Hit Play Not Pause

Elite cyclist, multisport athlete, and endurance coach Jenny Smith has spent decades pushing her limits — including multiple Leadville 100 podiums — but perimenopause and a meniscus tear brought unexpected mental and physical health challenges…and solutions. Ultimately, she found help through traditional medical interventions, picked up weights and got stronger than she’s been in years, and discovered Angelic Reiki, which gave her peace, calm, and a deeper connection to herself. This week we unpack her perimenopause journey, the symptoms she didn't see coming, the relief strategies that actually worked, and why aging doesn't have to mean stepping back from the sports and the life you love.
Jenny Smith is an elite cyclist, multisport athlete, and endurance coach with Aim High Performance Coaching—a company she co-founded with her husband, Brian Smith. A New Zealander, Jenny has called Gunnison, CO, home since 1999. She arrived as a collegiate runner at Western Colorado University and has been fortunate to live here as a pro mountain biker and elite athlete with Brian and their daughter, Jade. She coaches with youth and collegiate athletes and provides personalized coaching for endurance athletes. Jenny aims to be an active role model, athlete, and coach for many years to come. You can learn more about her and her work at www.aimhigh-performance.com
Resources:
How Important are Meditation and Spirituality in Reiki Practice? here
Reports of Non‐Physical Beings Assisting in Reiki Sessions here
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In running, we celebrate grit, determination, pushing through pain, and crossing the finish line—whatever it takes. It shines on Instagram, but what does it really cost women in midlife and menopause who may be bogged down by endless injuries? How do we process it and find what's right for us? Sports like running are more than something we do. They become who we are, who our friends are, what our lives revolve around. When we can't do them anymore, there's enormous loss—and all the stages of grief. Longtime runner, Another Mother Runner co-founder, and author of The 27th Mile, Dimity McDowell joins us to unpack it all—including her "calling it quits marathon," mental matrix for decisions, and how to replace all that running gave you when it comes to an end.
Before focusing her career on running, Dimity McDowell was a sports journalist, holding staff positions at Self, ESPN: The Magazine, and Sports Illustrated for Women. She co-authored three running books and co-founded Another Mother Runner, an inclusive community for all female runners, with Sarah Bowen Shea. The author of The 27th Mile: How to Smooth the Rough Transition Out of Your Running Years, she has finished countless races, including Ironman Coeur d'Alene and the Pike’s Peak Half Marathon. Dimity is the mother of two adult children, and lives in Denver with her husband and two dogs. You can learn more about her work and find her Running Detox Program at manyhappymiles.com.
Resources:
Join Selene & Dimity at The Grand Traverse! feisty.co/events/the-grand-traverse/
Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/
Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/
Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/
Follow Us on Instagram:
Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause
Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099
Support our Partners:
Cozy Earth: Use Code HITPLAY at https://cozyearth.com/ for up to 20% off
Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co
Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/
Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/
Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

If you're an active woman in perimenopause or menopause and it feels like your body is suddenly falling apart — new injuries, recurring pain, workouts that just aren't working the way they used to — this episode is for you. This week we sat down with Casey Francis, DPT, a performance physical therapist who works with midlife women to understand why they’re getting hurt, and importantly, what to do about it, including movement assessment, prehab, rehab, lifestyle and nutrition practices, and much more. Plus, we have a special guest appearance from our very own resident menopause specialist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo — who not only recommended Casey for this episode but is also one of her patients.
Casey Francis, DPT is a performance physical therapist and founder of MVMT MTHD. A former Penn State swimmer and graduate of the University of Florida’s physical therapy program, Casey specializes in root-cause–driven care for active individuals and athletes. Her approach integrates movement analysis, progressive strength, and regenerative therapies to help people heal from injury, build resilient bodies, and sustain high-level performance. You can learn more about her and her work at mvmt-mthd.com
Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD, is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in women’s performance and menopausal medicine. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Medical Society. She is a MedFit Care provider and provides weekly workouts and medical updates at her Substack Athletic Aging. She is an Endocrine Consultant for Wild Health and Women’s Health Director at Eternal Health. Dr. DiGirolamo is now seeing patients for virtual consultations for menopausal care and performance optimization. Visit her website drcarlad.com to learn more about her services and schedule an appointment.
Resources:
Crossover Symmetry System
Performance Physical Therapy - An investment in your Longevity, Athletic Aging blog
Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/
Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/
Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/
Follow Us on Instagram:
Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause
Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099
Support our Partners:
Cozy Earth: Use Code HITPLAY at https://cozyearth.com/ for up to 20% off
Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co
Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/
Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/
Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Feisty Media is proud to welcome Another Mother Runner to the Feisty Media family. Enjoy this bonus crossover AMR episode starring, Selene Yeager!
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Calling all 40+ women: This is a must-listen episode! The guest is Selene Yeager, host of the popular menopause-focused podcast called Hit Play Not Pause. Selene is the longtime health and science journalist who co-authored ROAR and Next Level with Dr. Stacy Sims. Along with hosts Sarah Bowen Shea and Tish Hamilton, Selene discusses:
why a long run can exacerbate night sweats;
the in’s and out’s of hormone therapy;
dietary ways to possibly mitigate menopausal symptoms;
realistic, actionable ways to strength train; and,
how to keep running through midlife.

Selene joins the show around 8:25, after Tish talks about her recent “super-secret marathon” and Sarah shares that a 26.2 isn’t going to be part of her 2026. (Psst: This episode kicks off a month of Feisty crossover episodes.)

As athletic women, we often pride ourselves on grit—shoving down feelings, pushing through pain and measuring every metric in pursuit of optimization. But what does that cost us long-term? And how does it hold up in the chaos of midlife and menopause? This week, former Ironman champion and lifestyle medicine practitioner Dr. Tamsin Lewis joins us to explore the evolution from "harden the F up" culture toward bioharmony—a compassionate, context-driven alternative to the more rigid biohacking that’s popular today. Drawing from her high-performance athletic career and hard-won personal experience, she unpacks what she’s learned about female biology, hormones, and recovery. We also dig into hormone therapy, nervous system regulation, autophagy, regeneration, and embracing midlife as a "second spring"—a season for new pursuits that expand our identity, horizons, and even cognitive capacity. Prepare for a deep dive into the menopause transition through the lens of mindset, biology, and the nervous system.
Dr Tamsin Lewis, also known as Dr Tam, is a physician, longevity expert, and human‑flourishing advocate. Graduating with honours in Medicine from King’s College London and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals, with a BSc in Neuroscience and the Biology of Ageing, her work bridges psychiatry, sports & exercise medicine, nutritional and functional medicine. As Founder and Medical Director of Wellgevity®, she leads a personalised, diagnostics‑driven approach to health and emotional regulation—the Wellgevity® Method—integrating biomarkers, brain‑body synchrony, and evidence‑based recovery, while consulting at Reborne Longevity in London, where she delivers longevity medicine through a bioharmony lens. You can learn more about her and her work at www.wellgevity.com
Resources:
Progestogens and endometrial protection, BMS Tool for Clinicians
Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/
Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/
Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/
Follow Us on Instagram:
Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause
Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099
Support our Partners:
Cozy Earth: Use Code HITPLAY at https://cozyearth.com/ for up to 20% off
Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co
Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/
Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/
Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr