How a hybrid athlete uses Clue as a blueprint for training and recovery

When you're interested in fitness, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that consistency means pushing at 100% intensity every single day.

Clue member Paula knows this from personal experience. She trained constantly, pushed herself hard, and saw her monthly period as little more than an inconvenience.

But during a particularly stressful time while studying, things began to change. Her cramps became more painful, her mood changes more noticeable, and she started wondering whether her menstrual cycle was influencing how she felt day to day.  

What began as an attempt to understand those changes eventually transformed the way she thinks about training. Now a hybrid athlete preparing for a half-marathon, Paula uses cycle tracking to better understand when to push, when to recover, and how her body responds over time. 

We spoke to Paula about body literacy and why, as an athlete, she believes recovery deserves just as much attention as training. 

1. Why should athletes track their menstrual cycle alongside their workouts?

"I first started with weightlifting and cycle tracking at the same time,” Paula says. “I was studying, and I was feeling really stressed. My periods were getting worse, both the physical pain and the mood changes. And that’s when I thought I needed to start tracking because it probably has something to do with my cycle.” At first, she wasn’t convinced.  

"Honestly, I thought it would be annoying to track my cycle. But then I started noticing a pattern and saw that it’s actually really helpful. I now see it as a tool to help me build my routines." 

Rather than viewing cycle tracking as another task on her to-do list, Paula began using it as a source of information about her training.

"For me now, cycle tracking and my workout routine go hand in hand. I can figure out when to work out and when to recover and even what to eat."

2. Do you align your workouts with different cycle phases?

While some people notice changes in energy, motivation, or exercise performance throughout their menstrual cycle, these experiences vary considerably from person to person.

For Paula, tracking helped her identify patterns that feel meaningful for her own training. 

“Clue has really helped me to plan my workouts on a monthly and cyclical basis,” she says. During the follicular phase,  I feel like Wonder Woman. I can perform better, be faster, and do my high-intensity runs.” At other times in her cycle, she takes a different approach. 

“In my luteal phase, I like to focus on my technique...I don't push too hard, but instead like to perfect my technique.”

The biggest shift wasn't necessarily changing the type of workout she did—it was changing how she thought about recovery.

“It's also helped me know when to take a rest. And for me, recovery is also performance.” 

Before tracking, Paula says she often interpreted rest as a sign that she wasn’t working hard enough. 

”That's what I didn't know before tracking. I thought by resting I was just being lazy, or that I needed to really push myself every time.”

Today, she sees recovery as an essential part of training rather than time away from it. That doesn’t mean she believes everyone should exercise according to the same cycle-based plan.

“I don't think there's one universal way of working out with your cycle because everyone is different. That's why every woman or menstruating person should track their cycle to really know what works best for them.”

3. How has your cycle changed with age?

Tracking has also helped Paula notice changes in her cycle over time.

“As I'm approaching 30 this year, I’ve noticed that my periods are getting shorter. I only bleed for about three to four days now. I used to bleed for five days, and it was much heavier. 

While her cramps have improved, other symptoms have become more noticeable.

“My PMS and mood changes have gotten worse.”

Because she places significant physical demands on her body through training, tracking gives her a way to better understand those changes. 

"Because I put a lot of physical stress on my body through athletics, tracking helps me analyze whether these changes are due to age or training-induced stress."

That curiosity has also deepened her interest in menstrual health more broadly.

"It has pushed me further into the science part of menstruation. Rather than viewing my period as a monthly annoyance, I like to dive deep into what it actually means to menstruate and how this can change over the years."

For Paula, cycle tracking hasn’t provided a perfect formula for training. Instead, it’s given her something more valuable: a better understanding of her body.

Rather than treating her period as a monthly interruption, she now sees it as another source of information—one that helps her train, recover, and stay connected to her health over the long term.