Peri Dragon - Slay that B#$%h

Well I appear to officially be a woman of a certain age.  I have been listening to podcasts, getting inundated with ADs for miracle cures for dealing with issues, reading all the things including recently a list of possible Perimenopause symptoms. Some of them are crazy and some just frankly are PISSING ME OFF!

I have been easing into perimenopause for a couple of years, with irregular cycles after almost 40 years of setting my calendar to my flow.  Crazy rage and snacking, weight gain like someone flipped a switch even though I haven't changed my diet or exercise (I mean 10 lbs in four months for fecks sake!)

Here is a list I came up with that have come and gone or come and stayed the last two years - from watching a video possible of peri symptoms:

• Slower metabolism, fat and weight gain
• Drier straighter hair
• Body odor and more sweaty (like a teenage boy, gross)
• Intermittent narcolepsy during the day
• Sleep disruptions, more frequent bathroom runs at night
• Hot flashes (mine are weird and mostly in my legs... probably an MS short) last night I had 5-6 in an hour while just hanging out watching the Olympics
• Occasional night sweats
• Vertigo
• Brain fog, recalling/spelling words, mental sluggishness
• Intermittent breast tenderness
• Crazy flows, two a month, months without, heavy and long, short and spotty
• Decreasing libido in an otherwise healthy sex life
• Fatigue different from my MS fatigue
• Random joint aches/stiffness like arthritis that come and go at random
• Heal tightness/hug, only in one heal, like it is falling asleep, happens randomly and a challenge when it happens while walking or running
• Changes in food sensitivities and intermittent acid reflux
• Changes in appetite, metabolism and blood sugar spikes
• Less stress resilient 
• Greater anxiety at times
• Crazy rage
• Slower muscle recovery - pushing daily creatine and higher protein intake to counter this.
• And intermittent blood pressure spikes.  Lately its been going crazy while exercising which led me to start doing research.  40+% of women in peri get these.  I found the article below and I am doing all the right things except HRT.  I am not even sure I will be able to take HRT as regular birth control fueled all the migraines when I was younger.

https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/understanding-the-connection-between-menopause-and-heart-rate-changes

I decided to do something really hard this year and that is working with a coach to train for an Ironman Triathlon (2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run/walk all in under 17 hours.)  I am in great shape and have been exercising regularly for over a year.  But this last couple of months Peri is kicking my arse and pissing me off.  My workout heartrates are going bonkers the last few weeks.  I've gained ten pounds.  

I'm dialing in my nutrition as I need a fair bit of the right calories to support the workouts and recovery.  I am doing weights a couple times a week as building muscle strength is so so important for anyone over 45 but especially if I want to build up speed and distance.

BUT I am super frustrated.  I'm on a mission for a good peri specialist (may look into midi.com).  I plan to reach out to my GP on the blood pressure spikes but I am 95% sure it is the Peri Dragon being a b$%^h.  I am not crazy, but my body is definitely a strange and foreign land.  What are your experiences? Who did you work with to manage things?  What did you have success with?  HELP.....

Road to Ironman - January

I have a love of all things data so I ran some numbers for the end of year for my fitness adventures.  To recap 2025 I did 2 half marathons, a marathon and a half Ironman triathlon last year.  I was training into October until my last race then backed off a little but kept my base.

Stats from 2025 roughly

Run: 788 miles, longest run 26.4 miles, time spent running 160 hours, net climbing 29000 feet

Bike: 390 miles, longest 56 miles, time spent biking 30 hours, climbing 7600 ft

Swim: 96 miles, longest swim 3200 yards (1.8 miles), time spent swimming 61 hours

Stats from the end of the year

Stats from the start of this year, and totals from Sept.

I have no idea what my mileage will look like by October 20th but I know it will be A LOT more than last year. So far January has been alright.  I've been consistent with runs, bikes, swims, weekly strength work and daily dog walks, even with a week of work travel to DC.  So far I am feeling all right. 

First race of the season was an indoor triathlon two weeks ago.  400 yard swim at 6:32, 7 mile bike right at 22 minutes, and 2 mile run at 19:51 with a little walking due to tired legs.  Good first effort for the season.

The hard things right now are figuring out training nutrition and the right kinds of calories to support the training.  We are working hard to ramp up quality proteins, add supportive supplements like creatin and reduce empty calorie snacking.  I'm am also working hard to build strength to build speed in all three disciplines. 

This past week I started working with a professional triathlon coach. Her specialty is middle aged ladies, and people with health issues.  I am both excited and nervous.  The original first week workouts were not okay and made me very anxious, so we pulled back and adjusted and got onto the routine I already had working. Week one's workouts ended up being fine.  I'm building but not feeling over tired or overwhelmed, that is outside of perimenopause keeping me up at night.

More to come. I'll keep checking in on my journey to my first, only, last ironman triathlon (1OL).