Building Endurance: How Menopausal Women Can Train Smarter

We all know that in order to build a strong aerobic body, we need to do lots and lots and lots and lots of zone2 training. But as women age, especially in peri and post menopause their ability to recover from these bouts of exercise takes longer. However, we are also built for this. If you have been paying attention to the endurance sports world of late, you will have noticed that women have been making the news. A lot. And even a few have taken an Overall win, such as Fiona Kolbinger in the Transcontinental bike race, an Ultra endurance event. This is due to our ability to prefer fat use over carbohydrate, and our bodies ability to store more fat, and retrieve it easier than our male counterparts.

With that in mind though, we do need to be careful with the long endurance training as we age, and be mindful to mix it up, but also listen to our bodies and give them a rest when they ask for it. And they do ask for it. When I say mix it up, I’m talking about not only the mode of which you are participating, be it, run, bike, swim, hike, or other. I’m also talking about the intensity in which you are doing it. There isn’t just one way to build that cardiovascular system, so why do we see some people only train one way. Now I get it some people just don’t like anything but that one form of movement they choose, or maybe they cannot, for whatever reason, use another form of cardiovascular training. Let’s get creative then. Let’s find you at least one other form of cardiovascular movement that you can do even just once a week to break things up.

Now that you have found that other form of cardiovascular fun, now I’m going to tell you to ALSO do 2 more things. What??? You are probably saying. This is all part of making sure you are well rounded and a complete and durable athlete/human, and not one that is going to be held back by annoying little niggles, as we like to call them. In addition to your Zone 2 training, I’m going to challenge you to do at least once a week of HIIT’s/SIT’s and at least once a week, preferably twice, of strength training, AND short bouts of mobility right before your endurance workouts. Why, oh Why do I forsake you like this??? Because as we age, our bodies do not like the repetitive activities, it breaks them down much faster than when we were younger, and we need more time between bouts to recover. So instead of taking a full day off, I know you would rather keep moving, do it in a different way.

Let’s say you are an Ultra Runner, and you are training to do a 50 mile run, be it a race or you just want to complete it. If you go out and run zone2 for 5-6 workouts a week, yes you will get better, but at some point your body is going to say it’s had enough. And training that way will only build your zone2 base of fitness, and remember there are many more aspects of fitness. Instead let me break down a week I’ve given to my athletes who have already been training for several years, and they are going into their offseason. Huh, sound about right for this time of year?


Monday: gentle mobility and lots of stretching and foam rolling and even a massage if needed.

Tuesday: Morning - Strength & Plyometrics. Evening - Pre-run Mobility, then Track intervals, for top end speed and run form.

Wednesday: Pre-run Mobility, Recovery Run All Zone2, post run mobility.

Thursday: Morning Strength & Plyometrics. Evening Cross Train Day: either bike or swim for 60-90 minutes of mostly zone2 with a few short Zone4 bursts.

Friday: Pre-run Mobility, Tempo/Fartlek Run (this is an undulation between Zone 2-4 efforts).

Saturday: Cross Train - Long bike/hike/swim (several hours if possible) etc. Afternoon Core strength & Mobility.

Sunday: Pre-run mobility, Long Run (several hours depending on where they are in their training) mostly Zone2 with some short efforts into Zone3/4 on hills.


Doing something more like this example week versus Zone2 for 5 to 6 days a week, will not only produce results sooner, but your body won't always feel beat up and run down. Keep it fresh and change it up often. Don’t skip your strength and mobility, and please please please don’t just do Zone2.

The reason we ALSO need strength training isn’t just to make us overall stronger, it’s to help build our bones. Again as we age that osteoporosis nightmare likes to pop its evil head up for some of us. But, you can decrease its effects by lifting consistently, twice a week, and lifting HEAVY-for-you weights. When I say heavy I’m talking about something you can ONLY lift for 4-6 reps, and doing that for 4-6 sets. Now what are you waiting for? Get out there and get moving. Switch things up, lift heavy stuff, run fast, faster, fastest. And by all means HAVE FUN doing it.