Question for the ladies: period during triathlon

janeymo

A quick question to the ladies out there. I'm competing in my first triathlon next weekend and I'm gutted that it coincides with my period. I'll have to factor in a loo break between the swim and cycle sections and all the extra time that entails
Has anyone any advice/experience on what to do when raceday arrives during 'that time of the month'?

Jesster

Personally, I engineer my contraceptive pill-taking so that i dont have to think about this scenario. I'm guessing all the guys on here have done a u turn straight away from this post, with their hands in the air. tee hee....

Firstly i wonder why you need to stop between the swim and the cycle? tampons are designed for you to carry on with life while on your period, and do things like rollerskating with labradors, triathlons surely come under this category....? of course you may not get on with these and have to use towels, but if so, how could you swim in one? I'm confused now!!

sporteve

i do not want to answert for janey but jesster i suspect she might be anticipating a really bad timing therefore a 'heavy' day where a visit to the loo might be inevitable...
i was worried about the same thing for my first tri but thankfully due to stress and heavy training i had a week's delay and it was ok!
however i visited my gp regarding this when i was preparing for my marathon and he gave me back then some pills but they needed to be taken i think at the beggining (or the end) of your previous period...all in all i think you need a month or more or preparation in advance ...i am not aware of any other measure of delay that you can use in short notice...

janeymo

LOL! Don't believe everything those tampon ads tell you!

Without wanting to get graphic (and here any remaining guys will run sceaming out of this thread!), I find a tampon fills with water during swim training. If you don't change it straight after the swim then it doesn't do its job. Had considered the pill but it's a bit too late for that. Ah well, will just have to put myself down for extra transition time Thanks for the replies

shadowone1

I will suspect this is one for the coma ninja...

Comanightrain... over to you!

durhamvam

You're not going to be in the water very long though if you're racing so you might be alright - or are you doing an OD for your first one? Haven't had this problem yet but can't take the pill so can see that it might be an issue in the future.

Good luck

VAM

BexH

Is it an Open Water or in a pool? If open water you may find the wetsuit will create a bit more of a watertight barrier than just a swim suit or tri suit would.

Jack Hughes

Well.. the topic doesn't scare me. It's just that I don't have much personal experience...

But, you know your own body - so really, it just comes down to what makes you comfortable and confident. If it is a sprint or OD then you don't really want to be mucking about in transition . So, you can either not bother starting, or just get stuck in. Whack an extra pair of pants on, if you think it might help, under your tri/suit shorts - black shorts are best! And just crack on as fast as you can and don't give a damn about what could happen and what anyone else thinks. As long as you're comfortable! The worst that can happen probably won't even be noticeable amongst all the other things going on.

Get out there and have fun!

casserole mum

How about putting on a pair of long black/navy trousers in transition? I know it will take a bit longer but it will be faster than popping to the loo. I'm thinking the likes of Ronhill tracksters or similar, that way, if there is a bit of leakage it won't be visible.

Good luck at the weekend and enjoy it!

moonshine

I've found, as thus far manged to hit the jackpot with all 3 of my tris this season, that a mooncup seems to retain more than a tampon but it does take some practice to get used to

2manykids

hi, i had this problem for my second sprint tri and first OD, having had 7 kids and the not so proud owner of a couple of fibroids a couple of heavy days a month is inevitable. my doctor gave me noresterone (think thats how its spelt) which you start taking 3 days before your period is due and it delays it for up to 10 days . I stopped taking it as soon as the tri was over, period started a couple of days later. it worked perfectly each time, no side effects that i noticed, its just progesterone i think.

sporteve

thank you for posting this 2manykids, good to know there is something available to take at such a short notice!

janeymo

Cheers for all the advice. A pal of mine is a great advocate of the mooncup so I'm going to give that a whirl. Now, can I find anything else to blame a poor time on!?

KenMac

I used to hang out the washing so I know this...!!
A triathlete in my life had a 'period pair' of cycling shorts and tri shorts for those sorts of occasions.
As far as she was concerned putting anything inside the shorts or herself during those times was a definite no no because of the rubbing.

Sandrine

You can start taking tablets 2/ 3 days before you are due and stop the day after ( which will bring on your periods)

I have done this many times , prescribed by my GP. They are called : Norethisterone .

Bexster Rominger

Use the contraceptive pill - combined mini pill taken all the time, no breaks at the end of the pack of 21 days or so, seems to stop the period completely, then resume back to 21 days after triathlon season ends - I'm post having babies age 43 so bare that in mind I don't need my period anymore really and I'm monitored each year with this - but if you're younger, then this MAY NOT be the best or safe option. Trick is to try a few different brands and see what works for you and always, always discuss everything with a doctor first. I'm quite sure this will be a huge help (game changer) if triathlon is something you are doing on a regular basis and you suffer heavy periods + all the associated pain + emotional issues PMS uhh I do know . All the best.