If you’re reading this, you probably already watched my video on my struggle with amenorrhea from a few months ago. That video tells my whole story through my adolescent years, as well as how I got my period naturally and the things I changed to make it happen. Now it’s over 6 months later, I just finished up 6 months of marathon training, and a lot has changed. This is going to be an update blog post.
I knew I was going to run the Chicago Marathon in the middle of March right after my trip to Nike HQ. I was excited to start running again after taking quite a long hiatus, but one of the things I was nervous about were my hormones. I had only gotten my period 3 months in a row (make that 3 times in my life), so I was nervous to see how running consistently would affect my cycle. One of my main goals going into marathon training was to keep my period over the next 6 months of training. I began training at the beginning of April - easing back into running (shorter runs, a bit of biking, no strenuous workouts). I immediately lost my period.
This was extremely disappointing. I didn’t know what to change. I was eating more than enough (my food intake has been the same for the past year-ish) and my workouts were not over the top. After the first month I basically accepted the fact that I cannot run and get my period at the same time. It’s just not meant to be for me I guess! However, after month 4 of not getting my period and tweaking my back in a track workout, I decided to take a step back from my hard-core training. I moved to a new city (woo Portland!) and got a new job as an assistant coach. I went from doing hours of cardio a day to running once a day, 4-5 times a week with no strenuous workouts except for a long run. I could feel a difference in my hormone levels after one week. Low and behold, month 5 came along and there she was! I was shocked and excited (which is not something most people feel about getting their period lol).
What I’ve learned throughout this process is that:
Hormones are very complicated and I don’t really understand them.
Everyone’s body works differently.
Exercising less and eating more works most of the time.
If you are struggling with ammenorhea, I highly recommend talking to your parents or a doctor about your situation. Every person’s body is different and hormones can be very complicated. Not getting your period can be very dangerous and have long term effects, such as stress injuries and even osteoporosis. I am choosing to share my story because I know how common it is to deal with ammenorhea as a female distance runner. Don’t be afraid to talk to your teammates, parents and doctor about this issue!