How to maintain your running pace and endurance during menopause

Are you a runner in your 40s and 50s and suddenly every run just seems like a hard slog?

Paces that were easy, now feel harder. Every run just feels like an effort. And perhaps you are wondering if you will ever get back to your easy running again.

If so, then read on. Here’s my guide for women going through perimenopause and menopause who want to maintain their pace and running endurance.

Take an audit

If you feel that your running endurance and pace has changed as you move through peri to post menopause then it’s time to take an audit.

How many days do you run each week? And do you make time for recovery?

What kind of runs are you doing each week? Are they all hard, fast runs? Or do you have easy runs in there.

And has this changed at all?

Many women in their 40s and 50s find that this is a period where there are more life stresses. Family responsibilities, managing work demands, and having friends who are going through a similar stress, can all have an impact.

And this might mean that the time you have to run has reduced. And you might feel that every run has to ”count”. Which usually means feeling that you need to go out hard and fast.

Or you might be running more as a way to deal with stress.

Knowing exactly what type of runs you are doing, and why, can really help to work out what needs to change.

Make it easy

Our aerobic endurance is built in the easy runs. This is where we build running strength and stamina. Too much of that harder, faster running can leave you feeling depleted. Which means your runs can start to feel more of a slog.

But what is an easy run?

They are usually a lot slower than you think!

I like to use the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) scale. This is a scale of 1-10 where 1 is just woken up or relaxed on the sofa, and 10 is an all-out, your life depends on it, sprint. The reason I like to use RPE is that you are always working at the right effort for the day.

Going by this scale you want your easy runs to be around 3-4 out of 10. So a very comfortable run where you could have a long conversation with a running buddy, or feel like you could carry on running at the same pace for much longer.

Go fast, but keep it short

But we do need some fast running in there.

The faster runs build our speed and ability to go faster for longer. It helps to increase our muscle mass, which we need to preserve as we get older.

If you feel like your running pace has slowed down in the peri to post menopause period, you might need to work on your speed. But you need to do it smarter.

Rather than going all out for a 5k and feeling exhausted at the end of it, try intervals.

These can be as simple as a 10 minute easy warm up followed by 10 x 30 seconds fast running, 30 seconds easy. Using the RPE scale this would be running at an 8-9 out of 10. So very hard and you really couldn’t run for longer, but not quite all out. The recovery interval will allow you to maintain the effort throughout.

If that seems too much to begin with, decrease to sprint to 10 seconds and keep the recovery at 30 seconds.

Or try fartlek sessions. These are where you play around with speed with no set time or distance.

Make time for recovery

Recovery is often the missing piece of the puzzle.

Recovery days are when your body actually gets stronger. It’s when your muscles, heart, lungs, and tissues all adapt and rebuild.

Without adequate recovery, running can start to feel harder and what used to be easy paces can start to feel more of an effort.

So if you don’t already plan for your recovery, start doing so now.

I’ve talked about active recovery in my blog about joint pain in menopause but a day of doing nothing is okay too!

In fact, making time to potter around with a focus on things you enjoy can be very beneficial. It can not only help you maintain your running pace and endurance but also reduce any other stresses that contribute to any menopause symptoms!

And if you are a runner who feels like your running has got harder or slower as you go through menopause do get in touch. I offer guidance, support and training advice with group programmes and bespoke personal coaching packages that can help you to reach your goals.