Nonfiction

Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World

Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World

  • Downloads：1783
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-01-14 06:19:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Lauren Fleshman
  • ISBN：B09XM4GDLV
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Tori ，

This book is necessary and I'm so glad to have read it！ Another important read for anyone who is part of the running community！ When shelving or pulling books in the "sports" non-fiction section of the library it becomes incredibly apparent how white men are being given the space， but in the past few years I've seen women and BIPOC authors on these shelves too！ WE NEED MORE OF THAT！ This book is necessary and I'm so glad to have read it！ Another important read for anyone who is part of the running community！ When shelving or pulling books in the "sports" non-fiction section of the library it becomes incredibly apparent how white men are being given the space， but in the past few years I've seen women and BIPOC authors on these shelves too！ WE NEED MORE OF THAT！ 。。。more

Rachyl MacPhail ，

I couldn’t put this down。 I wish I could go back in time and read it when I was 15 years old。 The content is sadly relatable and incredibly valuable。 I hope this has a far reach。

Rachael Hamm ，

GO READ！！

Cate Barrett ，

I had to stop reading for a moment as I paused to consider what my running would have looked like without Lauren’s influence。 This book transported me right back to 2009， the days of early Twitter， Lauren’s new website where she answered fan questions and blogged， and the middle of my own NCAA track career。 Even then， Lauren was giving voice to experiences that felt relatable。She’s been such an inspiration to me to tell my own story， and believe in my worth outside of athletic achievement。 She a I had to stop reading for a moment as I paused to consider what my running would have looked like without Lauren’s influence。 This book transported me right back to 2009， the days of early Twitter， Lauren’s new website where she answered fan questions and blogged， and the middle of my own NCAA track career。 Even then， Lauren was giving voice to experiences that felt relatable。She’s been such an inspiration to me to tell my own story， and believe in my worth outside of athletic achievement。 She also represented an alternative view that smaller did not equal faster—a message that was vital when I was ensconced in the disordered eating environment of a college team。 Without Lauren’s voice， I think I’d have felt a lot more lonely and maybe even driven to destructive behaviors。 Instead， I’ve continued to run since college， even making it to the Olympic Trials in the marathon while I worked full time。Similarly， I hate to think where we may be stuck in the running world without Lauren’s influence and courage。 She isn’t afraid to talk about areas where we need to do better。 And reading her memoir， following the plot points that led her to find that voice， especially her work with sponsors—was fascinating and also somehow so satisfying。 I would have loved to read more about her coaching stint with Littlewing， and anything about parenting young kids， but I’m guessing it’s harder to reflect and form narratives on the more recent years。 The book is well-researched yet compact。 For my own selfish purposes I wish it was longer， but for now I’m happy to just enjoy something so excellent。 。。。more

D ，

This book is for everyone who has a body。 Thank you， Lauren， for your compassion and wisdom。

Valerie Canubas ，

This book was absolutely incredible。 Going over some heavy topics like how young women are treated in this sport， eating disorders， determination and drive to compete， Lauren's story hit really close to home。 I started following the sport after she retired so hearing her early days through high school， college and early pro years really showed how much of a bad@$$ this woman really is。 Highly recommend！ This book was absolutely incredible。 Going over some heavy topics like how young women are treated in this sport， eating disorders， determination and drive to compete， Lauren's story hit really close to home。 I started following the sport after she retired so hearing her early days through high school， college and early pro years really showed how much of a bad@$$ this woman really is。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more

Susan ，

This is a whole lot of book！ Much more than a memoir。 A history of the treatment of women in sports， the creation of spaces for women within sports， and the birth of her own company are integrated throughout a very personal， very intimate memoir of a legendary runner。 Ms。 Fleshman is very candid about her own triumphs and struggles， and even her own shortcomings in the recognition of how other minorities （because women are a minority） are treated in the world of sports。 As a numbers geek， I appr This is a whole lot of book！ Much more than a memoir。 A history of the treatment of women in sports， the creation of spaces for women within sports， and the birth of her own company are integrated throughout a very personal， very intimate memoir of a legendary runner。 Ms。 Fleshman is very candid about her own triumphs and struggles， and even her own shortcomings in the recognition of how other minorities （because women are a minority） are treated in the world of sports。 As a numbers geek， I appreciated all the facts included throughout the book， though this might be a drawback for some readers who are just looking for her own personal journey。 But for me， I finished the book both appreciative of the women who have pushed for equality in sports and in continual awe at what Ms。 Fleshman has accomplished。 You don't need to be a runner or female to find something in this book。Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more

