Are You Living It?

OK, we always dance around this in our posts (we being female athletes) but I’m not going to this time, so guys…here’s your chance to bail because the remainder of this post is about menstruation.

No - not the fuzzy euphamisms like “Aunt Flo” or “my monthly friend”…it’s about my period. PERIOD.

Unlike those who find some beauty in the natural “cycle of life”, I think getting your period SUCKS. I wholeheartedly envy my friends who don’t get it, but I’m not able to reduce my body fat to the 12% or less I’d need to to join them. So instead, I suffer periods that make slaughter houses look like lovely, blood-free places.

OK…that was gross. But you get my point. No - I don’t have ovarian cysts or any other malady…just crazy bad periods. When I can hide in my house, 3 super-plus tampons an hour can be dealt with…but it’s not so easy when it comes to racing. I’m supposed to do a race tomorrow that will take me about 1:40 to complete…and once initially wet, there is no tampon manufactured today that can handle it (and don’t even MENTION that stupid diva cup thing…already tried it…didn’t work). So what to do? Wear a black racing suit and TWO tampons…super fun on the bike. And of course…hope for the best.

Sorry if this is TMI, but honestly, I am having bitter flashbacks to IMWI, where I spent well over 12 minutes waiting for or in port-a-potties changing tampons…so much time that my husband established a time for T3 for me - tampon transition. Hmmmm….what’s 13:09 take away 12 minutes? Oh…I know…it’s 12:57. (If the significance of that difference is lost on you…I envy you more than you know…)

It’s time this much was acknowledged…women athletes have SOOOOOO much more crap to deal with then men. Periods, boobs (shout out to my well-endowed friends out there), the effects of birth control, hormone cycles, menapause, pregnancy, post-partum…you name it. And while I have my own little tried and true approaches to dealing with racing on the rag, I’d LOVE any and all racing advice you’d like to offer if you too suffer from devastatingly brutal periods. And if you yourself need any tips…don’t hesitate to email me and ask…we don’t feign formality around here.

As for tomorrow, I’m just hoping my “time limit” will make me faster…

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