Hello! Last week I asked for your girl / personal questions for a post. I’m working with Always to address some of these usually off limits topics. Working out, your period, hormones, pregnancy and other activities can all effect how you feel. It’s stuff all ladies deal with so we should talk about it, right? I am a super open book for most things – girl questions included. But I haven’t wanted to do a whole post on it because I didn’t want to alienate the guys in the crowd.
Well, boys you’ve been warned – skip to tomorrow where I’ll be eating donuts and raving about the SoCal weather per usual.
The call for questions had a great response! So in order to keep this post from turning into a novel I’m going to dive right in…
Note: There are a few questions that I don’t have experience with – if you do please chime in below to help out fellow RER readers. Thank you!
Your female Questions About Running:
Q: My biggest area that I chafe is my lady parts on long runs! Any advice? I’ve tried undies, no undies, and Body Glided everywhere with zero luck.
A: The first thing I do when I have a chafing issue is change my clothes whether it be shorts or a sports bra or top. Having a piece of gear that you’re pulling at or adjusting or that just rubs you the wrong way is the worst. I’d change up my underwear, shorts or capris (or whatever you’re wearing) first. Buy another style or cut or size or fabric to eliminate the chafe before slathering on glide to keep the rubbing to a minimum.
This might mean switching from shorts with built in liner/underwear to compression style or vice-versa. Switch it up and see if that helps.
Tip: There is underwear made specifically for working out now. They are very thin and made from breathable fabric. Try that (along with maybe a new pair of shorts or capris) and see if it helps.
I haven’t had an issue with chafing in this area but have had this same question from a few readers. One reader specifically said this only happens in the winter to her so it might be what she’s wearing in winter vs. summer?
*RER Readers – Can you chime in to help on this one?
Q: As a newer runner I have honestly struggled with starting my period during two half marathons. I must have the worst planning. Do you always carry something with you or am I the crazy woman that needs to bring something with me each run. Also, do you have a preferred brand that doesn’t feel like it is “falling out” when running. (Am I really asking that?) But yes, that is my biggest issue when running because as soon as I feel it I know it is going to be an AWFUL run.
A: Do you keep track of your period? Is it super irregular? I use an app to keep track – it’s not 100% accurate but has been helpful to have a rough idea of when it’s about to start a few days out. It’s called Period App, but I know there are a lot of options out there.
When I first started using the app I did have a few surprises – it sucks!! I try to keep at least one tampon in my purse in case of emergencies but honestly I would hate to have one with me on runs when I didn’t really need it.
I use tampons. They are ones that don’t have an applicator and are super tiny so it’s easy to keep it with you on a run. They expand and really don’t budge once they’re up there. Fair warning – You need to be comfortable pushing it in without an applicator but I think everyone should be comfortable and familiar with this even if it takes some practice. I’ve been using them since I was a teenager and really am happy with them.
You can also use a liner like the Always Dailies. They’re super thin you can probably tuck one in the key pocket of your shorts in case of emergencies and then swap it for a pad or tampon when you get home.
Q: My cramps have ruined training days or races for me before. Do you have any strategies for dealing with cramps and hard racing/training days?
A: Ugh. This sucks! When I have cramps I take Ibuprofen and try to stretch more. My cramps are usually lower back / upper leg area and it’s the worst for running. I focus on lower back and upper leg stretches to help relax the area.
I would also suggest being open to changing hard run days during my period if that works with your schedule. I know you can’t change a race day, but as soon as you realize it’s a period week I would suggest looking at your training schedule and maybe switching around days so you aren’t doing your hardest days on the days with the worst cramps.
Then, you can rest on the ‘worst’ day of your period and complain to your cat like I do.
Q: Hi Monica, I’m a regular reader of your blog! I have noticed a few things regarding my period when it comes to running, and I’m not sure if I’m alone on this, so here we go:
1. I have way less energy when I run the days before my period, it sucks if race day is one of those days
2. I also have way more IBD episodes during those days before my period, and usually have to stop mid-run for a bathroom break, even on short distances
3. As soon as I get my period, I have instantly more energy, yay!
4. Chaffing down there during long runs when you are using a pad, like, how do you avoid it? :/
Sorry if I just threw TMI at you. Am I “normal”? Please send help!
