's run Boston 3 times and this year BQ'd again. But she is definitely the exception. Just look at the over 50 women's age groups in a race and you'll see that the number of participants drops off precipitously. So do the finish times. Yet no one talks about it.

Strength training is one area post-menopausal women can slow the inevitable body changes associated with menopause and even make gains. It is never too late to start strength training. Increased muscle tissue burns more calories and can help keep post-menopausal weight gain at bay. Strength training can also prevent the progression of osteoporosis, a condition that causes weakening in the bone and can lead to fractures. One to 2 sessions per week is all that is needed. The weights need to be moderately heavy to make a difference.

I love what strength training has done for me and it is a bright spot in my fitness regimen. Running for me right now is trying to figure out a pace that I can feel good at and still get a runner's high. Will I get my groove back? I've still got a half marathon on the calendar for September. Will I line up with the other old ladies?

I'm sure going to try!

No one talks about running with menopause. I'm breaking the silence. /via @oldrunningmom #runchat #menopause #running #curearthritis

What do you know about running after menopause? Any advice? I'm looking for a supportive running bra--any suggestions?

For more information, check out the list of resources on Run Young 50!