Category: The Basics

Battle of the Bulge

Like most women, especially those going through “the change,” I feel as though I’m constantly battling my weight.  Not that I’m over weight mind you, and I don’t think I have an issue with body image, but I know I can put on 5-10 pounds in a heartbeat if I’m not careful.  I know the non-runners out there are wondering what the big deal is, but the runners know that even just a couple extra pounds adds time to every race. The impact is greater on longer races, but even the 5-10K’s are affected by extra weight.

I know what makes a difference and I know how to take it off if I really need to. Sugar is a big trigger and I know it’s so bad for you in so many ways, but it tastes soooo good! I love cake and chocolate and ice cream. I don’t eat them every day but I do like to have my treats. I also know that reducing my bread and pasta intake helps me drop pounds. By eliminating sugar, greatly reducing bread and pasta and cutting out all alcohol I can drop 5 pounds in about a week.

But for me that’s not sustainable. I can go a week or two like that but I also get very cranky…. And believe me, a menopausal woman does NOT need any extra reasons to be cranky! So I do it the week before big races and anytime I think my weight is heading too far from where it usually is. That seems to work but I’m hoping there are other ways to help in this area. Naturally more exercise could help but honestly, I exercise 5-6 days a week including running, cross training and strength training so I’m not sure just how much I could do in that department.

I’m exploring some natural supplements to combat my peri-menopause symptoms and many of them claim to help with all symptoms including weight gain so we’ll see how it goes. If any of you readers are on any natural supplements (not hormone replacement, I’m not a candidate) that work for you, please let me know what you’re using. The one I’ve been taking that was recommended by my doctor has only one extract, rhubarb root, but I’ve found others with a combination of ingredients that have gotten good reviews. Logically I would think that trying something with several different extracts might work better than just one because you have a better chance of reacting positively to at least one of the ingredients.  The thing is there are so many options out there it’s hard to know where to start! So any input you all might have would be welcome…

Why don’t women talk about this?

So, I’ve been having hot flashes for about 7-8 years now. I was in denial for the first 5 years or so when even my gynocologist blew me off with a flippant remark when I asked her about having hot flashes so early. I was not even 40 when I first started having them and didn’t even mention them to the doctor until many years later. I haven’t gotten much if any help from the medical profession in aleviating them and frankly, that was really my only symptom so I just ignored the whole situation for a long time.

Now I’m 47 and the hot flashes and night sweats and insomnia and depression are really getting in the way of life. They are also making my running career even more challenging. The last thing you need in the last quarter mile of a 5K is to be heated from the inside. I ran a very competitive race in the beginning of March this year, the Washington Heights 5K which is the first New York Road Runners Club Points Race of the year where the local clubs compete for annual bragging rights. Its a tough race with some substantial hills and a lot of competition but I had a secret weapon. One of my teammates who happens to be much faster than I was coming back from injury and she offered to pace me so I could hit my goal for that race. She pulled me the whole way and I managed a great time, but the last quarter mile was even more brutal because stress brings on hot flashes and I got hit with one right then. It was intense and even though it was just above freezing that morning, I stripped off my windbreaker, hat and gloves before the finish so I wouldn’t pass out. I managed a great time thanks to Laura, but I was dizzy for a good half hour after the race and had to be very careful not to bend over or look up over my head for fear of losing my balance and falling.

While I know this may not sound like a life changing issue, it really is. In fact, it’s referred to as the “change of life.”  It’s not a new issue but one that has been kept quite because men don’t want to hear about women getting hot flashes or getting dried up in certain places. But every woman goes through this at some point and for those of us who are active there are different challenges than women who came before us who may not have been putting in 30-40 miles a week along with strength training and cross training.

I’ve decided that talking about it will only help me deal with it better and I may actually help other women in the process. Please feel free to share your thoughts and join the Facebook Group I created so we can all share and get to know each other.