A: Hi! I don’t know if you’re normal as a person (because I’m probably not), but I think your questions are super normal.
1. Yeah, periods can be a huge energy suck – I vote you get more rest. Consider more sleep or a nap or a meditation session to give your body some time to recharge.
2. I can’t speak to this in terms of IBD but I know my stomach tends to get upset around the start of my period. Boo.
*RER Readers – anyone with IBD issues have it worse during ‘time of month’? Thoughts on how to deal?
3. We should start a “post period party” tradition to celebrate more energy! I guess that’s the one good thing about feeling crappy during your period – after it’s great!
4. You might want to consider a super thin pad or switching to tampons for long runs. There are a lot of super thin pad options you could try for when you’re running and then use something else before/after.
The skin in that area is the most sensitive on our body so it’s important to try and prevent chafing in the first place. You might have to do some trial and error with underwear and pads that stay together and don’t move around and rub.
If you’re not super comfortable wearing tampons all the time maybe just when you’re running could help prevent the chafing and then you can wear a pad for the rest of the day.
Q: Have you had any experience with losing your period while training?
While I haven’t lost much weight (128 lbs and 5’4” currently) I have not had my period since January and kept my mileage at a steady 60 miles per week training for ultras. I think I eat enough calories and do pretty well tracking it all – but being 4 months with no Aunt Flo is a little scary!
A: I haven’t lost my period while training but I’m sure there are some readers who have dealt with this or similar problems. Maybe someone will chime in on the comments.
I encourage you talk to a sports dietician about it since losing your period can impact overall health and fertility and that’s not something to mess with long term. Even if you think you’re getting enough calories your body might need more or training is impacting you in some other way or it might not be related to running and is something you should check out with a physician.
*RER Readers – can you help? Have you lost your period? How do you make sure you stay on regular cycles while training?
Q: I have a Diva Cup and used to love it. For running, though, I find it falls out a bit (TMI?). I end up feeling it “down there” and it is really uncomfortable when I run. As such, I started using pads again. The only thing is, I get all sweaty and gross everywhere when I run, so I end up feeling extra gross “down there” when wearing a pad during a run.
I am not a tampon person, but I’d be willing to try it again.
All of this is to ask what you use for protection when you run during your period?
A: I use tampons and I really love them. The ones I use are super tiny in the package because they don’t have an applicator. Someone who is already using a Diva Cup should have no problem switching to this. Maybe you can try to use a tampon just for running and the cup when you’re not running?
Or you can try a pad made specifically for working out? Always has an Active Pad for this.
Q: How do you deal with bloat and avoid that ‘fat feeling’ when you logically know it’s just your body doing its thing? Asking for a friend…. JK it’s for me and my own neuroses.
A: I usually deal with bloat and feeling fat by eating a ton of chocolate and feeling sorry for myself. Ha!
But if I’m trying to actually feel better about it I take a walk – for some reason this helps bloat for me.
If I feel gross and bloated I also make sure to wear something that either makes me feel better or ‘hide’ it so I don’t feel self conscious on top of feeling fat. I don’t want to set myself up for feeling even worse by trying to wear something that is tight on my belly or calls attention to an area that feels crappy right then.
Always sponsored this post to get us talking about keeping a healthy balance in working out and staying fresh and being comfortable talking about it. If you have additional questions or want to chime in on some of the questions above please do!
You can get more information on the Always Dailies and Feminine Wipes at those links.
Question: Can you chime in on some of the above questions?
Who’s down for a post-period party? Or any party? I don’t have any plans for this weekend…
Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with Always. All opinions are my own.
I find compression pants help reduce chafing “down there”. I also have a “down there” body glide. If I wear something that does not hold me in, like the super cute shorts I wore two weeks ago thinking I was ALL THAT, I think my body has too much room to wiggle during runs and I get torn up pretty badly (full of regret for days). I also have digestive issues sometimes during my period…I usually have one really bad day, so I just give myself a break that day and do not run. I cannot wear a pad while running….I might as well wear sandpaper, but I can sometimes wear a panty liner. I can usually get away with a panty liner for a shorter run. My body hates tampons, so I use them very rarely. I think I just tend to skip longs runs during my period without ever really thinking about it!
