How I Tailored My Training Regimen Around My Menstrual Cycle

I got my period for the first time when I was 13 years old. I was at summer camp. At the time, it was the worst thing that could possibly happen. I was scared of tampons and too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it. I went to the bathroom and cried.

I continued to hate having a period for a long time. I thought it was gross and annoying. I had always played sports, and dreaded my period interfering with my activities. Like many other young women athletes, I developed an eating disorder. I had grown up seeing so many images of athletes who were extremely thin, and so in my mind, being thin was part of being successful. I didn’t fully understand my own body; therefore, I didn’t know how to take care of it. I ran varsity cross-country in college, but was wildly underweight. Eventually, I stopped having a period altogether.

It took me a long time to fully understand that starving myself did not make me faster; it actually made me slower, and more often than not, injured. I eventually taught myself how to fuel properly and how to be honest with myself about nutrition.

I was never an elite runner, but I was incredibly disciplined. However, my introverted nature made it difficult for me to ask for help. But I did eventually ask for—and got—the help I needed, which has been an ongoing process. I found a therapist who specializes in treating athletes who have developed eating disorders.

One thing I’ve found to be pivotal in moving forward is talking with other women, especially those who have had similar experiences. It’s so helpful to be able to speak with others who understand some of the things I’ve been through.

I Tried Synrgy Cycling—a Female Coaching Program

Because I love working with other women, I was eager to sign up for Synrgy Cycling—a training program that bills itself as “female cycling coaching.” Based out of Girona, Spain, Synrgy was founded four years ago by Abi Van Twisk and Will Harper.

Twisk is a former World Tour professional cyclist who identified a gap in coaching tailored to the unique physiological needs of female athletes. Domestic pro-turned-coach Will Harper, whom I spoke with, came up with the concept after asking a long-time female client how her menstrual cycle affected her training. When the athlete replied that no one had ever asked her that, Harper knew there was an opportunity to coach in a different way. However, he also knew that the coaches all needed to be women so that clients would feel fully at ease. Today, Harper stays mainly behind the scenes, and Van Twisk and the team of women coaches are the face—and heart—of the program.

Women athletes work with women coaches, and that alone can offer relief for some. Even today, many women and girls have grown used to always being coached by men, which often means not feeling comfortable talking about their bodies or their menstrual cycle as it relates to performance. When I was running in college in the early 2000s, my teammates and I would tell each other how awkward and embarrassing having a period was, so much so that many of us felt the need to hide it, especially if we wanted to be taken seriously as athletes. It was less about specific symptoms like cramping or feeling weaker, and more about not wanting to stand out. We wanted to be strong and be perceived as such.

Synrgy puts the menstrual cycle front and center and works to break through some of the stigma that exists around menstruation. They discuss monthly symptoms with their athletes and then use that feedback to design a training plan. Pro cyclist and Synrgy coach Hannah Barnes says she wishes this kind of coaching philosophy had been around when she was advancing in her career as a young cyclist. “We just basically did exactly the same things that the men did.”

Coaching around the menstrual cycle isn’t about doing less; it’s about strategizing to do more when athletes feel their strongest—this is what’s known as cycle syncing, according to NewYork-Presbyterian. While there’s limited research to back up the benefits of cycle syncing, you can take stock of how you feel at all phases of your cycle. If you understand your cycle and which hormones are occurring, you can potentially time your workouts for when you have more energy to perform at your best. For example, when you’re actively bleeding (during menses), the body is likely to feel more fatigued, so low-impact exercises are often the way to go. In this way, the menstrual cycle becomes a bit of a superpower.

One drawback, of course, is that you can’t always plan for your races to be at the perfect time according to your cycle. It would be nice to always have races happen during the week that you feel your best, instead of the week you feel your worst, but that’s obviously not possible. I talked with Barnes about this quite a bit. “If you know a race is coming up during a week that you’ll feel not so great, we plan for that. We add in extra rest and do more things like stretching,” she says.

My Experience with Synrgy Cycling

I’ve been cycling recreationally and for fitness for about ten years. I’ve joined group rides and participated in numerous events, but I had never been coached in cycling. Because I wasn’t “elite,” or even very serious about competing when I started riding, I never felt the need for a coach. But in January of this year, I reached out to Synrgy to see what they had to offer.

Pricing

For those just getting started with coaching, the price may be a barrier for some. I signed up for four months of training, which included the cost of training with a coach, as well as access to Training Peaks, an app to track my workouts. The price changed slightly each month due to the exchange rate, but it averaged around $317 per month. To meet my dietary needs, Synrgy required me to use The Feed, an online store that sells products from top sports nutrition and gear brands. This cost a little over $400. I also had to register for the race, which cost $180. The total was approximately $1,860.

Getting Matched with a Coach

Barnes sent me an email letting me know that I’d be working with her to train for a few months leading up to a gravel race set to take place in April 2025 near where I live in California: the Ukiah Mendo Epic, part of the Grasshopper Adventure Series—the first and longest-running series of gravel and mixed-terrain races.

My goal was not to finish the race’s 76-mile dirt-and-paved route by a certain time or beat others; instead, it was just to feel good and strong throughout the race. An additional goal became to learn how to properly fuel for longer efforts, and to prioritize hydration and nutrition.

My Coach Assessed My Medical and Fitness History

One of the first things I did with Barnes was answer several questions about my athletic history, my menstrual cycle, my experience with hormonal birth control, and my fitness goals. I then had a one-on-one Zoom call to discuss everything to make sure we were truly on the same page.

We discussed how hydration and nutritional needs can fluctuate throughout the cycle, and that fluid retention often occurs during the follicular phase (the part of the menstrual cycle that precedes ovulation), when estrogen levels begin to rise. Additionally, higher progesterone levels in the luteal phase also increase core temperatures. These weeks can require different hydration demands, especially when performing in hot and humid conditions.

