Believe it or not, there’s a lot I don’t mention on this blog but that I do talk a lot about in person. Such as performance optimization, specifically for women. What. Is. That?! So glad you asked. Essentially, it’s pairing exercise according to the menstrual cycle. While some women are textbook, 28-day cycle specimens, most women do not conform to the textbook and range from a 21-40 day cycle. This means many women are not training their body according to their cycle; instead, they’re probably winging a workout then wondering why today was so damn hard or, alternately, cheering themselves on for having a kickass run while failing to acknowledge the reasons why. Been there.
Let me tell you how. The first step is tracking your cycle. The problem is it depends on dozens of factors, such as hormonal birth control, which, no one wants to hear it, means you do not have a natural cycle at all. However, consistent tracking of a hormone birth control user can still result in a performance optimizing workout routine. So don’t knock it. Anyway…once we know some of the factors influencing our ability to have a stellar performance, life sort of gets easier. I jest.
All this to lead me here – I’ve had some pretty great runs and workouts lately. Despite the humidity and 100+ degrees, for the second year in a row, I’ve sustained a routine of running outdoors. It takes some creativity, some sacrifice, and sometimes even a little humility, but it can be done. Not to be dramatic, but my world did change in 2018 post-heat illness. I try not to give it too much power in my head. Alas, I maintain an awareness of being conscious of the limitations surrounding it. It is what it is.
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I ask you –
For my lady friends, do you practice performance optimization?
Do you have other routines you follow?
Tell me how running and exercise have been going for you!
(The post Performance Optimization first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
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