A female athlete must have a plan for working with her menstrual cycle. Both training and race events can be affected. It would be discouraging to be well trained for an event, only to be foiled by unexpected complications. It could be difficult to train well unless it can be done through at least part of the female cycle. Since both high levels of training and increased age are known to make the timing of a woman’s period more unpredictable, the aging female athlete needs to have a strategy.
Just like with any other part of training, it is important to be doing things the way they will be done on race day. For the female triathlete, that means having a product that can be comfortable and effective through three types of exercise, as well as for a comparatively long time frame. And it would be wise to try products before being faced with the problem on an event day. A menstrual cup is a good option.
I have used The Moon Cup Size A during all parts of my training successfully for several months now. There is another size (The Moon Cup Size B) for women who have not given birth. It takes a little practice to learn to use it correctly, but I have not found any other type of feminine product to come close to it. Here are some tips:
- Try it first on a day when you will just be home or close to facilities. That way if you have any trouble getting it to fit well, you can problem solve with less stress.
- Be careful how short you cut the stem, but cut it short enough that it doesn’t create a raw spot when biking
- Be aware that it may slightly inhibit emptying the bladder. Of course, since it has to be removed regularly that this isn’t a problem.
When I have been exercising while using this cup, I forget it is there. That makes concentrating on and enjoying my workouts much easier!