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Category: Running

  • Beat the Heat: A Quick Guide to Summer Running

    Beat the Heat: A Quick Guide to Summer Running

    Despite longing for nice sunny miles all winter long, as summer heats up we all start to regret wishing those cold brisk runs away. The sun means well, but it definitely does too much this time of year as far as athletes are concerned. Add in the humidity and it’s even worse. If you’ve stepped outside at 7am and immediately regretted lacing up this post is for you.

    Whether you are 25 or 45 (and navigating some extra hormonal challenges), here are some tips on how to survive– and maybe even enjoy– running through the hottest months of the year.

    Do Your Best to Avoid it

    First and foremost plan your runs to avoid the heat as much as possible:

    • Aim for early morning or after sunset
    • Check your weather app for heat index and warnings
    • Opt for the treadmill on the worst days if you can
    • Choose shaded routes 

    Water Is Not Enough

    Fun fact: chugging plain water on a hot run can leave you more depleted, not less, because you’re also sweating out electrolytes.

    • Pre-hydrate before you head out — don’t wait until you feel thirsty
    • Add electrolytes, bring along along salt sticks, a sports drink, or electrolyte chews,  especially on runs over 45 minutes
    • Signs you’re behind on fluids: headache, crampy legs, fatigue before you expect it 

    Bonus for midlife women: hormonal shifts can mess with your fluid balance and sweat response, so you may need more electrolytes than you used to!

    Dress For It

    • Stick to light colors and moisture-wicking fabric. Avoid cotton!
    • Don’t forget your hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, even when it’s cloudy 
    • Bring along a cooling towel – they are underrated 

    Bonus for midlife women: wear layers you can shed fast — hot flashes have a way of showing up mid-mile with zero warning.

    Your Pace Is a Lie in July

    Heat slows everyone down. Everyone. Your Instagram-perfect running friend included. This isn’t a fitness failure, it’s your cardiovascular system working overtime to keep you going.

    • Ditch the pace goals on hot days and run by feel instead
    • Your heart rate will run higher than usual for the same effort — that’s normal, not alarming
    • A “bad” summer run is often just… a normal summer run. The bar is different now, and that’s okay, you’re out there and still making progress!

    Bonus for midlife women: hormonal fluctuations can add extra unpredictability to how you feel day to day, so effort-based running is doubly your friend right now.

    You Can Adapt

    Good news: your body can actually adapt to heat over time. It’s called heat acclimatization, and it’s basically your internal thermostat leveling up.

    • Give it 1–2 weeks of consistent (not heroic) summer running
    • You’ll sweat earlier and more efficiently, which sounds gross but is genuinely a good thing– that’s how your body cools itself
    • Repeatedly showing up matters more than any single “prove yourself” run. As summer progresses so will you.

    When to Stop Being a Hero

    Feeling hot, sweaty, and a little dramatic? Normal. But some signs mean it’s time to actually shut it down:

    • Dizziness or confusion 
    • Nausea
    • You suddenly stop sweating despite the heat (this is your body waving a red flag, not a green one)

    There is zero shame in cutting a run short. Nobody has ever looked back fondly on the time they pushed through heat exhaustion for the sake of Strava.

    Don’t Skip the Cool-Down

    • Find shade, a fan, or a cool (not ice-cold) shower — your body will thank you
    • Refuel with protein and fluids soon after finishing
    • Prioritize sleep, because heat + bad sleep is a rough combo for everyone

    Bonus for midlife women: night sweats can crash the sleep party uninvited too. A cool room and light sleepwear go a long way toward actually getting the recovery you earned.

    Summer running is less about being naturally good at heat and more about being willing to adjust, hydrate, and occasionally negotiate with your own body mid-run. You don’t need to be fast, you just need to be smart.

    What’s your best (or worst) hot-weather running story? Drop it in the comments!

  • The Midlife Runner’s Playbook: Training Strategies for Busy Women

    The Midlife Runner’s Playbook: Training Strategies for Busy Women

    Midlife stressors and chasing race goals don’t exactly go hand in hand — but for women in their 40s juggling careers, kids, aging parents, and a household, finding a way to make both work is exactly the challenge many runners face. Minimal free time and urgent needs of others can easily push training runs to the bottom of the to-do list, causing guilt, frustration, and increased risk of injury as a result of inconsistent training. Building a plan that works around real life and the schedule you actually have is the key to success throughout the chaos that midlife years present.


    Despite its obstacles, middle age—along with the onset of perimenopause— is when women need the benefits of running the most. Not only can running and strength work help counter muscle and bone loss due to declining estrogen, for many women, physical activity is an effective anxiety and mood regulator. In a season where so much energy goes outward, running can remain that one constant thing that belongs entirely to you.

    The 3-run week: A Sustainable Plan For a Maxed-out Life  

    Fortunately, the training model that fits a busy midlife schedule is also, arguably, the one that’s best for your perimenopausal body. A 3-run week means working smarter, not harder, and puts the focus on quality intentional miles. In addition to being sustainable, a 3-run week also leaves room for strength training and recovery which are critical for avoiding injury. Each week aim for:

    • One long run: your most important run; protect it before the week dismantles it; even 60–70% of your usual distance counts
    • One tempo or interval run: 30–45 minutes is enough to maintain and build fitness. 
    • One easy run: low pressure, no pace agenda, just moving

    A reduced but consistent plan is safer than swinging between intense training and nothing. During slower times of year or when you catch a break in your schedule, additional runs can always be added.     