Women, especially those who are athletes, have often been made to feel like menstrual cycle-related symptoms are insignificant, or even made up, when in fact they are crucial to fully understanding what’s happening in the body. Making training and fueling decisions based on different phases of the cycle can reveal an athlete’s true potential.

My Training Was 100 Percent Remote

The Synrgy model is entirely remote—through WhatsApp texting, a custom Training Peaks workout calendar with daily notes, and occasional video calls to check in with my coach. Even though Barnes was in London, on Central European Time, and I was in the U.S., on Pacific Time (we had an eight-hour time difference), we were still able to communicate regularly. I left notes about my workouts every day, and also let Barnes know how I felt or if I had questions about the written schedule.

Building Strength Was the First Goal

With about four months of training leading up to my event, I started working with Barnes in January on base miles and building strength to ramp up as the race got closer. For better or for worse, we had to contend with challenging weather in the earlier weeks of training, and then tons of travel—my husband and I are on a quest to find a new place to live—later in the build. But it was all still possible with some flexibility and creativity.

The first months of training consisted of indoor trainer workouts, as well as trail running and gym sessions. I learned about different kinds of efforts, and often asked Barnes to explain things in basic terms, like: What’s the exact point of this workout? What does this mimic or prepare me for? What should I focus on the most? She always replied with insight I had never learned before, and tips for how to fuel. Each workout came with nutrition goals for use while on the bike, as well as instructions on how to pre-fuel and refuel after.

Barnes also readily adjusted workouts if I felt tired and needed an extra rest day. This became key later in the training, when some of my weeks were especially stacked. I appreciated knowing that the goal was to work very hard, but never to feel too overwhelmed or crushed. I’ve never experienced a coaching situation where rest was so valued and prioritized.

Learning When My Body Needed Rest and When I Could Train Hard

I personally had several “ah-ha” moments where I not only realized what was going on with my body, but I also realized that no one had ever explained it to me in terms of training and in terms of how to strategize training.

For me, in the week before my period, I often feel lethargic and like everything I do in training is much, much harder than it should be. Even when my heart rate doesn’t indicate any significant strain, rides seem tougher, and efforts feel like death. During those weeks, I often assume I’ve lost all fitness and should give up.

For that phase of my cycle, Barnes gave me mainly endurance or steady rides: days where I focused on riding a certain amount of time, two hours, for instance. No structured workout, no intervals or high-intensity efforts, just getting time on the bike.

Then the following week, when estrogen increased ahead of the follicular phase, I often experienced a boost in energy, strength, and endurance. Barnes told me, “This is the ideal phase for focusing on harder, more intense workouts, such as interval training, heavy lifting, or race simulation rides. Your body is more primed for strength-building and high-performance sessions.” So that’s what we did. I started looking forward to those weeks when I could feel really good working hard.

My Training Ramped Up About Three Weeks Before Race Day

In the three weeks leading up to my race, we really ramped up training. I had several four-plus-hour rides, where I tried to tackle as much climbing as possible. I didn’t practice on the course, but somewhere nearby, so I had a good feel for the epic northern California fire roads that go straight up and straight down.

We also did a variety of pre-race preparations, with short sprints and openers. These were the kinds of things that I never knew to do on my own. In a race week lead-up, I’d likely just incorporate lots of rest. But working with Barnes, I was able to keep my legs prepared without overdoing volume.

Two Weeks Before Race Day

I had a video call with Barnes two weeks out, just to go over fuel and hydration strategy. We worked especially hard in the last month to ramp up carbs and really nail hydration.

In the heaviest weeks, I think I sent Barnes about a million versions of: I’m so sick of eating sugar. She always replied with ways to change up my carbs so that I wouldn’t get burned out. “Try bites of pancakes or bagels.”

Race Week (I Got the Flu)

The week of the race, Barnes sent lots of reminders about eating well and getting good sleep. Unfortunately, I developed the flu just five days before the race. Barnes suggested getting lots of vitamin C and zinc, and dropped my pre-race rides down to full rest days. Even though we had talked about what to do in hot temperatures, a cold front moved through Northern California, and the race week ended up being foggy, damp, and cool. As disappointing as it was, my illness didn’t improve enough for me to have the confidence to race all-out.

I talked with Barnes about dropping down to a shorter distance race. She ultimately let me decide and emphasized my health above all. I decided to see how I felt.

Race Day

Race morning was once again cold and foggy. I started with the lead group on the long course, but only one big climb in, and I knew my body just didn’t have it. I hadn’t recovered enough from the illness. It was difficult to do, but unlike past experiences, I actually listened to my body. At mile 16, I made the turn for the medium course.

As I pedaled the remaining 20 miles of the 36-mile medium-distance race, with as much effort as my legs could muster, I reflected on what I had learned. More than anything, I thought about how often we, as women, are encouraged to ignore our bodies: to hide them, and quiet them, and normalize them to fit into an ideal mold that isn’t realistic. I thought about 13-year-old me, who was scared of a changing body, and what it would mean for running, biking, and playing hard. Luckily, I’ve realized that change is good. Evolution, growth, age. It can be hard, but also so, so fun.

And even in my race, it was tempting to push through to get the result. But for what? To prove what? I want to be strong, I want to achieve my goals, but sometimes doing less is the only way to eventually do more.

Overall, the experience working with Barnes and the Synrgy team made me realize that coaching doesn’t have to be so serious. Sure, we all have goals that we want to take seriously, but the actual day-in, day-out can be flexible, relaxed, and fun. You can listen to your body and still work hard. You can take more rest and still do big things. And more than anything, you don’t need to obsess over numbers and stats and unrealistic outcomes. You can be the best you with a little help, support, and encouragement.

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