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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Incredibly well written. Fleshman details her personal experience with elite running and also ties in science in a much needed way that compliments her story well. Highly recommend this one!
Reading this book felt to reminiscing with an old running friend (minus all of the elite running and Olympian details).
I love the way she ended it - tying in her passion for the sport to a feeling of home. I think running has always felt that way for me - a way to process my emotions, work through unresolved issues, and above all else feel proud of something I have done.
Why is it that something that makes us so proud can also transform into something that leaves us feeling self-conscious about our bodies? The transition through puberty is a scary one because it's true - so many runners that peak before puberty don't know how to respond to their changing bodies. I recall feeling a sense of pride that I wouldn't experience my period throughout high school thinking that it reflected the strength of my training... Lauren's consistent point that we need to better support our girls as they transition, reminding them that their bodies will change, likely they will get bigger, and while, initially this may change our course as we adapt to our changing body, the biggest threat is viewing our body as something that needs to be controlled inevitably leading eating disorders.
I feel lucky that I grew up on a running team that I felt prioritized healthy eating - valued carbohydrates and adequate fueling. Somewhere along the line though, we pick up the seemingly small comments about our "thighs getting big so we should be careful", and we lose focus on achieving our athletic goals in a sport we cherish and focus on controlling something that should not be controlled. We get fixated on this idea of healthy and slim. I think normalizing body changes as neutral allows us to accept that our bodies will change and fluctuate but as long as we are fueling ourselves and prioritizing wellness then this matters little.
Lauren discussed this "Culture of Compliance" which reflected this need to prioritize what society needs over your own relationship to your body. This idea of consistently continuing in the competition past a point of injury because that is what "not giving up looks like." I agree with Lauren that when we stop listening to our bodily cues to tell us about injury about hunger we lose site of our connection with ourselves.
Last note - If you're reading this and haven't read her "Letter to Her Younger Self" It was poignant and meaningful - you can find it online. It's worth a read.
I love the way she ended it - tying in her passion for the sport to a feeling of home. I think running has always felt that way for me - a way to process my emotions, work through unresolved issues, and above all else feel proud of something I have done.
Why is it that something that makes us so proud can also transform into something that leaves us feeling self-conscious about our bodies? The transition through puberty is a scary one because it's true - so many runners that peak before puberty don't know how to respond to their changing bodies. I recall feeling a sense of pride that I wouldn't experience my period throughout high school thinking that it reflected the strength of my training... Lauren's consistent point that we need to better support our girls as they transition, reminding them that their bodies will change, likely they will get bigger, and while, initially this may change our course as we adapt to our changing body, the biggest threat is viewing our body as something that needs to be controlled inevitably leading eating disorders.
I feel lucky that I grew up on a running team that I felt prioritized healthy eating - valued carbohydrates and adequate fueling. Somewhere along the line though, we pick up the seemingly small comments about our "thighs getting big so we should be careful", and we lose focus on achieving our athletic goals in a sport we cherish and focus on controlling something that should not be controlled. We get fixated on this idea of healthy and slim. I think normalizing body changes as neutral allows us to accept that our bodies will change and fluctuate but as long as we are fueling ourselves and prioritizing wellness then this matters little.
Lauren discussed this "Culture of Compliance" which reflected this need to prioritize what society needs over your own relationship to your body. This idea of consistently continuing in the competition past a point of injury because that is what "not giving up looks like." I agree with Lauren that when we stop listening to our bodily cues to tell us about injury about hunger we lose site of our connection with ourselves.
Last note - If you're reading this and haven't read her "Letter to Her Younger Self" It was poignant and meaningful - you can find it online. It's worth a read.
Quick and engrossing read. Interesting to hear her story - I appreciated how honest it was.
I would suggest this book to anyone. Even if you’re not a runner.
Summary:
Lauren Fleshman faces mounting challenges as she enters the world of professional athletics. But the more she faces these “unavoidable” or “natural” hurdles, the more she identifies how artificial and preventable they truly are.
Review:
This book is great. The structure of the story was engaging and informative. I loved how though mostly chronological, lauren takes moments provides perspective on her experiences of the past with what she’s learned now. In any case, it’s engaging, interesting, and a story that the world would benefit from more people hearing.
Summary:
Lauren Fleshman faces mounting challenges as she enters the world of professional athletics. But the more she faces these “unavoidable” or “natural” hurdles, the more she identifies how artificial and preventable they truly are.
Review:
This book is great. The structure of the story was engaging and informative. I loved how though mostly chronological, lauren takes moments provides perspective on her experiences of the past with what she’s learned now. In any case, it’s engaging, interesting, and a story that the world would benefit from more people hearing.
Fantastic. So many important things to consider relating to healthy female athletes at all levels.
I knew nothing about Lauren before picking up this book. Listening to her tell her story fired me up for change, and I have a lot of respect for how open and honest she was about her own shortcomings in both her running and advocacy work. None of us are perfect, but the important part is to keep showing up and doing better the next time.
I recommend looking up footage of her races on YouTube as she talks about them - I found it added a lot to the experience.
I recommend looking up footage of her races on YouTube as she talks about them - I found it added a lot to the experience.
inspiring
medium-paced