A Conversation Years in the Making
There are moments in a career that feel like a turning point.
This one is mine.
My full episode on Hit Play Not Pause, hosted by Selene Yeager, is officially live. And if you’ve been following my work, you understand why this feels monumental.
When I went into surgical menopause at 38, I wasn’t a competitive athlete. Honestly, I was still learning how to train properly. I was curious, determined, and doing my best in a body that was shifting faster than I could make sense of.
But there were no resources for athletes like me.
No coaches who understood surgical menopause.
No podcasts telling me how hormones and performance actually intersect.
So I became the resource I needed.
And now, I get to sit across from Selene and have the conversation I needed a decade ago.
What We Talked About (And Why It Matters)
This episode isn’t just a chat about running.
It’s a deep dive into everything the endurance world loves to avoid:
Training in a Body with Shifting Hormones
We talk about unpredictable cycles, disrupted sleep, mood swings, body composition changes, and the way performance mirrors hormonal shifts. None of it is “random.” All of it is interconnected.
Why CICO Fails Athletes in Peri/Menopause
Oversimplified calorie math is one of the most harmful messages people hear in this season of life. It doesn’t account for cortisol, nervous system load, recovery demands, or the physiological ripple effect of hormones.
I’ve written about this more deeply here:
Misinformation in Women’s Fitness: How CICO and Oversimplified Science Fail Athletes
The Butterfly Effect of Hormones
This was one of my favorite parts of the episode.
A small hormonal shift isn’t small. It’s a butterfly wing flap that impacts everything from hunger cues to fat storage to sleep to recovery. Coaches who miss this aren’t coaching the whole athlete.
Endometriosis, Hysterectomy, and Surgery as a Turning Point
I opened up about my journey through Endometriosis, multiple surgeries, and surgical menopause. Not because it’s dramatic, but because these stories rarely get told in athletic spaces—and they matter.
Chi Running, Strength Training, and Nervous System Support
We talked about how I build training that works with the athlete’s physiology, not against it. Chi Running, strength cycles, polarized running, periodization, and progressive overload all weave together in my coaching.
Why Younger Menopausal Athletes Feel Invisible
Menopause doesn’t have an age.
But the conversation often does.
Younger athletes navigating surgical or early menopause deserve to see themselves reflected somewhere. This episode is part of changing that.
Why This Episode Is Such a Big Deal
Hit Play Not Pause isn’t just any podcast. It’s one of the leading platforms for active people in peri/menopause, with a community of over 35,000 inside their Facebook group and tens of thousands listening every week.
To be invited into this conversation means something.
To be trusted inside this conversation means even more.
I didn’t start as the expert. I started as someone trying to figure out how to train through a phase of life no one had prepared me for. Now, I get to share what I’ve learned with a community that’s hungry for nuance, direction, and support.
If this episode lands with you the way I hope it does, please pass it along. We change the industry by changing the conversation.
Listen to the Episode
Here’s the full episode on Apple Podcasts:
Hit Play Not Pause: Becky Croft
All platforms can be found here.
Want Support Training Through Peri/Menopause?
If you’re ready to train differently—without pushing yourself into the ground or blaming your body—start here:
Download my Mastering Menopause Training Guide
It’s free, comprehensive, and built for this exact season of life.
You can also explore coaching at:
hustle.run.thrive.
And for updates, behind-the-scenes, and real-talk education, follow me on Instagram:
@coach.croft
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