    Fitting in Time to Run    

    Even fitting 3 runs into a busy week can be difficult during the busiest times of year. Identifying hidden pockets of time in your day where there may be a window, and sometimes being a little creative, makes it possible. Be open to the following possibilities:

    • The early morning run: waking up an hour earlier than the rest of the household not only gives you a window to get in a run, but for some also offers quiet peaceful moments and a positive way to start the day. 
    • The commute run: While not a feasible option for all, running to or from work (or wherever you need to be that day) could solve the time problem entirely at least one day a week  
    • The lunch run: if you have the option of eating at your desk before or after your lunch break, that 30-60 minutes might be the perfect window to knock out a quick tempo or easy run.      
    • Borrowed time: Parents often spend countless hours waiting for their kids at extracurricular activities such as sports practices or music lessons. Instead of sitting in the car or running an errand that could be squeezed in another time, lace up and use that time for yourself.      
    • The split run: two 20–25 minute efforts in a day count. If you can’t find a full 60+ minute stretch in your week, splitting a longer run into 2 sessions is better than not doing it at all. If you have 30 minutes before work and another 30 while your kid is at soccer – use them both! 
    • Running while traveling: travel for work or kids’ sports doesn’t have to mean zero miles. A little planning ahead can go a long way. Choosing a hotel with a fitness center and treadmill or a running trail nearby gives you options for keeping you on track.

    The Smartest Miles Start with Good Food and Enough Sleep

    Finding ways and time to run in a hectic schedule is paramount to hitting your goals, but equally important is caring for your body. You will not be successful if you don’t have a good base. Midlife fatigue is layered — poor sleep, caregiving load, hormonal shifts, and high-stress work all compound. Burnout is not weakness; exhaustion is real and physiologic. Eating the right foods, focusing on protein for recovery while including lots of healthy carbs and fats, will fuel not only your runs but also all the other tasks you need to accomplish during the day. And when you have to choose between sleep and extra miles, sleep should always win. A depleted and tired body cannot train effectively; this is true for everyone but especially perimenopausal athletes.

    Staying a Runner When Life Keeps Trying to Reassign You

    You don’t stop being a runner when you miss a run or even a whole week (or month!) of runs — but you do need to actively protect the identity in a season that asks you to put everyone else first.

    Keeping some sort of race on the calendar—whether it’s a low-key local 5K or a full marathon—gives your training structure and external accountability that busy schedules erode. Redefining success, only if temporarily, can also help keep you focused. Running a new-to-you distance, trying a new type of race (like a relay or a trail race), or working towards a vacation race at Disney or a National Park are all legitimate athletic goals.

    By prioritizing yourself this way you are also modeling something important: the women around you — kids, colleagues, younger friends — are watching how you handle your own health under pressure and you might just be their inspiration.

    Note: While I am a nurse practitioner and a personal trainer, I am not your nurse practitioner or trainer. Always consult with your own medical provider regarding what is right for you.

    So what’s your biggest obstacle right now — time, sleep, motivation, or something else? Let’s talk about it in the comments.



  • Running in Perimenopause: Why It Feels Harder After 40 (And What’s Actually Happening)

    Running in Perimenopause: Why It Feels Harder After 40 (And What’s Actually Happening)

    The morning started out like many Saturdays. After an early wake-up and a carb-loaded breakfast, I collected gels and chews, made sure my headphones were charged, and headed out for my long run. At first nothing seemed unusual, although I could tell my legs and lungs needed to warm up before settling into a rhythm. But after the first mile or so I realized nothing was clicking. My breathing felt a half-step behind, like I couldn’t pull in enough air to match my pace. My legs carried a heaviness that made every incline seem twice as steep. Even the flat stretches felt difficult, as if the road were subtly tilting against me. I kept waiting for that familiar shift into autopilot—the steady cadence, the quiet mind—but it never came. Instead, each mile demanded focus and persistence, turning what should have been a comfortable endurance effort into a mental battle that left me more fatigued than the distance should have.

    Does this sound familiar? If you’re over 40 and feel like your training isn’t going the way it used to – you’re not imagining it. But this doesn’t mean you’re out of shape and it doesn’t mean you can’t perform. It just means it’s time for some adjustments.

    What Happens During Perimenopause

    Hormones Change

    After 40 our hormones start to fluctuate as we reach perimenopause. This can affect muscle recovery, tendon and ligament elasticity, sleep quality, and thermoregulation which all affect our running ability.

    Estrogen is a key hormone for muscle repair and regeneration because it supports muscle protein synthesis and collagen production. It also helps reduce post-exercise damage. As it begins to fluctuate, and eventually decline, slower recovery, increased soreness, and even muscle loss may start to occur. 

