How I’m training OC1 for speed and power in peri-menopause.

In my 20s and 30s, I could train hard and recover fast. Back-to-back intervals? No problem. Lifting at night and paddling the next morning? Easy. I could skip strength training for months and bounce back within weeks. Minor injuries went away with a little attention. I didn’t think much about fueling, hydration, or protein. 

But sometime after 40, that stopped working.

Small injuries lingered. Strength took months to rebuild. Power faded. I couldn’t do back-to-back hard sessions without feeling wiped out. I felt flat during workouts. Training didn’t translate to progress. I lost consistency and felt like my training was not getting the results it used to. 

This wasn’t burnout or overtraining. It was a physiological shift I couldn’t ignore.

Physiology: Why This Happens?

Starting in your 40s — and sometimes earlier — you enter peri-menopause. Hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, fluctuate and decline. This affects:

• Muscle building: harder to gain and maintain strength when estrogen drops (read about that here) 
• Recovery: more soreness, slower tissue repair (hot flashes are stressful to your body!)
• Joint stability: increased laxity and injury risk  (read: Musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause)
• Hydration and heat: thirst cues change, body temp rises 
• Fuel use: harder to access stored carbs, more protein needed for muscle synthesis

You’re also contending with aging — a drop in fast-twitch muscle fibers, slower nervous system response, and reduced bone density. 

Most mainstream training doesn’t account for this. 

To make it worse: only 6% of sports science research focuses on women. Less than 34% of study participants are women. 

Training methods often assume male physiology.

So when your body starts changing, there’s historically not been much guidance on how a woman should train — just confusion over why it’s not working anymore.

(Read my earlier article about normalizing the conversation around perimenopause here)

How I Train Now: What Works for Me

I didn’t overhaul everything overnight. I made changes gradually, based on how I felt and what the research supports. Here’s what shifted:

• Strength training: I lift year-round, using heavy, compound movements to preserve power and joint health. No more long breaks from strength training. 
• Interval training: I keep the intensity high but cut volume and frequency. I sprinkle hard intervals throughout the year and space them out for recovery.
• Consistent technique training: I believe in this so much I created the Precision Paddling program to address this.
• Warmups: I spend 30–45 minutes prepping before hard sessions — mobility, activation, and neurological priming.
• Recovery: More rest and active recovery between hard days. Hormone fluctuations affect sleep and inflammation, this makes recovering from training take longer. 
• Don’t push through injury: Soft tissue doesn’t bounce back as quickly when collagen drops, so avoiding injury is important. 
• Fueling: I prioritize protein at every meal and snacks. I eat before training. I don’t chase macros, just consistency.
• Speed and power: I include plyometrics and short sprints to stay sharp for catching waves.
• Active recovery: Movement that improves blood flow and helps my body adapt to stress.

For Other Women: What to Shift in Your 40s

These are patterns I see in so many of the women who train with me — especially at my downwind intensives:

• Too much moderate effort distance training, not enough specific speed training
• Poor paddling posture and technique
• Low cadence, and not enough range 
• Not enough strength or power to get on waves

Here’s where I start with them — and where you can start, too:

On the Water

• Upgrade your OC1 technique so you can get more out of the muscle you have
• Train cadence — paddling in “gears” lets you respond to changing water
• Incorporate speed work to maintain fast-twitch muscle
• Add joint mobilization to your warmup
• Do hard and very hard intervals to build both power and endurance
• Practice your brace stroke to feel stable and confident

Off the Water

• Lift heavy, with purpose — strength is non-negotiable
• Do plyometrics and speed drills — train your nervous system, help keep your bones strong
• Eat before and during hard workouts — don’t train hungry
• Prioritize protein and recovery — without estrogen, your body needs protein to build muscle
• Hydrate intentionally — add a pinch of salt to water, hormones affect thirst and fluid balance 
• Recover intentionally — your body is stressed by the hormone changes, recovery takes longer, and that’s not weakness

If You’re Noticing a Shift…

You’re not broken. You’re just in transition.

Peri-menopause lasts 7–10 years before menopause.  For most women, it starts in the mid-40s, but it can begin earlier — especially with medical menopause. 

Not all women will struggle with perimenopause – its estimated 15% will have only minor issues, 15% will struggle immensely, and around 60% will face moderate challenges. 

If your training isn’t working anymore, it’s not your fault. It’s your physiology — and your approach may need to catch up to your life stage.

You don’t need a complete overhaul — just smarter, more specific shifts.

Start with:

• Lift heavy: Preserve and build strength year-round
• Sprint regularly: Short bursts are good for your cardiovascular system and keep your fast-twitch muscles alive
• Train your nervous system: Power and coordination are key to performance
• Fuel your workouts: Never train hungry — carbs and protein matter more now
• Prioritize technique: Technique is power, especially when strength wanes
• Recover like you mean it: Longer recovery isn’t weakness — it’s listening to your body and allowing it to adapt to stress.

Small changes now can help you keep your power, stay injury-free, and continue having fun, paddling strong through all the years yet to come!

Please share this!

The more we talk about being athletes in peri-menopause, the more we can help and support each other through this inevitable transition. 💛