It’s October. And if I’d expected to have run my 3rd marathon of 2020 this month, well, we all know what happened. The year 2020 will forever be known as the year of Covid-19. The year of cancelations and lockdowns, of conspiracies theories and zoom meetings.

350 BC: Aristotel concludes Menopause starts at age 40 and he notes women can’t bear children after age 50. 

The world is at a stand still. Traveling can’t be done on a whim, if we can travel at all. We work mostly from home and a night out has to end at 10pm, at the latest. One thing hasn’t paused though: the decline of our body. My hotflashes are not on a break, my mood swings were never so energetic and hormonal depression is lurking around the corner.

1821: A French physician named Charles Pierre Louis De Gardanne coined the term la ménépausie (menopause). 

And then I receive a message from the UK, from an instarunner who, like me, runs in and around menopause. We both feel that we have to break the taboo that lingers on the subject, break the silence, be more open about our symptoms, on- and offline. It is important to get the message out there: you are not alone in this and menopause can be a bitch, but together we can get through it. And because exercise is an important  means in dealing with it, Gail suggested an idea:

 

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An idea💡… October is #worldmenopausemonth and Sunday 18th is #worldmenopauseday. And on my run this morning I suddenly had the idea that it would be really cool if we could run – or walk, or run-walk – a mile and post a pic with the phrase #amileformenopause to not only draw attention to something that happens to half the population, but is only now starting to be talked about, but also to highlight the benefits exercise can bring at this time in our lives. What do you think? Might this be something you’d be interested in taking part in? Or did I hit the wall!? #menopause #perimenopause #running #womensrunningcommunity #womensrunning #runnersofinstagram #menopauserunner

Een bericht gedeeld door Running In & Around Menopause (@iamrunneruk) op 4 Okt 2020 om 7:20 (PDT)

On October 18, the day the WHO designated as World Menopause Day, we run a mile for Menopause. Gail, me and a whole bunch of other women will run, walk or run-walk a mile to create awareness for Menopause. It’s time to break the taboo. I haven’t run in 2 weeks but this message got me going. I will run a mile on October 18. For menopause. Will you run with me?

Did you know whales and gorillas also go through menopause?