Kailey （kmc_reads） ，

As a former D1 athlete & someone who loves running， I related to a lot of this and just found it very fascinating。 Highly recommend。

Anne Kelly ，

You might think that Lauren Fleshman's perspective is rather unique， given her accomplishments on the track and in business。 However， Good for a Girl helps amplify some important and universal truths about the arc of women's physical development， their competitive experiences in sport， and motivations for performance， when playing in an arena structured and dominated by those same factors for men。 Well researched， grounded in very good science， and clearly written， this book is a must read for c You might think that Lauren Fleshman's perspective is rather unique， given her accomplishments on the track and in business。 However， Good for a Girl helps amplify some important and universal truths about the arc of women's physical development， their competitive experiences in sport， and motivations for performance， when playing in an arena structured and dominated by those same factors for men。 Well researched， grounded in very good science， and clearly written， this book is a must read for current， future， and past participants in sport， as well as for those persons just adjacent， like coaches， trainers， family， and friends。 I enjoyed learning about Lauren's life experiences and appreciate how she drew larger inferences and pointed to system level conclusions to broadly improve women athletes' health and performance。 。。。more

Rachel Diane ，

This book really took you through her thought process on a lot of issues that women and girls deal with in sports and society as a whole。 Lauren did a fantastic job of bringing the reader in and making them feel like they were on the track with her。 She loops in statistics throughout the book and just leaves you in awe。 Lauren battles with sticking to what she believes and supports but in the end always seems to make the right choice。 This inspiring book should be read by every woman， athlete， c This book really took you through her thought process on a lot of issues that women and girls deal with in sports and society as a whole。 Lauren did a fantastic job of bringing the reader in and making them feel like they were on the track with her。 She loops in statistics throughout the book and just leaves you in awe。 Lauren battles with sticking to what she believes and supports but in the end always seems to make the right choice。 This inspiring book should be read by every woman， athlete， coach， and man。 We need change。 。。。more

Lindsey Hein ，

I loved learning about Lauren’s history and her passion for girls and women in sport。 I learned a lot and she did a great job with the story。

Allison ，

I wish I could have come to this book knowing nothing of Lauren Fleshman; I think I would have had a very different reading experience。 But， really， who is the audience for this book？ Likely it's people who already know Fleshman—those who know her personally， those who know her career， those who follow her on the socials， and those who merely know "of" her。 So perhaps it's unrealistic to wish I could have read this book with no prior knowledge of Fleshman or her platform。 Few likely will。The rea I wish I could have come to this book knowing nothing of Lauren Fleshman; I think I would have had a very different reading experience。 But， really， who is the audience for this book？ Likely it's people who already know Fleshman—those who know her personally， those who know her career， those who follow her on the socials， and those who merely know "of" her。 So perhaps it's unrealistic to wish I could have read this book with no prior knowledge of Fleshman or her platform。 Few likely will。The reason I wish I had come in ignorant is because I had high （maybe unreasonably high） expectations for this book。 Having attended two Wilder Retreats and heard Fleshman read her "messy draft" writing aloud， I knew she could write beautiful prose with a lot of feeling and meaning behind it。 I picked up this memoir expecting that sort of writing， but what I got was drier and more clinical。 And I get it: she wanted to write not just a memoir， but a manifesto （so says the cover copy）。 She wants this book to help change the sport of running。 The trouble for me as a reader is that every time I finally felt the memoir part of the book picking up steam， it got interrupted with a history lesson or some sort of societal commentary about what I was supposed to take away from the story I was reading。 It made for jerky reading， and I never got that full， pleasurable， immersive reading experience I had hoped for。That's not to say the book failed at what it set out to do。 On the contrary， I think it will be well received。 It's quite timely， and it doesn't wander; it sticks to its guns and its message from start to finish。 Fleshman wants to be a change agent， and she wants to make sure no one misconstrues what she is setting out to do。 In that she has succeeded， but unfortunately， in my view， it's at the expense of what could have been a beautifully told tale。 。。。more

