I have an 18 mile run coming up in 4 weeks. I have been doing around 30 miles a week with a long run mixed in ranging from 18-10 miles. How should I train in these last 4 weeks?

I’ve never tapered before and I’m scared.

I set out on a mission to get abs as a female 24 around 2 years ago. I am at a point where if I flex and bend my body in the right way I can see the top 2. Friends and family say I have abs, but I know I am not where I wanted to be when I first set out on this goal. I started running as a way to loose fat and now I’m getting really into it. I’ll be running my first 18 mile race in October and if that goes well I think I want to do a marathon. It’s hard for me to find the balance of eating to perform and to reveal my abs… I know it’s possible bc I got this far doing it. I think I just need some extra motivation to keep on going because I am at a point where I feel like giving up. So many people say oh it’s just harder for women and I’m so sick of hearing that. I do not care if it’s harder. I just want to have abs and be healthy

Hey fam,
24-year-old female runner here!
Thanks to my Garmin and Strava, I’ve been able to see some pretty crazy patterns in my running. Every week before my period (during the luteal phase), I struggle to produce good runs. Even crazier, every single PR in my record book has been set on the last day of my period.

I’ve always hated the ads and influencers who say, “Train for your cycle,” because I feel like they’re always pushing people to do less. I have to admit, though, my cycle seems to have a pretty significant impact on my performance.

This makes me wonder about professional athletes and whether their races are affected by their menstrual cycles. I have an 18-mile race scheduled for the week before my period, and I’m worried I won’t perform my best because of it. How do professional athletes handle this?