I am intrigued as to whether you find your perfromance alters/slows down when that time comes round each month?
I have been keeping an eye on myself, and I am pretty sure it does have an affect on my recovery and length of time I can run etc... Quite noticable! I am far more sluggish... Although this may be to do with food I eat, lots of carbs? (too many!)
Comments
http://www.ivf.com/amenath.html
check out the link.. it shows a correlation between period and exercise..
How spooky! I was thinking of hormones & stuff the other day!
Im sluggish & tired when I'm due & when im on! In fact yest was 'day 1' & I had no energy! I ran anyway & ended up walking 3 times! Annoyingly, if I hadnt walked, it would have been my fastest time!
I have only just joined the site and its because i think that i could be effected 'pre-menstrually'. My run today was sluggish, and more painful...burst into tears afterwards!! The pain in my calves seemed that much more excruciating.
Shortstop, i had to stop today too!! Its so frustrating and deflating. I can empathise.
bless you Zoe, hope you're okay? I think it is safe to say that we must take it much easier when due/on period... It can have all different effects.. although i know exercise is quite good for stomach pians apparently...
Shortstuff - i am always sluggish when due/on! lol... All good that your run was quite fast!
So does anyone work they period around key races?
I'm dreadful a few days before... weepy/negative, low pain threshold, poorer endurance... I'm thinking of taking 2 pill packs in a row to shift the dates so that TOTM isn't interfering with Ironman in a few months.
I'm affected more before I come on than during, I feel sluggish, eat more (bad stuff too), and can't seem to get as far or go as fast.
I haven't done a race yet but I'm doing RFL in June and even though that's only 5k (seems like a marathon to me) I'll be backing up my pill packets to make sure I'm at my best
Yes it makes a difference
No problem with doing that Nam
I'm definitely worse the week before. It's that week I'd like to avoid. As some of you said, once it's there it's ok.
Dr Barking thanks for confirming.
I have no energy or stamina in the week leading upto my period. On day one I always feel totally sh***y - really tired, 'heavy' head, shakey and occasionally light headed.
Another downside is I become more clumsy than usual (and I'm quite clumsy!). Last week I dropped and broke a mug.
I've been told the time of the month apparently makes us more sensitive to pain, so it's only normal that any training should be more heavy going.
I'm not sure what to think of that weblink. If runners stay relaxed and maintain a healthy diet with plenty of calcium there should be little impact unless you let your weight dip below the healthy range. Of course if you are suddenly killing yourself after years of non exercise then it will have a knock on effect on your health.
I normally feel a bit tired before / first day or so and it would definely affect my performance. I'd use the pill to ensure i didn't have it for a race.
Running is good to relieve any PMS symptoms though, so i definiely wouldn't let it get in way of my training.
I def feel more tired, sluggish & slower a day or two leading up to TOM, and then for a couple of days during.
The week after though I feel great & feel as if I'm running really good
the week before I'm due I become incredibly clumsy (dropping EVERYTHING for no reason), and all I want to do is sleep (lots) and eat (lots more). I also tend to get quite dizzy. However, I always forget about these facts every single month and always wonder what's wrong with me...
Running wise i tend to suffer - i get light headed and generally feel heavy and sluggish.
And bloaty like a little baby whale.
What worries me more than the PMT negativity/random sluggishness is a randomly sluggish day that turns out not to be down to PMT.
Since I've been running, by and large, I've had much less period pain and have perceived my periods to be lighter/less disruptive to life in general. I often seek out a short run on the first day if I haven't got one planned.
The only thing that I do find affects me is period-related-overheating. Especially at this time of the year, it can be hard going when you're much sweatier than you'd usually be....