Poor sleep. Slower recovery. Mood changes. A body that suddenly feels unfamiliar. It must be perimenopause, right? Not necessarily.

Ashley and Trax talk with Dr. Kate Ackerman, sports medicine physician, endocrinologist and co-founder of the Women’s Health, Sports and Performance Institute, about why perimenopause can be especially difficult to identify in runners. Its symptoms can overlap with underfueling, RED-S, iron deficiency, thyroid issues and the cumulative stress of training and life.

Strength coach Gaggi DeStefanis explains why lifting matters as women get older and offers a manageable way to begin. Then professional ultrarunner Amanda Basham shares what happened after she was diagnosed with early perimenopause at 36, why she began questioning whether that explained everything, and how eating more, addressing her anxiety and taking training one day at a time helped her run her best UTMB yet.

This episode is about looking beyond an easy diagnosis, supporting the whole athlete and remembering that you do not need every answer before you can begin feeling better.

Learn more at stillrunningpod.com.
And use code STILLRUNNING10 to get 10% off your next Altra purchase.

Does turning 40 mean your fastest running years are behind you—or can women continue getting stronger, more durable and even faster as they age?

Ashley and Trax confront their own questions about aging, ambition and how long they can continue chasing big goals. They talk with masters runner Jenny Hitchings, who ran a lifetime-best marathon at 59; 82-year-old record-setting runner Jan Holmquist; and exercise physiologist Dr. Susie Reiner.

Together, they explore what really changes in our bodies as we age, what can still improve and why longevity may require more intentional training, fueling and recovery—but not less ambition.

The takeaway: Aging may change how we train and measure progress, but it doesn’t mean our best years are automatically behind us.

Find complete show notes and guest resources at stillrunningpod.com.

Still Running is presented by Altra and supported by founding partner Fleet Feet. Still Running listeners receive 10% off at Altra with code STILLRUNNING10.

Walk into any supplement aisle and you’ll find an overwhelming number of things women runners are supposedly missing. But do we actually need collagen, creatine, iron, magnesium, omega-3s, vitamin D—or any of it?

Ashley and Trax talk with sports dietitians Nicole Farnsworth and Catherine Kruppa and board-certified OB-GYN and menopause specialist Dr. Sarah Berg about how to make more informed supplement decisions.

They explore why there is no universal list, how nutritional needs change through postpartum, perimenopause and menopause, why “normal” lab results may not tell the whole story for athletes, and what third-party testing seals to look for before buying a supplement.

The biggest takeaway: start with food and adequate fueling, identify a real need and make sure every supplement has a job.

Find complete show notes and resources at stillrunningpod.com