Adapting Training for the Menopausal Runner

Peri and post menopause comes with some challenges for runners and while symptoms vary from person to person, all of them can be addressed and hopefully mitigated, writes ultra-runner and coach Megan Canfield. 

One of the first issues is loss of motivation - why does it feel like we need a shoehorn to get out of the house for a run?

When did that happen and why? Wasn’t it just yesterday that nothing could prevent us from carving out the time, no matter what obstacles were thrown at us? Children barely took priority over our break for sanity, and now it seems like an afterthought (“Oh, shoot, I forgot to run today….”).

So, what’s going on? 

Hormones, or more accurately, diminished levels of estradiol, can lead to depression which may become a roadblock. 

While there are medical interventions such as Menopause Horomone Therapy (MHT) or the use of anti-depressants to be explored, there are behavioral changes to try.

Three that I personally have used are the following:

1 - Sign up for more races. Throwing in some local 5ks as speed sessions may be enough of an endocannabinoid producer to keep you motivated. 

2 - Find someone to run with as often as possible. Share your experiences. It is surprising how many women just want to be heard and how many want to listen. You are definitely not alone.

3 - Hire a coach – paying someone to tell you to get out the door can be effective.

4 – Supplement with CurraNZ to speed up recovery both during and after a run.

Another issue we’re faced with is the loss of speed. This is a tough pill to swallow. Unless you have only become a runner since peri or post menopause and enjoying the beginner runner’s increase in speed, we’re now at a point of no-return.

We are not going to get faster. We are going to get slower. For speed decline due to loss of muscle mass, engaging in strength training using heavy weights has been shown to be an effective tool for maintaining muscle mass and strength. 

Managing the rate of declination is a good goal. Expecting your speed sessions to make you faster at this point is a fool’s errand. Accept that reality and let go of those past times - and reframe the purpose of intervals.

This loss of top speed affects all your runs. A routine 8-mile run will take as long as a 10-mile run once did.

Evaluate the need for this 8-mile run – if you’ve been running for years, it may be that less is more, or at least less is enough. A new routine of a 6-mile day may take about the same amount of time as the 8-mile did and hopefully leave you less tired.

Long runs are also affected - the 20 mile long run now takes substantially longer, and we can thank Strava for reminding us that we are “trending slower”.

Slogging along weekend after weekend can be disheartening. If back-to-back long runs were a regular training intervention, you may find that second run harder than ever.

Try reducing your time training and increasing your time in recovery. We will not help ourselves to a fulfilling ultrarunning life if we’re tired all the time.

There is no definitive prescription for how much recovery anyone needs between sessions, but we can implement an ROF (Rate of Fatigue) to guide ourselves. If a 10 is “I can’t get out of bed”, 7-8 “very fatigued”, 4-6 is “somewhat fatigued, 2-3 is “a little fatigued” and 1 is “I’m ready to run 100 miles”, subjectively find how you’re feeling on that scale. 

If you’re between 0-5 assume you are fairly well recovered, six and above, more rest will do you good.

Recovery can be an extra day off, a shortened run, or an easy cross training activity, like restorative yoga, gentle gardening, or an extra walk around the block with your dogs.

Adding CurrraNZ daily before your workout as well as mid long -un can also speed up recovery. 

So, what can we do to stay in love with our sport, when it feels as if the sport that once loved us to the moon and back has moved on to the younger, swifter runners?

I’ll admit to feelings of unrequited love, finding myself thinking that if I just did more speed work, I’d win ultrarunning’s love back. I quickly catch myself in that ludicrousness of such thoughts and instead focus on what the sport has given me in the last two decades. Ultrarunning still loves us, as is evidenced by the love of this community for each other.

It isn’t about how fast we once were; it is about the character we continue to bring to it.

Just as we women were closely following the footsteps of pioneers who enacted Title IX, we are the pavers of the way for the next set of peri and post menopausal athletes who still want to perform.

About Megan Canfield

Our expert contributor, Megan Canfield, is a reknowned US ultra-runner who coaches athletes nationwide with Zenith Coaching. With 13 Western States 100 finishes (10 top-ten results), and a member of nine consecutive US World 100k teams, Megan is renowned for podium performances well into her 50s and 60s.