Thank you Lauren Fleshman for writing “Good For A Girl”
Several inches have fallen overnight. A winter storm has interrupted our spring-like weather in Vermont. Purity falls flake by flake. The landscape now appropriate for February. Ski country is rejoicing…
I have returned to a consistent running program. Icy roads had cautioned my efforts over the past many weeks. Back on the pavement I happily am. Today I hope to throw my Yaks on over my Saucony’s and enjoy a snowy run. I can already feel the quiet…
While running earlier this week I remembered how special it feels to wear running apparel. I don’t get the same hit from painting clothes. My art clothes are ratty and spotted. Torn and not for prime time except when I pop out to the gallery down the street. Sometimes the grocery store too but usually not. However, my running clothes are well cared for. I have never taken for granted the ability to put one foot in front of the other. I cherish it more than ever. Each time I wear a race shirt or running club apparel I remember the many miles with the many friends I once ran with. Paint clothes are functional but running clothes carry the many efforts both good and not so in every fiber. A mortal runner I am…
I have been reading Lauren Fleshman’s memoir Good For A Girl. I can’t put this book down. I seldom pass up the opportunity to live vicariously through a female elite runner’s life and this book doesn’t disappoint! Incredibly informative and an interesting read.The reader is truly immersed in Fleshman’s world. Yes, it fulfills a running fix but even more importantly Fleshman boldly and personally addresses serious topics. Brushed under the carpet topics. The prevalence of female eating disorders in young and aspiring athletes. Body image issues. Relevant to so many girls and women. Athlete or not. Yes, her platform is running but the message is universal…
Eating disorders. The quest for perfection. Chasing an ideal. Success at all costs. Looking “healthy” versus looking “fit.” Sadly, but not surprisingly “healthy” had a negative running connotation while “fit” was deemed flattering. Fleshman explained the how and why’s around the dictates of an ideal competitive body weight. The misnomer of being “fit” (extremely thin) often lead to disappointing performances. Power and stamina were often flushed away with the rest of a meal by a teammate. Bulimia and anorexia in ample supply. Fighting biology and physiology to achieve an “ideal weight.” Seeking destructive avenues in hopes of improving performance while sacrificing health and inviting injury. Fleshman invites the reader to really look at and understand the consequences of disordered thinking around food and the quest for perfection…
“I learned a long time ago that the last thing any woman should be thinking about is being ‘skinny’ or ‘thin.’ To me, those words imply weakness, fragility, the ability to stand firm in a storm. If you want to change your body, aim for ‘athletic.’ An athletic body is healthy, strong, and build to thrive. An athletic body can take many shapes.” — Lauren Fleshman
