How much does your cycle affect your training? Is it me or is it really hard at times? I don’t do well with elevated hormones (3rd week) and I am wondering if anyone else has that issue and what you do to help it.
I take my bc pills continuously, so no break and hormones seem pretty level for the duration! 
My doctor has of course told me this is ok to do, so before people freak, I’m under a doctor’s care! I really do it, so I don’t have to deal with any woman related things before and during a race!!
Not a female (and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Expres last night) but the wife uses borth control pills to limit this so that it is only a problem 4-times annually - even less if I forget to remind her that its that time of the year (grin)!
it’s normal. even with the pill i still have some swing in energy/emotions. when the purina cat chow commercials make me cry i know it’s time to put on a pair of sweats and call it a day…lol.
I am on bc pills too, but I do take every 4th week off for a relatively normal cycle. I too find that week #3 is ugh-week, I schedule my racing aroung week #1 for that exact reason.
AP
Oh my friends, the youngsters. Wait long enough and it becomes a none issue. 
At the moment it’s more of a constant issue. Every week is the third week.
B
Sex is the only cure…lots and lots of sex…
yes, sex can definitely end your period. that has been confirmed. but i think that leads to a whole new set of symptoms such as morning sickness, frequent urination, etc.
"Sex is the only cure…lots and lots of sex… "
Hey Record,
You’re not going to brag about how you cured some lady’s disease by giving her sex, now are you?
Chris
Um…no…usually it causes head aches, periods, cramps, feeling fat and a few other things…and this is BEFORE and a reason for none.
I’m in the same boat during the third week. Also have noticed that my resistence to illness seems lower during that same, ahem, period (no pun intended) so it is important for me to ease up on some of the self-induced stresses, whether physical or mental.
For me, getting hormonal during week three doesn’t have a negative effect on working out. If anything, I can channel that pissed off at the universe feeling into exercising harder. (Bad swimming pool! I must hit your surface with my fists!)
My problems usually happen after that. Days 1 to 2 or 3 of my cycle, I’ve always had crushing fatigue problems that make it really hard to get off the couch, much less get out the door to exercise. I just do my best to push on through it.
.
I have heard…but god knows that even though I scored about off the charts of gayness on the Metreosexual quiz I am no woman…but anyways, I have heard that Iron helps out with fatigue.
I’m in the same boat during the third week. Also have noticed that my resistence to illness seems lower during that same, ahem, period (no pun intended) so it is important for me to ease up on some of the self-induced stresses, whether physical or mental.
funny you say that, I always feel like I’ll get injured that week too. For me it’s more the lack of energy, lack of stamina, moodiness… Day 1,2,3 I feel like superwoman…I feel like I could crush any records or PR in anything… only if I could keep my hormones low like that… i can’t do birth control pills. i become a total bitch and so emotional, it’s awful. i told myself NEVER again…
yes, sex can definitely end your period. that has been confirmed. but i think that leads to a whole new set of symptoms such as morning sickness, frequent urination, etc.
Now THAT’S funny miami:-)
funny you say that, I always feel like I’ll get injured that week too. For me it’s more the lack of energy, lack of stamina, moodiness… Day 1,2,3 I feel like superwoman…I feel like I could crush any records or PR in anything… only if I could keep my hormones low like that… LOL-I know what you mean. Day 1 is always a relief. My thinking returns to (somewhat) clarity, I have tons of energy and strength and I start looking for my super-girl cape! Have no fear, menstrual girl is here!!! Ok, did that clear the guys off of this thread?
Marisol: I feel the SAME way you do! It sucks. The 5-6 days before my period, I feel like I can hardly breathe / move. I swear ta gawd, my swim times drop about 5 sec per hundred in the few days before I get it. Everything feels like a struggle and I am working doubly hard to do what should feel normal. I feel awesome from day 2-16, then it’s a slow slide after ovulation (like day 18ish).
I just went on the BC patch 2 weeks ago as my month bill was coming due on IMLP race day (lovely), and there is no way I would risk feeling like I’d been run over by a semi on race day. I was supposed to be on the patch until next Tuesday, but I blew up (water gain?) like the chick in Willi Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I was waiting for the Oompha-Loomphas to come and roll me away to the juicer. Not only that, but it’s given me wicked insomnia, headaches and a bitch-factor of 11. I won’t even begin to tell you about the boob pain, (apparently the little twins lost some sort of hormonal boxing match???). Long story short, I ended up ripping the thing off after my run yesterday. Scerw that! Me and BC pills / patches just don’t mix! You are NOT alone.
Wow I feel your pain… I was due to start ON IMAZ day. Got on birth control to mess up the cycle. i was such a mess that I stopped the sunday before the race… At that point, i felt like having my period on race day would be sooooo much better than being blown up, crying all day and having all these negative thoughts i was worthless. amazingly, the very next day, i felt like a new woman… It’s nice to know that I am not the only one out there. Sometimes I feel like it’s just me… like it’s easier for everyone else. I would pay a lot of money for feeling the way I do on day 1-4 ALL the time. i’d be skinny, healthy, cheerful all the time and fast Good luck in placid, I’ll be there cheering:-)
funny, i was just telling the BF last night that i made a huge mistake by trying to mess with mother nature and i’d rather deal on race day, too. i haven’t slept more than 6 hours a night since going on that damn thing, and i’ve had to Ambien (sleep drug) myself just to get some rest. i keep telling myself my body will right itself each day, and its still not happening!
UGH!