I bought BodyGlide because so many people had raved about it, but I didn’t feel like it worked that well. I already owned BandAid blister stick for wearing shoes and such and decided to try it for chafing and I think it works better than anything else. It’s great.
I definitely have issues with chafing when running. I’ve found that 2Toms helps a lot for me and stays on much longer than Body Glide. I was using that before and it would last for about a mile before rubbing off and leaving me in pain during the rest of my run.
Awesome post, so important to break the stigma and just talk about periods and working out because they aren’t going anywhere!
I lost my period from overexercising and am working with a doctor to get it back. It is incredibly common when it comes to things like training for a race. This is because the body needs to re-direct the energy it is using to running and recovery, so will put a halt on what it sees as unnecessary. As the reproductive system is not as important as all the other systems in our body (i.e we don’t need it to survive) this is generally the one that shuts down first. The advice I have had has been to eat more good foods – particularly fats. Using a fitbit or something to track how many calories you are using up is really helpful as you can make sure to replenish your body right. I know calorie counting isn’t that great (and anyone who has struggled with an ED would be advised against this), but while training it can be really helpful as you may not be eating as much as you think you are. I have been doing things like coconut oil in my coffee to get more healthy fats and calories in my diet which was a recommendation of my doctor. Note that I’m not a medical professional at all but am passing on what I have been told at the doctors office!
I have used a cup, tampon, and pads while running. I Hated them all! But then I found period panties (I use the Thinx brand) and they are amazing to run in. I first got them to just workout in, now I use them daily. Expensive, but worth it.
for the woman who has poor period timing: i use softcup(.com). ITS AMAZING!!! it’s not very environmentally friendly, so i only keep them around for emergencies like being out and about on a day i’m probably going to start or maybe not.
since it snugs up to the side of your vagina instead of sitting down at the bottom like other cups, you don’t feel anything at all. you can even have sex with it in there (it totally works). though, the BEST part about these is you can put it in BEFORE your period even starts! because it’s smooth plastic and not moisture absorbing cotton, if you didn’t start your period, no big deal, it slides right out. i know i don’t need to explain why that’s superior to a tampon, *shiver*.
anyway, slip it in on race day morning and forget about your period until you’re done celebrating your accomplishment that night. AMAZING! they are totally reliable through the entire day and all sorts of movement no matter how heavy you are. though, if you’re suuuuuuper heavy, i wouldn’t wait the full 12 hours before a change. on my super heavy days, i go with every 8 hours instead.
hope that helps!
I stopped getting my period when I was a lot younger due to stress and exercise, but I was only 18 and was told I’d likely grow out of it. I did, and now get regular periods and have a daughter. Might want to check with your doctor!
I too have IBD (Crohn’s), as well as knowing many women with it. We all experience more symptoms around our periods. The change in hormones makes sense for this. You should check with your GI doc first, but mine allows me to take Imodium before races to eliminate what could end up being pretty embarrassing! Take care!
And thanks for the post!
I have lost my period several times from both working out in the gym and restricting calories and from amping up my mileage. I agree with the commenter above- your body is not happy! Something needs to change (more food/less exercise etc)
https://thedogtribe.com/2016/07/01/be-my-bridesmaid/
I used to lose my period when my mileage amped up. Lucky for me, it was all about adding more fat into my diet. But healthy fat 🙂 Adding more grass fed butter, avocado, fish oil, nut butters etc. helped.
Obviously check with a doc but perhaps all you need is a little more fat and there is nothing wrong with that!
For the woman that mentioned IBS – one of my friends is a gynecologist and she mentioned that some women have bowel issues during their period. Apparently the muscles that are responsible for your cramps can also mess with (move things around in) your digestive tract. The most common issue is gas, but perhaps your cramps are also causing your IBS? If you talk to your doctor she/he might be able to prescribe you hormonal birth control that can help reduce cramps?
I get bowel issues at the start of my period, too, and often have to stop to go during a run. It sucks! Occasionnally I also get cramps so bad I vomit during a run….but this is only every few months and usually right when I am starting. It sucks but always passes. Oh what men don’t have to deal with….