    Progesterone fluctuates then significantly declines during perimenopause. This hormone plays a role in sleep, tissue integrity, collagen production, and mood. As it decreases some women notice increased anxiety, poor sleep quality, and longer recovery due to weakening joints and tendons.

    Testosterone steadily decreases with age, typically starting before perimenopause but with the most substantial drops occurring after 40. This decline can contribute to reduced lean muscle mass, increased fat, decreased competitive drive, and performance decline.

    Cortisol sensitivity increases as estrogen and progesterone (which normally regulate it) decrease. This results in cortisol spikes that might cause fatigue, slower recovery from stress, poor lean muscle retention, visceral fat gain, and sleep disturbances. 

    Muscle Mass and Strength Change

    Around age 30 our bodies subtly start to experience progressive age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. Known as sarcopenia, this loss accelerates after 40 due to dropping estrogen and testosterone. As it occurs, runners may notice reduced power, slower paces, increased fatigue, longer recovery, and even increased injuries.

    Recovery Needs Change

    Once perimenopause starts, females need more protein to counteract the effects of declining estrogen. Increased protein helps maintain lean muscle, supports bone health, boosts metabolism, and improves satiety for women trying to lose or manage their weight.

    Sleep needs also change over 40. Decreased estrogen results in less serotonin and melatonin making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Decreased progesterone, which has a natural sedative and calming effect, can lead to insomnia and less restful sleep. Hot flashes and night sweats can cause frequent awakenings, and high cortisol can lead to anxiety, exhaustion, and low-quality sleep. While we are sleeping our bodies release growth hormone and repair tissues, so when sleep quality decreases so does the repair of our tendons, ligaments, and muscles. This means in order to maintain strength and running ability, middle aged women actually need to increase their hours of sleep.

    Rest days become more important as women age. As changes in hormones occur that make recovery slower, more rest days are required to maintain performance. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay active, but intentional time off from running gives our bodies the time needed to repair muscle fibers and regain strength.

    What you can do to offset these changes

    Resistance Training: Lift Heavy 2-3 times/week

    Resistance and strength training preserves muscle mass and bone density. Focus on increasing weight over increasing reps, and don’t forget to include core work.

    Increase Protein Intake

    Protein fuels muscle repair and recovery. Active perimenopausal women engaging in regular running and resistance training should aim for 1.4-2.2 g/kg (roughly 1 gram per pound of body weight) daily.

    Prioritize Sleep

    Your body repairs itself during sleep. Poor sleep raises cortisol, slows recovery, and hurts performance.

    Monitor Iron Levels

    Heavy menstrual bleeding that often occurs during perimenopause can sometimes lead to iron deficiency anemia which can cause fatigue and poor endurance. Regular blood work helps catch and correct deficiencies early.

    Fuel Before Runs

    A carb-rich snack before running keeps energy up, protects muscle, and improves performance.

    Incorporate Active Rest Days

    Light movement like walking or yoga on off-days reduces soreness and keeps you mobile without added stress.

    Talk To Your Healthcare Provider About Supplements

    Certain supplements such as creatine, magnesium glycinate, and ashwagandha are often mentioned as beneficial during perimenopause, but talk to your personal provider about what is safe for you to take before trying anything new.

    Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

    While it may not be right for everyone, HRT can restore hormone levels to improve energy, sleep, mood, bone density, and athletic performance.

    The journey through perimenopause looks different for every runner, but one thing is certain — slowing down doesn’t have to be inevitable. Small, intentional changes to how you train, fuel, recover, and sleep can make a tremendous difference in how you feel on every run. Be patient with yourself as you experiment with what works best for your body, and remember that adapting your approach isn’t a step backward — it’s what smart, experienced athletes do.

    Each of the recommendations above deserves a deeper look, and that’s exactly what’s coming. Going forward, this blog will dive into each topic individually — from the science of strength training for perimenopausal runners, to practical guidance on protein intake, sleep strategies, HRT, and more. Bookmark this page, subscribe for updates, and come back often. Your best miles are still ahead of you.

    Note: While I am a nurse practitioner and a personal trainer, I am not your nurse practitioner or trainer. Always consult with your own medical provider regarding what is right for you.

    References

    Collins BC, Laakkonen EK, Lowe DA. Aging of the musculoskeletal system: How the loss of estrogen impacts muscle strength. Bone. 2019 Jun;123:137-144. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2019.03.033. Epub 2019 Mar 28. PMID: 30930293; PMCID: PMC6491229.

    Hamilton HM, Yarish NM, Heron KE. Frequency and perceived influence of menopausal symptoms on training and performance in female endurance athletes. PLoS One. 2025 Dec 17;20(12):e0335738. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0335738. PMID: 41406071; PMCID: PMC12711079.

    McNulty KL, Murphy M, Flynn E, Lane A, Muldoon A, Kealy R, Harrison M, Windle J, Heavey P. The Effectiveness of Lifestyle Interventions, Including Exercise, Diet, and Health Education on Symptoms Experienced During Perimenopause: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Aging Phys Act. 2025 Sep 23:1-24. doi: 10.1123/japa.2024-0226. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40992413.