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Menapause and training
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Wanted to know how other women 50 + and still racing are handling menopause. I finally got up the energy since IMTX to post. I was also diagnosed with low thyroid. It sucks getting old!
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I am 53 and post-menopausal. I'm a much slower runner than I was a year ago this time despite similar mileage, and am finding that recovery is more important than ever. My challenge is getting a good night's sleep --- I seem to sleep in blocks of 3 - 4 hours and wake up many nights around 2 a.m., unable to fall back to sleep for 45 minutes. Weekend naps are helpful in getting caught up.
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I had to laugh....."over 50"

I'm 46 & started menopause last year...........It's awful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Energy= 0
I do bio identical hormones. Progesterone pill at night & estradiol creme...

DO reasearch & fund what works for YOU !!!!!!!!!! We ALL experience menopause differently :-(


I read a great book I actually found from another girl here on this forum which I REALLY liked:

|http://www.amazon.com/...0WRK4NX14K2N1VRP00BJ
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Re: Menapause and training [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 54 ugh and have already gone through it. I haven't been prescribed any HRT from my Dr. I did try the cream but my husband didn't like it so with such low libido I'm not doing that. I just wanna know how are the other girls in my age group are racing 10 -11 hr Ironmans? I usually place in the top 10 but at IMTX I got my arsh whipped!
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I am way short of 50 but had an emergency hysterectomy 12 months ago due to complications from other surgery.

Would be very interested to hear views. I was totally unprepared for what happened so have struggled to adjust. Racing was completely out for me this year but now looking to get back into IM training.

Totally agree with finding what works for you. At the moment HRT is out of the question as I have to take tamoxifen for another 4 years.

One thing I have found by accident is I take amitriptyline for nerve damage on one of the scars. I only take it in the evening but it has reduced the night sweats by about 90% and it knocks me out so I get a really good nights sleep.

I have to be really careful and not have late nights as I find that really affects my energy levels for 3 or 4 days. I don't eat any processed food at all now and find that has really helped.

Luckily the only symptoms I have are tiredness and hot flashes.
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I am really curious to find what others have to say. At 42, I just hit full-blown perimenopause, which is on course for my family history. I am constantly spotting, my energy levels are low, I get the occasional hot flash, and I just can't build muscle as quickly as I did a few years ago. Yay. I am hesitant to go to the doctor because other women I know who experience this symptoms at my age tend to get brushed off. I would like to know what worked for other active women before going in.
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 53 and have noticed a drop off in finish times the last three years, added a half hour on my halfiron finish time. I'm not fully in menopause but knocking on the door. I don't want any artificial hormones in my body. So i decided to be thankful i'm still able to do this and accept that i'm going to get slower with time.
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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there have actually been a number of threads here already on menopause and training. personally, i'm 55 in 3 days and started with maca root and now use Estroven. i didn't want to do drugs but when you go to bed with a stack of towels and sandwitch yourself between them and change your clothes throughout the night along with the sheets to try to keep the mattress dry, you start looking for options. :) i still have hot flashes but i am no longer completely and utterly drenched multiple times a day. i used to have to change clothes 2 to 3 times a day as i'd be drenched. that's a hot flash. :) i also have found 3am to be my awake time. i recently got a smart phone and have a sleep app thing and each and every night i wake at 11, 1, and then at 3 for an hour, back to sleep from 4 to 5 and then up at 530. so go figure.

however, i have been managing to PR pretty consistently but i didn't get into the sport until 50, so there is that.

and where the 10 and 11 hour over 50 womens - my guess is they have help of some kind.

http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit


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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I got the hypothyroid diagnosis at 37. Get that sorted and you will have a lot more energy. That took me out of racing for almost 4 years. Don't discount its effects. I am also perimenopausal, but the hypoT is the biggest factor for me (at age 43 now).

AP

------------------------
"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: Menapause and training [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Menapause and training [kona1day] [ In reply to ]
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Hi,


For those who do long distance, how did you distinguish between being tired due to Ironman training, menopause phases, and hypothyroid.

What treatment did you use for hypothyroid?

Did your first test come back low, you waited and retested a month later?

Did you suspect hypothyroid or did you confuse it with the older female athlete issues (menopause).

When you treated hypothyroid, did you see a big difference in how you felt wrt energy?

I'm 49 and was chasing Ironman legacy, but I just feel that I'm due with the training as I feel tired all the time, and the desire isn't there anymore.

Alex
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I am 50 and am experiencing menopause myself. I also had thyroid removed so I know what it is like to train with low thyroid - it basically sucks. Try Armor thyroid medication - it is the only thing that helped me with low thyroid. Do your research. Magnesium at night also helps with the night sweats.
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Re: Menapause and training [ktrirunner] [ In reply to ]
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Soon I'll be going up into the 50-54 age group and I've noticed that the times do not get much slower compared to 45- 49. The real drop-off in times seems to be in the 54-59 - same as for the men, I think (e.g. in the AG worlds last week, the women's winner of the 45s was 2:00 and the winner of the 50s was 2:03 - contrasted with a winning time in the 55s of 2:20).

This would suggest that it's not menopause which slows us down, but the normal process of ageing.