Pamela ，

Thank you netgalley for an e-ARC of Lauren Fleshman's "Good for a Girl"。 Lauren Fleshman is not just an incredible athlete， she is also a very educated woman and it shows in this book which is well written and interesting。 Ms。 Fleshman does not proclaim herself to be anything more than an athlete but she understands the medical and mental needs of athletes since she is one。 I really enjoyed that she wrote this book from the perspective of an athlete and what needs to change but does not attempt Thank you netgalley for an e-ARC of Lauren Fleshman's "Good for a Girl"。 Lauren Fleshman is not just an incredible athlete， she is also a very educated woman and it shows in this book which is well written and interesting。 Ms。 Fleshman does not proclaim herself to be anything more than an athlete but she understands the medical and mental needs of athletes since she is one。 I really enjoyed that she wrote this book from the perspective of an athlete and what needs to change but does not attempt to portray herself as a medical professional， psychologist or any other profession。 Her words are impactful and her stories really tell the story of what is happening （and has happened） in women's athletics without throwing anyone under the bus。 She simply tells the true story and shares her feelings leading up to her retirement as an athlete。 I also admire that she is not shy about discussing the difference between the treatment of women athletes vs men's athletes。 As an example。 she discusses the question that I frequently have when it comes to the uniforms that women are required to wear on the field and the underlying thought process of why women are required to wear tiny outfits to compete in the same sport as men。This book is a must read for all young women regardless of their interest in athletics because it demonstrates how women are treated and that we need to take action to make a change。 However， this book should probably be required reading for all high school sports teams and coaches。#GoodforaGirl #NetGalley #LaurenFleshman 。。。more

Bryana Whyte ，

I’ll be honest that I didn’t know what I was about to read。 I just knew Lauren wrote it so I had to read it。 This blew me away。 While this will no doubt resonate with any woman who has ever participated in sport， this is a must read for ANYONE。 Lauren’s desire to change the way women in sport are seen and developed is tangible in her words。 She uses her own experiences and well researched data to shed light on some of the most important aspects of female athletes and it’s done in such an eye ope I’ll be honest that I didn’t know what I was about to read。 I just knew Lauren wrote it so I had to read it。 This blew me away。 While this will no doubt resonate with any woman who has ever participated in sport， this is a must read for ANYONE。 Lauren’s desire to change the way women in sport are seen and developed is tangible in her words。 She uses her own experiences and well researched data to shed light on some of the most important aspects of female athletes and it’s done in such an eye opening way。 Her writing is down to earth， and the information in it is written in a way that is easy to understand。 The data flows in her writing as easily and understandable as the first person accounts do。 Dare I say- this book should be added to curriculum across the country as required reading。 It’s engaging and honest。 。。。more

Wendy ，

Lauren Fleshman is one of the most decorated US distance runners of all time， a championship collegiate and professional runner in the early 2000s。 Good for A Girl is her memoir， sharing her successes， but also her challenges with disordered eating， growing up in a male dominated sport， and being a Nike athlete。 Fleshman shares her thoughts on the treatment of female athletes and has become a fierce advocate for women runners。 Fleshman is also an accomplished writer and entrepreneur with the dev Lauren Fleshman is one of the most decorated US distance runners of all time， a championship collegiate and professional runner in the early 2000s。 Good for A Girl is her memoir， sharing her successes， but also her challenges with disordered eating， growing up in a male dominated sport， and being a Nike athlete。 Fleshman shares her thoughts on the treatment of female athletes and has become a fierce advocate for women runners。 Fleshman is also an accomplished writer and entrepreneur with the development of Picky Bars， energy bars she developed in her kitchen。 Her story is essential reading for all runners， male and female and her competitive spirit shines through her words。 I can't believe we are still telling these stories。 What a great read！ 。。。more

Becky Wade ，

I gobbled up my Good for a Girl galley in 2 days， and wow。 Extremely well written， vulnerable， and important work。 As much as she loves it， Fleshman does not shy away from the tougher， uglier sides of sport， but is well on her way to making it a brighter， safer， healthier space for all。

Tracy Dzibela Boyd ，

Lauren Fleshman writes a memoir that all young female athletes need to read， and all those who coach young female athletes need to read。 She brings light to the differences between male and female athletes and the need to create a brighter future in athletics for women。 She’s refreshingly open and honest in her writing。

