Imagine training for months for a special race--and you wake on race day morning with your excitement and hopes dashed, realizing you won't be able to run it.

Women runners who have heavy periods often find that their best- laid running plans have to be put on hold. Many articles have been written about how heavy and intense training can result in amenorrhea, or absence of menstrual periods in women who run. However, there's not as much information out there about how menorrhagia--or excessive menstrual bleeding--can affect women runners goals and dreams.

One in five women in the U.S. today suffers from menorrhagia. It affects their work, social lives, family relationships and their physical activities. While many women runners and other fitness-focused women can still train and race normally during their periods, those who suffer from menorrhagia experience such heavy bleeding they are challenged due to physical discomfort and embarrassment.

Though it may seem hard to believe, some women runners have actually obtained personal records during their periods. Others have achieved gold medals and major marathon titles. Joan Benoit carried a tampon stashed in her shorts when she won the 1984 Olympic marathon, according to her autobiography. Uta Pippig was bleeding heavily and noticeably--on TV, no less-- when she won the 1996 Boston Marathon.

Yet for many women who suffer from menorrhagia, running during days of heavy flow can seem an impossible task. At the same time, exercise is an important part of their lives--and missing their daily run interferes not only with their physical fitness but their mental outlook as well.

Katie, a 37-year-old fitness club manager from Maryland found that her life was ruled by her menstrual cycle. Unlike most women, she didn't experience a few days of discomfort every month--but rather, three whole weeks. "If I couldn't plan something for those other seven days a month, I just didn't do it," she recalls. It affected her job at the fitness club and her training routine--and people noticed a difference in her personality. "Finally, one day I said to myself, 'I don't have to live like this anymore,'" she remembers.

She had to figure out her options so that she could make the best decision for her situation. Katie says there is one site that she wishes she would have known about when she was going through the toughest part of menorrhagia--DareToWearWhite.com. This site not only helped her identify her treatment options, but helped her read other women's stories and watch videos to help her understand she was not alone. Katie said, "Menorrhagia is still a taboo topic and needs to be discussed and women need to be informed about this topic."

New treatment options can help you get back on the road faster If you suspect you are suffering form menorrhagia, make an appointment with your gynecologist. There are a number of treatment options to consider and discuss. These options may include hormone therapy with birth control pills, hormone- releasing IUDs, dilation and curettage, hysterectomy and endometrial ablation.

Birth control pills may be prescribed to regulate a period and even lessen heavy flow. However, if you have menorrhagia, they have been shown to help only about half of the women who try them and the majority of those not helped go on to have a surgical procedure. Hysterectomy is a surgery in which the entire uterus is removed. The procedure requires a hospital stay. Recovery can take up to six weeks and you may feel tired for longer. Usually, a patient can resume normal activity in four to eightweeks--which for a runner can seem an awfully long time to be sidelined.

There is also a less invasive treatment option known as endometrial ablation. NovaSure endometrial ablation, the treatment option Katie chose, is a one-time procedure that gently removes the lining of the uterus to control the heavy bleeding. This quick, simple, and safe outpatient procedure takes only a few minutes and offers a rapid recovery time. Today Katie is no longer spending half her workday in the locker room--and is back to training her clients as well as herself.

If you're a woman runner with heavy periods, it's important to know there are options, and you should discuss your heavy periods with your doctor. To learn more about menorrhagia visit www.DareToWearWhite.com.

Coping with Heavy Periods

If you're a woman runner who suffers from heavy periods, the good news is that there are options to help you keep your mileage up while coping with the condition. *Consider wearing both a tampon and a pad. If you're planning a long run, wear both to make sure your flow does not leak through your clothing. Some women runners swear by sanitary pads with wings. If you want to try them, find the thinnest type that is the most absorbent. However, keep in mind that even thin pads may shift and bunch up while running. And if you get caught in the rain, the pad can get wet and bloat.

*Carry extra tampons in a fanny pack or in the pocket of your shorts. If you're going on a long training run and you're concerned your flow may get heavier during the race, stash tampons in a fanny pack. *Drink enough fluids. Since many women retain fluids and experience bloating during their periods, they often don't take in enough fluids. This can make you feel weak and sluggish. Make sure you are drinking enough water during your period.

*Try a menstrual cup. Menstrual cups--often shaped like diaphragms--are flexible rubber cups/devices made of soft plastic, silicone or rubber which are inserted into the vagina. A cup can catch the flow so you can avoid stops during your run. It can be worn up to 12 hours before you must empty it, whereas manufacturers recommend that tampons and pads be worn no more than eight hours.

*When racing shorter distances, put in a tampon right before the race begins. This may entail precise timing of your final pre-race visit to the Port-o-Potty.

*Keep a good supply of tampons and pads in your car. Many women with menorrhagia aren't sure when their period will hit-- and hit hard. It's always good to be prepared.

*Keep a diary of your periods. If your period suddenly starts to become longer or heavier you should keep a diary and discuss it with your doctor.

*Be flexible with your workouts. If you're planning a speed workout on Wednesday and your period hits on Tuesday, don't feel like you have to stick to your usual schedule. If you're feeling crampy or sluggish, an easy run or moderate tempo workout on a soft trail may feel better on your body than fast reps around the track.