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"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
Kitsap TriBabes
Woman to Woman

Dear Tri Babes,

Bully, bully to those of you who have severed ties with your "monthly friend." But, for the rest of us who are still inviting her to "tea" each month, here is a suggestion: if there is even the remotest possibility that you will be menstruating on Danskin Day, my STRONG SUGGESTION is that you "practice" dealing with it before race day.

I've found that O.B. style tampons are the most effective race day feminine hygiene product. Obviously, pads don't work for swimming and they don't adhere well to biking/triathlon shorts. Regular tampons are too big and bulky to carry with you. The ones with cardboard applicators disintegrate under the stress of sweat when carried near your person and they don't hold up well under the pressure of being smushed into your bike's saddle bag.

O.B. tampons, however, are small, compact, and neatly (and individually) packaged in plastic. They fit perfectly into the back pocket of your Tri Babe top or into your bike's saddle bag. And, they hold up VERY well under the pressure of being transported throughout race day situations.

HOWEVER, they advertise being "designed by an obstetrician." What they don't tell you is that since they have no applicator, one practically needs to be a gynecologist to insert them!!!!!

So, my STRONG SUGGESTION is that you
buy yourself a box of O.B.'s RIGHT NOW. Just to get yourself in the proper frame of mind, watch the "Sex in the City" episode where the girls command Charlotte to "take a look at herself" with a hand mirror. Then, practice inserting them. That way, if you need them on race day, you'll be a pro at inserting them. O.B. tampons aren't the feminine hygiene product I use ALL the time, but I always have a box in my drawer so that I can use them on long training days and on race days when necessary.

OR, you can tri "Instead." This is a diaphragm like device that you insert which "collects" the blood. It is intended to stay in place for up to 8-10 hours. (The most I have ever gotten out of one is 6 hours.) I, myself, have had mixed results with this device. The insertion is not THAT difficult. But . . . the removal produces a scene worthy of the next Stephen King horror movie. So, if you have an incredibly heavy flow, this might not be an option. However, if your flow is lighter, "Instead" could allow you to go the entire race day without ever having to worry about menstrual logistics.

The "Instead" product gets used once and is then throw away. If you want a "non disposable" option, you can try the "Diva Cup." It, too, is a "collection" method. I had to get a degree in forensics in order to figure out how to insert it - but I DID prevail. I find it much more reliable than the "Instead" product BUT much more cumbersome - i.e. I always can feel that it is there.

My strong suggestion is that you experiment with all these products NOW this month, so that you can decide which one will serve you best on race day. Obviously, I sincerely hope that your "monthly friend" is otherwise engaged on Race Day. But, I'll be darned if I will allow such a silly thing that we've all been dealing with all of our lives to derail you on Triathlon Day!!!!!

~ Lisa Be sincerely sorry for any oversharing that may have occurred in my attempt to be your full service Tri Turtle!!!!!



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