This happened to me at one of the biggest races of my life, to date, the Boston Marathon. Nobody at aid stations had tampons and the ensuing gait change crippled my stride by the marathon's end and I did not requalify.

I would use the most absorbent tampons you can find, inserting them just before the race start and changing if necessary. O.B. tampons (no applicator) are what I use and since they are smaller than a gel, can be stored inside a baggie inside the back pocket of your race jersey.

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DFL > DNF > DNS

Or try a Diva cup....love mine, and it lasts well, for me anyways.

I am on track to potentially have my favourite visitor on IMC race day... hoping she sticks to sked and comes the day after BUT I will have back-up ahem "gear" in all my bags in case I need to plug 'er up as it were. If she does show before the start of the swim, I'll be changing that piece of gear right after the swim, and possibly half way thru the bike (I am usually very heavy on day 1), and again before I start the run. Oh and those will be the HUGE SUPER-sized pieces of "gear"....

fun fun fun!

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

What is a Diva cup?

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...=diva%20cup;#1707482

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DFL > DNF > DNS

That's my solution, too :)

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Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV

Yup!

I realized 'lasts well' sounds weird, but without being gross, I think you guys know what I mean....

For some reason I never got the combination of swimming + heavy flow + Diva cup to work for me. I've had two HIM races that I've had my period for. I used OB tampons (the super ones, I think) for both. For Steelhead I stopped once on the run to change it, but didn't need to. For Boise, I just figured it was raining, so no one was going to notice anyways and didn't stop :)

I had a two or three extra OB's in a ziploc bag with a few advil (in case my cramps got worse) just in case. Two or three were overkill, but I had a nightmare of dropping my only one into the porta-potty.

Thanks all, with my luck it will be my heaviest day this weekend. Hope it holds off until Monday..or forever ;)

There's also the 'instead' soft cup. I think it's like the Diva cup but I'm not sure, I've never used the diva... I like the instead though. It can be used up to 12 hours and this works for me on all but my heaviest days.

 I am so glad someone brought this up; it is so embarrassing to ask. I use a pad only when I ride, it is very uncomfortable to ride with, but I just can't use tampons. I don’t race or swim when I have my periods. If they are almost finished or very light I use nothing. I may investigate the diva, (dose anyone use it to ride with).

I've often had it during races, in fact all 3 of my major races this year (including IMC, I expect to have it then) were done while I had it. Usually I either prevent it with drugs or "plug myself" beforehand.

Let me explain the drugs thing a little more- it's been commonly used by women in adventure racing for years.
If your period is predictable, some women use birth control pills to mess their cycle up by a week or two. This takes a few months foresight, in most cases. I find my most competitive days of the month are 4 days after it starts, but getting the timing perfect is very difficult. I have suffered through the last two races (an adventure race and an ultra), getting them DURING the event, but IMC I should get it 4 days before. Perfect, and completely by chance, no hormones were required. :)

btw- this is my first post to this forum- what a way to introduce myself, huh! LOL!

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I have just finished my first tri- IMC '09!

I've had this issue several times. I actually even started my period during a HIM...got off the bike to a gush. Lovely. Had to beg for something from the volunteers on the run course.

For those times that I have been prepared, I've just carried tampons in the Bento box or in my tri top. I've needed to carry them for a marathon, a HIM, and an IM! I'm too afraid of blood clots at my age to take birth control pills to alter the timing of my period. So I just deal.

I find I still spot or have a light period when I run my birth control right through to stop myself from getting a period. Maybe if I did it more months in a row it'd be fine but it doesn't work that well right off the bat for me.

I have used the Diva cup for swimming, biking, running, yoga, etc. without an issue.

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Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV

YEs- it's definitely different for everyone. You really have to experiment to find whats right for you.

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I have just finished my first tri- IMC '09!

How different is the Diva Cup from the Instead disposable ones? I know Divas are reusable, but in terms of seal & comfort issues, I'm curious. I can't seem to find the Diva anywhere nearby, have my lovely aunt flow vising now and have an Ironman in a month, so I'm looking to use the "opportunity" to experiment this week. I did find the Instead ones at a local pharmacy though.. thus the question. Insight much obliged!

I'm not sure... I've only ever used the Diva cup when it comes to less traditional flow stoppage. They aren't too expensive though to try out.

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Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV

If you're on BCP, just skip your placebos and go right to the "real" deal and avoid it altogether. I've done this before after consulting w/ my dr.

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Tracy M. De Soto
Femme Designer/CFO/Attorney
De Soto Sport

yep, you can do back-to-back pill packs, I did that for a few years, and it worked great. Doc's totally cool with it as well. I'm off the BCP now so I don't have that option... :-(

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

IMO nothing could be worse, specially if it is the 2nd day, ugh! I try not to sched anything around the week of or week 1/2 prior/during. The older I get the more this lovely malady just sucks the frickin life out of me. Sounds dramatic, but it really isn't. I have tried the hormones- Seasonique and I can't handle em. I don't need them either since I don't have to worry about pregnancy, since my last baby 16yrs ago, so why bother taking them? Anyhow, if at all possible try to schedule your races so that you aren't on your period is my advice.

N~

I am seriously considering ablation my first day is so heavy. Funny tho, my period only last 3 days MAX. Tradeoffs I guess.

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Well, that post didn't work. Lets try this again (if I can remember what I wrote)...

I can now tell y'all that the "Instead" disposables do not work (at least not for me). I read the instructions & followed them exactly and then headed out on a quick 20-mile bike ride to see what happened... and it leaked. TG I had opted for a slightly thicker pair of black bike shorts in case this very thing happened! So, I again read the instructions to be sure it wasn't user error & tried out another one whilst making some post-bike adjustments... and again it leaked... just standing next to / tinkering over my bike on the trainer! Back to tampons I go.

Maybe it was just b/c it was the first day or 2 and thus my flow was pretty heavy(sorry for the TMI), but they just did not seem to work at all! BCPs aren't an option for me, since my doc has kept me off of them (she has found that, with other female athletes she works with, there is a significant performance and mood-shift difference in female athletes training at such high volumes as Ironman b/c of the interaction of the extra hormones and what all the training is already doing to your chemistry). I guess I'll plan to pack tampons and do the "oh, please, OH please, Oh please... don't come today" mantra the week of Ironman!

The Diva Cup may still be an option for you as they are a bit different than the Instead disposal cups -- the shape, where they are positioned, etc. As you now know from trying them, Instead cups kind of look like a softer diaphragm and are designed to sit against your cervix. I tried them many years ago and could never get them installed correctly. And if I did, removing was never pleasant (sorry if that is TMI).

The Diva Cup sits in a more similar position as a tampon as it is held in place by your vaginal muscles (and not against your cervix). It is much easier to insert/remove that the Instead. I don't know where you live but in my area, Whole Foods carries the Diva Cup. I was always hesitant using a menstrual cup like the Diva Cup but decided to give it a try after the first discussion we had on this issue on the Womens (thread linked about) and love it. I recently gotten a IUD and switched back to tampons and really miss my Diva Cup. My period has gotten so light because of the IUD that could even get away with just liners but I don't like to wear liners when I train so I use OB tampons the 1-2 days a month I need them. But if my period does ever come back with a normal flow, I'll likely go back to the diva cup. It is extremely comfortable.

And if you live outside the US, there are several other menstrual cups that get great reviews as well like the mooncup and lunette.

Hope this helps!