There comes a point in every woman’s life where the status quo stops working. For years, I was able to get by on caffeine, snacks, and questionable sleep. Lately, it seems like my luck has run out, and my body isn’t responding quite the same as it used to. Welcome to menopause. It’s a frustrating season, especially considering how little we still know about this inevitable condition, and every body has different and varying needs, making it even harder to navigate.
Even worse, my running and self-confidence has taken a hit from the unwelcome changes. I tell myself it’s not me, but that doesn’t stop the march of shifting hormones and annoying side effects. Avoidance doesn’t help, so it’s time to suck it up and adjust my training and fueling to better support my muscles, bones, and energy. The goal? To stay strong and keep going as long as I can!
Estrogen Vs. Muscle
Estrogen is a powerful ally for running, especially when it comes to keeping our muscles strong and helping them rebuild after a hard effort. As those levels naturally drop, we start losing muscle mass at a much faster rate. Where once, logging miles was all we needed to do for fitness, it’s now vital to introduce heavy resistance or strength training. This is the best way to protect joints and bones to keep doing the thing we love for as long as possible. It’s a small price to pay, even if you hate the gym.
Protecting Your Foundation
Without the protective buffer of estrogen, bone mineral density naturally declines, which means the risk of stress fractures or nagging injuries goes up. I already have one ankle held together with plates and pins: I don’t need another. While running is great for bone health, we have to treat recovery way more seriously than when we were younger. Make sure you’re fueling properly and giving your bones the time they need to recover between runs for best results.
Make Recovery Intentional
In our younger days, bouncing back from a long run with a quick stretch and a good meal was a no-brainer. Now, systemic inflammation is higher and cellular repair takes its sweet time. I’ll have times where my legs feel heavy or totally dead for days after a workout for no good reason! Recovery has to move up the priority list. It requires intentional scheduling: actually carving out time for dedicated mobility work and foam rolling. A few rest days won’t hurt either.
Be Cool
Hormonal shifts completely alter our body’s internal thermostat, making us way more sensitive to heat and humidity. If you’re training through a Florida summer, your core temperature is going to spike faster, and your sweat response will change completely. I wake up at all hours of the morning to find the absolute coolest time for my run, and I do everything I can, including taking walk breaks, to keep from overheating.
Finding Peace
And don’t get me started on the mental side of things: brain fog, random anxiety, unpredictable mood swings, ravenous hunger. It’s really hard to stay the course when you’re battling the mental, emotional, and physical, all at once! A troubled mind also escalates the feelings of discouragement that come with more challenging workout performances. We have to remember to celebrate what our body can do in the moment we’re in.
Reclaim Your Miles
This season isn’t the end of your running life. It’s simply a change in the situation. By respecting the physical changes your body is going through and adjusting your training and recovery to match, you can keep your momentum moving forward. The finish lines might look a little different, but you own those miles and deserve to enjoy and honor each and every one!
Are you navigating the shift of midlife running right now? How are you adjusting your routines to keep moving forward?
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