When Uta Pippig won the Boston marathon in 1996, she had blood pouring down her leg as she crossed the finish line. Her performance clearly wasn’t adversely affected by her period. However, if you have a very heavy flow it can leave you drained and lethargic. You may be anemic and fewer red blood cells mean slower transport of oxygen to your muscles. This can leave you short of breath and under performing.
After the first couple of days, however, things change and, despite bleeding, it’s a great time to run for lots of women. Premenstrual bloating and lethargy have gone and your hormone levels are starting to rise again. Make the most of this early follicular phase and get some quality training and races done.
Try keeping a diary for a few months. Note down the type of run you did, how hard you found it, your energy levels and mood, and see if there’s any pattern. You may be able to use your cycle to your advantage, planning high-intensity work when you know you perform best. Understanding why some runs just don’t feel good can stop frustration. Use your weakest time of the month to concentrate on core work, cross training and doing some enjoyable easy runs.