To the reader who isn’t getting a period – i suffered from hypothalamic amenorrhea for years, even at a healthy weight. In order to resume my cycles I had to stop all forms of exercise. I saw a specialist who explained to me that some women are more sensitive to stress than others, and stress (including exercise, or calorie deficits) can lead to amenorrhea. It is frustrating because some women can exercise way more than you, or be way thinner than you and still have cycles. We are all different. Do what feels right for you and your body. Also maybe talk to your dr if you haven’t yet!
Ok, so I have to chime in on a few of these! I also have a menstrual cup (Lena) and it also slides out a bit on my heavier days when I’m running, so I just use an applicator free tampon on those days. I tried the diva cup too and it slid out a bit too so I think it’s a cup thing. Anyway, the tampons are great and I only wind up using one or two per month so a box lasts me all year. Also, I used to get very tired/ low energy when I would run on my period, and through some experimentation realized it was a result of the lost iron and magnesium and other minerals from the bleeding. So, I take supplements each day during my period and it has helped soooo much! Maybe even eating lots of iron rich foods will help. You do lose tons of these minerals during that time (even if you eat well) so it’s not surprising.
I’ve heard these underwear are great for that time of the month
http://www.shethinx.com
Also, pineapple is really great for feeling bloated!
Last year I had my period for the first half and first full and both times- I was just feeling disgusted…. I didn’t know how it would feel to use a tampon when running. Does it take a little to get used to? The pad gets gross too… I always had these same questions too!
Always feeling sluggish during my period 🙁
Post period celebration is very much needed!!!!
I know this won’t help everyone, but I am a bit of a control freak. I take birth control pills so that I can have more control over when I get my periods (husband was “fixed” when we were done having kids). About two months before a race, I do some planning and sometimes rearrange my period (by skipping pills and getting a period early) so that I don’t have it during the race. I talked to my doctor and she said it was fine to do occasionally.
In response to question #1, while not the most glorious or comfortable, I lather a ton of Vaseline or Aquaphor on before putting on underwear or shorts/pants (and depending on the shorts/pants if there is an underwear liner, I will go commando to help with chafing). I found that while this stains anything you sit on (car seat – I will put a towel down), it helps tremendously and I never experienced chafing down there since. I just reapply if I go to the bathroom before a long run or race.
Super love this post!! I’m all about breaking the stigma that a period is something to be embarrassed about. I’ve had three babies and currently have an IUD (hello three kids is killing me ) so my periods are out of control. I use Kotex extra heavy and honestly I have to put a new one in before my run and change it right when I finish. Maybe the ladies that feel like their tampon isn’t working need to go up a size? I bought a diva cup but haven’t braved trying it out yet so I can’t speak on that. I don’t know how anyone can run in a pad, I imagine all sorts of pain and rubbing but the new period underwear has peaked my interest. I usually run with a sports belt and tampon fits perfectly in their. Also, I track my periods so I usually know when it’s coming (aka I feel like I could beat all the people that I encounter a few days before it starts) this was a great post!
To address the reader who doesn’t get a period…
If you don’t get a period, then your body is trying to tell you that it’s not happy. I suffered from anorexia and excessive exercise and didn’t get a period for years. Even when my weight was in the normal range, I was eating what I thought was enough and had cut back on exercise, I still didn’t get my period back. Lack of a period isn’t always about calories in and out. It means that your body is in distress and it shuts off your reproductive system to save energy. I hope you can find a way to rest your body and give it the time it needs to heal.
CUPS. cupscupscupscupscups. To the woman already using a diva cup, it doesn’t sound like it’s making a proper suction, so I would suggest trying different brands/sizes.
I haven’t tried these myself (yet), but Jen Sinkler has given rave reviews to the Thinx period panties. I’ll admit to being a little weirded out by the concept — like, how is this different from a pad? — but I’m curious enough to try. If running with a tampon, pad, or diva cup doesn’t work for you, these might be a good option for race day or long run days that you just can’t skip because of your period!
I haven’t heard of these! Thanks for chiming in.