I was nervous about reading a book about running. I came to utilize running later in life. As an athlete, I had always had running used as a punishment and not something to really be enjoyed. And I was nervous about an athlete memoir. But this was different. Ms. Fleshman tells her story but she also exposes the difficulties and issues in the running world (both amateur, collegiate and professional) that so negatively impacts the women that choose to engage in this activity.
Fleshman, in describing her experiences, confronts things like eating disorders head on. There are often explicit descriptions of disordered eating and the impact that it had on the runners that she encountered, including herself. She discusses puberty (and its impact on runners), going pro and the competitive pressures that high level runners often faced. I loved that her book put into words the struggles that female athletes often faced, but remained silent about. She combined scientific studies with her own story in order to tell these stories and it was effective. The writing was simple and effective.
This is an important book, although read with caution if you are worried about eating disorder issues.
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