Ladies, does your monthly visitor effect your training -that- much?

This is a GREAT thread.  I applaud you and thank you for starting it. 

Mine absolutely kills my times.  So much so that I have really tried to take it into consideration when signing up for races.  That being said, I got an IUD last July and I'm still not regular.  Sucks.  The two days before, and the first three days of it, make me a different, MUCH slower athlete. 

It is simply amazing to me how much it impacts my training and performance:/

That being said, I still do my workouts, but I repeat to myself as an ongoing mantra, "Don't look at the watch.  This is because of your period. Don't look at the watch.  Focus on your breathing. Etc."

I can hardly wait for menopause;)

Not consistently. It definitely affects how well I feel when doing a workout or race, but there's little effect on my actual performance. The one exception would be a race or workout that involves cold water, or taking in nutrition. I have a weird pattern the last 1--2 days before starting and the first 1-2 days after where I'm very sensitive to cold, and get nauseated easily. So OWS anywhere outside the tropics, and taking in food on the bike, becomes difficult. It can make a total hash of a longer race (recent one at Lang Co a case in point) where nutrition is necessary or if the water/weather is cold. If I can survive without taking in much nutrition, and it's warm, I do okay. I've actually gotten my "visitor" just before a race, and even during it several times, and won the race in at least two cases, set PB's in others. I feel more nauseous when I push the pace, but I'm not actually any slower. The weirdest thing is that I often have really good workouts about three days before I start--never figured that one out. But it's nice to feel like Superwoman one day a month!

I also noticed I had a psike in my performances 3-4 days before... bizarre, but hey I'll take it!

I started having really bad pms since having 2 kids. My doctor simply told me to take advil for the pain and see a psy- if the mood swings were to become any nastier... ?!!?

I used to take a couple of days off training when my period arrived. Now I just train with it, and I realized that once I'm moving, the symptoms are not that bad, and no effect on my performance either.

It didn't usually affect me. I've always been lucky I guess, and not had any cramps, bloating, etc. Occassionally though, I would get some wicked cramps that really were quite bad and always seemed to be timed with a big race.

I started taking a BC pill that changed your cycle so you only have a period every 3 months. Then my doctor said that I could keep taking the pills so that I never got a period. I've been doing this for 2 years and success. No more monthly or even quarterly cycle to deal with.

OMG. in my 20's and 30's it  seemed like it was nothing- now @ 47 it = insanity basicly. 

Physically I just deal and push through to do what needs to get done.

I'm honestly not experienced enough (athletically) to notice a difference in my speeds etc,

BUT it makes me so unfocused and moody and hungry and fatigued- and there is no consistency to when these things will happen, could be before, could be during, could be after!! grrrrrr it's insanity I tell you!!! 

I am WAY cleaning up my diet hoping that helps. I hear in addition to whole foods, eating organic and non GMO make a big difference too.

Also- I use natural progestrone cream and that helps A LOT - when i remember to use it consistantly. Also- red raspberry- the herb- in a tea or capsules, really helps regulate a cycle & reduce flo. If I am on during my tri I will be taking some red raspberry several days before for sure.

Yes I believe all horomones work together - I will be checking out The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried.

My chiropractor really believes that a clogged liver can cause a lot of problems with excess estrogen, so it is important to keep your liver detoxed (eat beets!!)