Obviously this interests me as someone who is about to go through the dreaded MP. Are there any women out there for whom menopause has NOT been a problem? I know it's very valuable for us to share difficult experiences, but it would also be good to know if other women athletes in their 40s and 50s have got through ok. I've had no symptoms yet so far as I can tell, but that can't last - can it?

I know that people may be diffident about sharing positive experiences in case it seems smug or unfeeling, but it would really help those of us coming up to this experience to know the whole range, if there is one.
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Re: Menapause and training [alexxm21] [ In reply to ]
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Oh dear. No-one with a positive experience. Well, I guess that tells me what I wanted to know. Better strap myself in for the ride.
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Re: Menapause and training [alexxm21] [ In reply to ]
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I'm not sure it's menopause. I had breast cancer and part of my treatment was a complete hysterectomy at 37. I woke up technically "post menopausal" and I have not (yet) noticed any difference in how I run/bike. The big issue I have is lack of sleep which makes everything more difficult. I'm not that far out from my surgery though so if anyone else has experience with this I'd love to hear it!
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Re: Menapause and training [alexxm21] [ In reply to ]
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well, i'd have to say mine is very manageable now that i've been on the Estroven. still get sweats but nothing like before - really night and day from before. still wake at 3am almost every night for a little while. the later i go to bed, however, the shorter i'll stay awake at 3am. memory still sucks though.

http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit


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Re: Menapause and training [ChristinaA] [ In reply to ]
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Alex/Kona1day

Get blood work done.
Do your hormones & the thyroid panel.
That will tell you where your levels are & if you're menopausal.
Then do it again in 2-3 months.

For me it's been awful.
Started last year at 44 !!

I'm doing bio identical creams.
Estradiol, estriol & progesterone capsules.


Made a HUGE difference in the hot flashes & sleeping at night = overall sanity.

What I learned it that EVERY woman will experience menopause differently. There are the "usual suspects" of symptoms, but you may only get some of them, none of them, all of them.....etc.....

LOTS of research in this day & age !!!
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Re: Menapause and training [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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Hi! I started racing triathlons when I was 37 years old.

I am now 55 years old and have been in menopause for six years now. I didn't take any hormone replacements, etc. I did have hypothyroidism diagnosed three years ago but the cause was Hashimoto disease and since I started taking Eurotirox and adjusted my diet for it I'm doing much better.

In the last five years my times have not yet changed too much...not yet. I don't do long, slow anything but stay more with shorter (relatively) intensive workouts and I work at least once a week on overall body muscle strength.

My diet had to have a mini overhaul because of the lbs that were piling on with a lowered metabolism, but I have to say that right now I've never been in better shape.

I have no idea how the fast ladies do it. No idea. But I do know they inspire me and they make me feel proud of my age group :-)

Julia
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Re: Menapause and training [juliainitaly] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this discussion - really helpful. What I'm taking from it is that MP need not slow you down, even if symptoms are unpleasant.

Julia, I basically do what you do - shorter intensive stuff on SBR, weight training once a week. I'm not planning to go long, that holds no appeal at all. But I would like to keep such basic speed as I have, and it's good to know that a slow-down is not inevitable over the next few years.

Also it's just lovely to hear you say that you've never been in better shape! I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago for AG worlds and it was amazing to see so many super-fit women, looking good, and with reasonably - ahem - advanced ages on the backs of calves (listen, I'm one of them). That was inspirational.
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Re: Menapause and training [alexxm21] [ In reply to ]
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Just re-read my post. When I said I'm one of them, I meant the bit about being reasonably advanced in age, not the other bit!
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Re: Menapause and training [alexxm21] [ In reply to ]
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To put a positive spin on things, not having to worry about tampons, accidents, etc. is a really nice perk.
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Re: Menapause and training [juliainitaly] [ In reply to ]
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Julia, thank you for posting this. It's a bit discouraging to hear all the negative reports about the trials and tribulations of menopause/peri menopause here and in the world of 'normal' gals ;-) I've been reviewing old menopause threads on the Womens Forum, hoping to glean something new--and more positive!--and your post made my day. Finally.

I'm 56.5 and just had checkups with both my internist (who thinks I'm a mutant for continuing to train for up to 30 hours a week, for the ultra stuff, averaging 20 hours a week for regular ironman distance events), and my Gynecologist, who did an ultrasound and an endometrial biopsy (and basic blood work) since I've still continued to have heavy periods sporadically. Thankfully, no issues, and she commented that while she wasn't sure if it was my high volume of training (for the past 20+ years) that has delayed my body fully embracing menopause (her comment was that maybe since I'm training like a 30 y/o woman, my body is trying its best to keep that going!?), she thinks that continuing to push on as I can, possibly alleviates the normal symptoms of menopause.....but she did say that there's not a whole lot of data out there on the long term effects of endurance sports on menopause!

The hardest is (as mentioned by another poster here) trying to figure out if my fatigue, brain fog and low energy is due to overtraining or insufficient hormones.

I think conscious denial (while treating this phase like any endurance event, with its periods of discomfort and mystery) is the best tack to take!

Cheers, imom
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