SimplyComplexJen

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I realize this may not be the most fun topic to tackle, but it's worth a post in my opinion.

About a year ago, I bookmarked an article so wittily called "Cycle Training".  (insert groans here).  There is no earth shattering news in this article, but gives a good breakdown of what your body may need during each phase of your cycle.

A few days ago, I was reading in Yoga Journal about inversion poses and menstruation, which I thought gave good balance to the argument of doing (or not doing) inversion poses during that "time of the month" (hereby known in this post as TOTM).

That got me thinking about in all of my preparing for a triathlon last year, and my years attempting yoga ..... surprisingly this topic rarely comes up.  So I thought about it and of course Googled.

In short, there is lots of advice out there, and more information than I care to think about.  Most of these studies and "rules" were done by men (who probably didn't bother to ask their wives for input).  What it boils down to is that, as with most things, you need to exercise your individual choice for what works best for you.  Listen to your body, maybe write down changes in your workout log, and go with whatever you decide.

From my experience, Western (or at least American) culture has deemed our period as "dirty" or almost like a disease to be cured (take this pill and skip your period, which I'll admit to have doing in the past).  But the reality of it is, it is a natural process and we should embrace it and try to understand how it affects us.  That includes our workouts.

I found this article to be interesting regarding TOTM and Yoga: http://yogapilates.suite101.com/article.cfm/practicing_yoga_on_your_period

TOTM and Triathlon Training and Racing: http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/triathlon-training/the-challenging-periods-for-women-in-training-001342.php


Iron Deficiency and Nutrition: http://www.trifuel.com/training/health-nutrition/triathletes-and-iron

And on a lighter side, of course I run across a similar musing by a triathlete who wonders if you have a greater risk of being bit by a shark during TOTM and open water ocean swims.  http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/post/for-females-do-you-swim-in-the-ocean-while-mentruating/

Be sure when you (if you're a woman!) line up at the start of  Tri, or in a room full of women waiting to do Downward Dog or Warrior, be assured you're not alone when it's TOTM.  As with anything, be sure to listen carefully to what your own body is telling you and work with your body, not fight it. 

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The Swim on my last tri kicked my butt.

I'm laughing today because my brother took his first adult swim class and is talking about how much he hates swimming. I feel your pain brother. Really.

So, I'm about to get into the pool for the first time since my triathlon.

What do you suggest?
Private lessons?
Total Immersion classes?
A simple class at the Y? (not ready for Masters classes yet)

I have access to an indoor pool across the street from my work. Luckily they also have a zero-entry pool for the little one that is life guarded.

This is what I'm working with.

I know all of you have suggestions.... let's go!!!!! This year, the swim will NOT kick my butt. I promise you.

I'm not sure what to write here. When recapping this part of the Tri to a friend on Sunday, I ended up crying. It was not what I expected and while everyone keeps patting me on the back saying, "at least you finished", I'm not one to just finish, I want to excel at it.

But panic set in.

Then a cramp.

And unfortunately that set the tone for the rest of the day.


First, everyone was talking that the swim was 600m, not 500m. Still not sure if this is true, but still freaks a person out.

Another surprise is that it was a treading water start, which actually was ok with me. The treading for 2-3 minutes was a little more of a warm up. At race time, they announced the water was 82, but outside temps at 75. Perfect day really, especially for Kansas in mid-summer.

I did ok with the start, stayed towards the back and outside. Then it hit.
Pure panic.

I realized the water was so dark I couldn't see my hand when pulling under me.
I treaded water for an eternity (or approximately 60 seconds to the observers) trying to fight the urge to call it quits then. Luckily, my stubborn nature prevailed, and I started forward... with my head out of the water.

At this point, I'm swimming at the angle of a teeter totter with one person rather than flat. I am guessing this is what caused the best part of the swim.

The cramp. (insert doomsday music here)

About the 300m mark, I felt it. It was sudden. It was painful. As I wrote yesterday, my first reactions were: 1. yelling, "cramp" and 2. rolling on my back, float, with my knee pulled to my chest and try to keep my pain-induced obscenities to a indoor decibel level.

Another swimmer was also having trouble, and I told her after the race when we were the only 2 left in the water with 200 yards to go, that she was my inspiration to keep going.


Because if I had been alone out there, I would have quit I think. I hurt and the distance seem insurmountable to a beginner swimmer (I took lessons 5 months ago in Feb) who had never swam (swum? swimmed? stupid verb) more than 1000 yards in a session.

When I finally made it to the beach, there was a small run up the sandy hill and the cheer from the crowd was both awesome and embarrassing. I was happy for the support, but knew they were cheering because most probably thought I wouldn't finish.

I almost forgot to step on the mat for my chip timer. Thank you volunteers for yelling at me.

I almost forgot to put on my helmet before grabbing my bike I was so flustered. Thank you husband of woman near me who reminded me and also told me to slow down, take a Cliff shot, drink some water, and gather myself. You're awesome. I was flustered for being last out of the water and in pain. Can't believe I almost forgot to drink and get my helmet!

I hopped on my bike and the swim and T1 were finished. Tri 1 Jen 0.

Next time? I won't let a defeated attitude get me so early in the race.

Yes, I said next time! I'm not done with Triathlons yet!



Triathlon Mistake #1 of the Day:
Underestimating the open water swim. Why can't the water in a lake be as still clear as the indoor pool? Life would be easier. I still can't figure out why the murkiness caused such a panic. Maybe because I couldn't see the bottom? Any ideas?

Funny Triathlon Moment #1 of the Day:
Women who wore makeup for the tri, and obviously were not wearing waterproof mascara as the infamous racoon look proves later in the day.

I jokingly asked on June 19th while mentally preparing for my tri the following:

As my first triathlon is approaching, I have so many questions.... ranging from, how do I let the kayak life guards know I'm drowning to what socks to wear to how to setup my transition station to what to do with my hair. Seems frivolous to some, but to me, it's a worry and not for aesthetic reasons either.

From my experience last Sunday (write-up coming I promise you my friends and family) I now have an answer to the question in bold. Yell, "CRAMP!".

It works.

For real.

Just in case you're wondering.

I also learned you can roll over, float on your back, and curse loudly (personally, I think KLM Marketing should give me an award for my creative string of multiple cuss words used in a single breath) until the calf cramp subsides and they will float patiently next to you.

All valuable lessons.

[side note: I may have been the last one out of the water, I came out of the water on my own to finish my first sprint tri.]