More than 75% of females experience menopausal symptoms, and the symptoms typically last 4–8 years. That’s a lot of wet sheets, disrupted sleep and years of not feeling like a runner. But could I do anything to reduce my symptoms?

This month, I want to move from heart—the internal passion and supportive family and friends who fuel your running—to heat, the work you do to keep your body fit and functioning. It includes runs, strength training, plyometrics and mobility. It also includes (gulp) regular appointments with your primary care provider.

I did not sign up for the Menopause 200. My ovaries did. Oh, they had warned me this mandatory event was coming, waking me with a drenching sweat or anxiety storm, tapering periods and replacing my brain with mush that increasingly felt like it was thinking on the wrong side of frosted glass. I was perfectly content to ignore it all, until I found myself at the start line, unable to run.

The loss of motivation, loss of speed, increase in anxiety and loss of muscle and bone density can be a detriment to the type of running that is perhaps the most beneficial: trail running. The challenges of t...

As runners approach menopause, our risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis may be equal to or greater than that of women who do not exercise. Running, whether on trails or pavement, isn’t enough of a stimulus. To build bone density, we have to lift heavy.

You spend a third to half of your life postmenopausal, and 10 or more years perimenopausal. Symptoms are common and expected, but can impact your racing and training, and your heart and bone health. The good news is, like any race, the more you know about the course, the better you can adapt your training to meet the demands of the “Menopause 200.”

There are three training barriers female athletes will likely face in peri and post-menopause: speed, motivation and recovery. Here are some training strategies to keep you mentally engaged and committed to an ultrarunni...

I started finding other women in their fifties who were active and struggling with menopause. Why the hell is nobody talking about this stuff? We need to make it okay for those conversations where we can say, “You’re not alone.”

So much of life is about what we choose to see. We can see aging and menopause as a bad thing, or we can learn the facts and develop strategies that reduce or eliminate energy loss and disrupted sleep, and enhance our performance.

So much of life is about what we choose to see. We can see aging and menopause as a bad thing, or we can learn the facts and develop strategies that reduce or eliminate energy loss and disrupted sleep, and en...

For this month’s column, I sat down with Meghan Canfield and Pam Smith—who are friends, running partners, teammates and competitors, both with long and outstanding ultrarunning pedigrees—for a conversation about menopause, aging and the frustration of slowing pace.

Strength, agility and balance help us fly down technical trails and stop ourselves from falling when the inevitable toe-catch occurs. During perimenopause and menopause, as estrogen declines, we lose muscle mass and our...

Dr. Stacy Sims’ book “Next Level,” taught me something new about female athletes in the peri- and post-menopause stages, and gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the aging female body. More importantly, it gave me hope for a better version of my current self.

I’d ignored lifting for years, convinced it would make me bulky, mess up my running and take me indoors, away from the trails. I knew, because of menopause and genetics, I was at risk for osteoporosis. I also knew lifting heavy would improve my bone density, improve my balance, increase my metabolism and improve my immunity.

I’ve always believed that eating should be fun. I’ve never counted calories or grams of anything, but I wondered if a little nutrition review might help me recover faster after a workout. Here’s what I discovered.

I don’t think I’m any different than most folks when it comes to aging—we want to put it off, not let it affect our lifestyle and when we slow down, we want to do it with some sort of grace. Because honestly, we don’t get to do it on our own terms.

My body is changing and my mobility work needs to adapt. I’ve started sprinkling mobility work throughout my day. After a long meeting I’ll mobilize my hips. Later in the day, I’ll run through an ankle flexion drill. A few minutes of foam rolling before bed releases tight muscles and leaves me relaxed and ready for a good night’s sleep.  

MA USA