There are four fall half marathons in October that have been on my maybe I will run list for quite some time.
I have been waiting until August 1st to make my decision as to which race(s) I will run but I am suddenly seeing a major conflict between my race calendar options and my menstrual cycle.
I cannot plan too far ahead as you may already know from reading for a while because I cannot run a race during my period.
I have a terrific chance of fainting during my time of the month which has happened to me on more than one occasion in my lifetime.
I have fainted sitting down, standing up and from exertion, be it on day one of my period or even a few times, on day four or five! This means that no day during my period is that safe or smart for me to run a race, especially a half marathon.
My body operates like clockwork, every 28 days, almost always without fail. However, I am not a machine so some months I am off by a day or two which isn’t a big deal unless you are trying to register for your next half marathon.
Based upon my current cycle patterns, running a fall half marathon is now in jeopardy. I even plugged my cycle into one of those handy online calculators hoping I was wrong.
As of this moment, my period is set to arrive the first and last weekend of October which means I am left with only Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn as an option which is my least favorite option, one that shouldn’t even be considered an option and is only listed because I really did always want to run an Rock ‘n” Roll half marathon.
It’s a schlep and a half to get to this part of Brooklyn for race day plus I would need to get there the day before to pick up my number. It’s also the weekend before my son’s Bar Mitzvah AND Bridal Fashion Week (October 8 – 10) so I am sort of really busy at that time to say the least.
I wanted to run the Great South Bay Half Marathon again after enjoying the race last year. I also really considered the Diva Half Marathon because it’s a similar race course to the Long Island Half Marathon which would be super cool to run in the fall to see how I handled it in comparison to the spring!
In a perfect world, I would run the Suffolk County Half Marathon at the end of October as well as one of the races from the start of the month too.
There’s still some time for my cycle to change a bit.
A day early here, a day late there and I may find myself able to register for a half of my choice.
I’m planning to start training as of August 1st anyway, and then just see what happens.
If at the last-minute I see I can run a half, I will sign up.
Will I be disappointed if I don’t run a half marathon this fall?
I am fine with training even if it ends up I won’t be running a half this fall season. I just see it as putting myself in even better half marathon shape, you know?
The truth is, if I had my choice of when I wanted to get my period, this is working out for the best. My son’s Bar Mitzvah is October 15th. Having my period on the day of his Bar Mitzvah is almost the same as having to deal with my period on my wedding day in terms of enjoying the evening in my pretty dress – no girl wants to deal with cramps and tampons on such a special day!
This is just part of being a female.
I am grateful that I can run as much as I do and get my period every 28 days. I would rather NOT run a half marathon because I have my period than run 20 races a year living a life with amenorrhea, risking my health and my bones.
The funniest part of this? I checked ahead to November to see if my cycle would have interfered with the New York City Marathon — nope, I would have been in the clear! Go figure. I was so worried about that when I had entered the lottery back in January (and didn’t get in).
[bctt tweet=”fall race calendar conflict! #running #halfmarathon #period #barmitzvah #fallraces #divahalf #rnrbrooklyn #fitfluential ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]
Which race (or races) are you currently training for?
Are you eyeing any half marathons for this fall that you haven’t signed up for yet?
The Cookie ChRUNicles 
Is Brooklyn a race you could sign up for at the last minute or does that one fill up? I hate spending more money by signing up later but sometimes its better than registering early and having to drop out. I only have one day where my period really affects me but I wouldn’t want that to fall on a race day. I still find that I can run, but everything feels harder. Its good that its so regular for you so you can predict out like that!
found your comment! it went to spam – let me know if you get this reply!
Oh no! There is no way I’d want to go to Brooklyn for a race lol. I was hoping to maybe do the suffolk county half if you were doing that one! I want to sign up for some sort of fall half!
I know! it’s a bit of a mess now! let’s see if something changes, a day late or early next month plus a day early or late in September may affect things enough so I can run one of the races with you! And thank you for agreeing that schlepping to Brooklyn is not ideal for a race
I was almost set to run RNR Brooklyn and then stay in New York for a couple days for vacation. However, I made the decision to take my “vacation” two weeks earlier and run Ragnar ADK instead. So I will be doing the Mohawk Hudson Valley half instead. Maybe next year!
You’re so lucky you can predict yours! Before taking medication mine would be anywhere from 20-40 days apart. No fun. I really hope it works out that you can do Suffolk.
Also I think that’s a sign you should try for NYCM next year!
my plan is to try to get in via the lottery again!
It can be tough for those of us who are really affected by their time of the month to have to think about and plan. I didn’t used to be, but after I experienced amenorrhea for several years and finally got my cycle back, it came back with what I call a “vengeance” in terms of symptoms. I feel sick during that time, I need a lot of extra sleep, and it can be tough to even be as bubbly/social so forget about racing!
I hate having to sign up for races so far in advance. It’s not like you’re not in half marathon shape so you could always jump right in last minute, but they don’t make it easy to do that! Mine is really irregular (and even less frequent/more sporadic with the type of BC I’m on) so there’s literally no way to predict it, but I’m lucky that it’s never been a big deal when I do have it.
I am hoping that I can just pick one at the last minute assuming my cycle gets thrown off by a few days! let me know when we email later if you get this reply – I am having reply issues in that the comments aren’t being sent by email! thanks
You’re such a fainter! What about when you gave birth? Did you pass out then? I remember passing out after I had my daughter. It was the weeeeeeirdest feeling. You have such a good attitude about it all though.
I was so super nervous that I would faint during labor! it was one of my biggest fears – but I didn’t! I do recall being very dizzy afterwards. The nurse was so not nice to me in the recovery room because I needed help getting up and walking to the bathroom. I was afraid I would faint and she felt that because I was dizzy, I wasn’t ready to be moved to my regular room. Aren’t you glad you brought up this topic so I could ramble about it?
WOW! That was my BIGGEST fear about having kids – passing out because I pass out all the time too. My Hus said that if we DID ever get prego, he would make them knock me out and do a C-section b/c whenever I pass out, I stop breathing for about 20 seconds, they always think I’m dead, and it’s a whole “thing”…as you know. haha
At this point, I don’t think I’ll ever give birth, but if I DID, I KNOW I would be freaking out about passing out the WHOLE pregnancy! lol
I was so super afraid of fainting during labor and shockingly, it didn’t happen. I felt dizzy afterwards though!
I’d love to do a fall half marathon but I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. I’m hoping by spring time!
I hope your foot is starting to feel better 🙂
Ugh I’m so sorry that you have to deal with fainting around your period! Hormones do crazy things to us don’t they?! But you’re absolutely right that it’s so much better to deal with the inconvenice of your period than to not get a cycle at all….which is my problem currently. Sigh…
I have my eye on the 3 Beach Minimum half in South Shore, MA. I live in Pittsburgh so it’s a destination race for me. But my SIL lives in Boston so we’re planning to run it together. Can’t wait!!!
that would be fun a destination race idea!
That is so hard to not even have the option to race during your period. I have surprisingly only had it once that I can recall over my dozens of races. I just got an IUD (tmi?) but already my period is pretty much gone which is even better!
I heard the BK rock n roll was a bit of a disaster last year (started very late and crowded) from my sister… there is one in Queens in mid November!
I have the Philly Marathon on my calendar as well as a couple halfs in the fall and an ultra in Bayside next weekend!
I didn’t know about the half in queens! thank you for telling me, I will look it up! I had seen one for central park in December but figured it could be snow by then. thank you!!