“Two weeks ago, I completed my first 100-kilometer trail run and I felt great!”
That was the start of Kylie’s email to me.
I knew that she had been training for an ultra-distance event after we exchanged emails about her nutrition requirements for her 50 km running during the time that she has been with me, but I didn’t realise that she was extending her distance and had completed the 100km!
I was so inspired, that I asked her to share her journey with you all.
So, she did. This is Kylie’s story. I love that she has rewritten her midlife story, as so many women have.
“On reflection, I think my perimenopause symptoms started in about 2009, when I was 37 years old. My acne returned with a vengeance, and I was feeling nauseous for no good reason. The naturopath I saw mentioned perimenopause (of which I’d never heard of! Menopause yes, peri… what now?!).
Unfortunately for me, this Naturopath left the practice very soon after my first visit, to have a baby, and I never returned. I soldiered on. Two years later, I had surgery on my feet and consequently wound up with a DVT. I was instantly taken off the contraceptive pill and had to deal with not only daily injections but also 12 months of starting to walk again and getting my period every month! What a bore!
Anyway, life went on. I came off the blood thinners, and slowly began to jog a little since my feet had returned to their normal size. For contraception, I also had a go at a copper IUD. That’s when the fun and games truly began. My body did its utmost to reject the IUD, and I eventually gave in and had it removed.
What followed was floods of bleeding, nausea which continued for years even after the removal, hot flushes, mood swings, you name it, I had it.
I should also mention that I have never shared my life with a long-term partner, and I do not have any children. Around this time my mum also asked if I was experiencing any mood swings or hot flushes, as all the women in my family have hit menopause in their early 40s apparently. I was 39 years old.
That’s when the penny dropped.
My mum was a part of the generation when a breast cancer diagnosis was blamed on HRT, or so they thought. Since I did not fancy testing the theory on myself, I have not used HRT, especially with my history of a DVT and therefore, began to explore alternative, natural solutions.
Around this time, I was dating on and off and had recognised I was fast losing my sexual desire and hot flushes, night sweats and shivers set in for the long haul. That’s when I sought out a female hormone specialist and found a Practitioner who used DNA to assist with treating hormonal issues.
I had great success with this Doctor and only stopped using her services when I was made redundant, and I could no longer afford them. At this time, I was also experiencing the ignorance of menopause in the workplace. My manager told me I could work part-time for eight weeks to “get this issue sorted out“, all due to the fact, that according to him, his wife didn’t find it difficult! [*enter suitable curse words and many tears here*).
Prior to leaving my DNA specialist though, she mentioned that a
menopause specific lecture was being given in the coming months here in Perth, and that I might consider attending.
Enter from stage left, Dr Wendy Sweet and her Masterclass on Menopause, if memory serves, January 2019 in Perth, Western Australia.”
[NB: The Circuit Breaker programme that Kylie did, is on sale HERE throughout November – savings of NZ$100 when you apply the code MYCBSTORY].
This information was exactly what I had been looking for.
I was one of the youngest in the room, and still today I take umbrage at the fact I have experienced this transition in life a whole lot sooner than my friends, but I can’t stop it, so I have educated myself as an attempt to make it a smoother and less traumatic experience for myself.
Wendy’s lecture reached me on so many levels.
Wendy’s background in fitness spoke volumes to me about the strength of her own research and validity of her programs, backed by science. Maybe I should mention here I too am a scientist, of rocks, but nonetheless, I have maintained my interest in research and have always been fascinated by the human body and fitness, and my own health.
A man I had dated was a Personal Trainer and it was around the same time, I took up yoga regularly. With this combination, they introduced me to rolling and myofascial release. I was starting to run 10 kilometers, or longer events, and very much enjoyed running on trails, discovering that it was less harsh on my body.
Working in aged-care at the time, I procrastinated for two years on the cost of buying the Circuit Breaker program and was delighted to find that Wendy was offering a discount during the lock-downs, so I went for it!
I have not looked back.
My life became a flurry of following the main principles in the MyMT™ Circuit Breaker programme – juicing, eating dinner as early as possible, not drinking alcohol (I pretty much had stopped of my own accord beforehand having discovered the ghastly consequences for myself), swapped my black tea for green tea and regularly taking the vitamins she suggested and trying my best to eat bright colours, lots of dark greens, and more brown than white carbohydrates.
Her strategies for sleep renewal were also very effective. I’m not and never will be, ever, a morning person. Try as I might to get up early on a regular basis, I fail most of the time. But that’s ok. Not everything Wendy suggests needs to be adhered to. As she says, it’s important to work with our body and have some trial and error.
My waking and sleeping times are regular, just not early. Working as a Carer, this fits my schedule as I often work late shifts.
My long distance running was a fine rhythmic exercise and I am definitely not fast, so a slower, regular pace with minimal high intensity training was perfect.
I also enjoyed Wendy’s coaching posts and opted to pay the monthly fee to remain a part of the community and to have access to the programme once my time was up, and I have now been here for four years.
I have used Wendy’s programme and menu to dovetail with my running career and nutritional needs. As I focused on my long-distance runs, I learnt about my iron, calcium and magnesium needs and the nutrition to support this. It’s a fabulous fit.
I’ve found a happy balance between what running long distances
requires (I’m now a regular 50 kilometer plus runner), and what will keep my now post-menopausal symptoms at bay. How to eat to fuel for, and during, an event, and then, the foods to eat to recover well, has never been clearer or more effective for me, based on her advice.
“Last year I completed a six-day multi-discipline event, bagging me 425 kilometers from the north coast of Iceland to the south. Wendy’s advice for exercise-recovery during menopause, helped me to recover from this.
Two weeks ago, I also completed my first 100-kilometer trail run here in Australia and I felt great!
Don’t get me wrong, it was a tough day out in the bush, but 29.5 hours after starting, I crossed that finish line feeling strong and uninjured. I was definitely hungry (and continued to be for the following week!) and my feet hurt, but knowing the correct nutrition for my age and stage in life, was my biggest advantage at this point.
I wish I could impress this on the many middle-age ladies surrounding me at these events, but you can lead a horse to water…… and you know the rest.
I look forward to joining the Post Menopause program when time permits as I value the knowledge Wendy shares. Until then, I will continue to fall on and off the MyMT wagon as life throws its ups and downs at me.
But, I will always come back to what I have learned, because, well, it is what makes me feel good and fit and healthy and happy! Thank you, Wendy, for your support, your availability, and your continued research into allowing us to age with knowledge, grace and a lot fewer hot flushes!
Hats off to those working to educate and inform the general public, and our male partners, fathers, sons and colleagues. Stronger together ladies, stronger together!”
Kylie Sherwin, Australia