Rachael | Booklist Queen ，

Lauren Fleshman is one of the most-decorated distance runners in the United States。 In Good for a Girl， Fleshman tells of how she fell in love with running as a girl and shares her own running journey。 Yet， Good for a Girl isn't just a memoir。 It's a powerful look at how competitive sports is designed for men and boys and routinely fail female athletes， leading to injuries， eating disorders， and mental health issues。Let me just warn you that Good for a Girl will be making ALL of my top lists in Lauren Fleshman is one of the most-decorated distance runners in the United States。 In Good for a Girl， Fleshman tells of how she fell in love with running as a girl and shares her own running journey。 Yet， Good for a Girl isn't just a memoir。 It's a powerful look at how competitive sports is designed for men and boys and routinely fail female athletes， leading to injuries， eating disorders， and mental health issues。Let me just warn you that Good for a Girl will be making ALL of my top lists in 2023。 I was blown away by Fleshman's fantastic memoir。 I love how she was able to take her personal experience and expand it to a larger narrative about women in sports。 It makes me so angry how badly our society has failed women of my generation with our obsession with weight and thinness。 Yet by bravely addressing these issues， books like Good for a Girl make me hopeful that we can make the world a better place for my daughters。I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin Press。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more

Kara| Bringing Back the Book ，

I haven’t read too many 5 stars this year， but this is one of them。 Out for you on January 10th。 As a one-time collegiate trackster， now turned mental health professional， I'm going to try to get this book into every female athlete， and coach's hand。 It was the wild west 20 years ago when I was competing， surrounded by disordered eating， injuries， negative body talk， with little education besides putting our own heads together to try to figure out what to eat， our menstrual cycles， and competin I haven’t read too many 5 stars this year， but this is one of them。 Out for you on January 10th。 As a one-time collegiate trackster， now turned mental health professional， I'm going to try to get this book into every female athlete， and coach's hand。 It was the wild west 20 years ago when I was competing， surrounded by disordered eating， injuries， negative body talk， with little education besides putting our own heads together to try to figure out what to eat， our menstrual cycles， and competing in skimpy gear。 I know the running world has improved in terms of awareness around these issues， but much more needs to be done。 That's why I am so glad that Lauren Fleshman wrote this book to share her own experience of running in this world and the need to reform a sports landscape that is failing young female athletes。 Besides the great education， this is a just a well written book on running。 I was flipping the pages as Lauren described her races， her world， her family and the love for this sport。Keep writing Lauren。 Thank you to NetGalley， Penguin Press and Lauren Fleshman for this ARC！ 。。。more

Carianne Carleo-Evangelist ，

This is a really powerful book。 The joint story of Fleshman’s growth as a runner from a tween girl to pro runner， and how even in the Title IX era， college sports failed women。 But it goes beyond that to show that it wasn’t the coach’s faults。 DeLong in high school， Vin Lananna in college and as a pro were used to training men。 Women aren’t men。 While men aren’t immune from eating disorders， the female triad and RED-S are significant issues that need to be accounted for with women。 If you don’t This is a really powerful book。 The joint story of Fleshman’s growth as a runner from a tween girl to pro runner， and how even in the Title IX era， college sports failed women。 But it goes beyond that to show that it wasn’t the coach’s faults。 DeLong in high school， Vin Lananna in college and as a pro were used to training men。 Women aren’t men。 While men aren’t immune from eating disorders， the female triad and RED-S are significant issues that need to be accounted for with women。 If you don’t let the natural plateau happen， how do you grow as a runner ？ Too many coaches didn’t and still don’t understand this and I hope Fleshman’s book is part of that change。 Shefontaine。 A goal that fleshman was curious about as she faced a true rival in Shalane Flanagan。 Being forced to face the prospects of having Kara Goucher as an Oiselle teammate after their rivalry stemming from the 2008 Olympic trials in the 5K。 The author faced a lot of hurdles in her journey as a runner but I believe they’re for the better of the running community as she teaches another generation of runners from the mistakes she faced。 While Fleshman was a professional runner， this is a must read for every runner: male or female。 Some of the elements have attained broader recognition now after the sanctions on Salazar and the Mary Cain op Ed， but that doesn’t make any of it less heart wrenching。 。。。more

Kim ，

As a runner， this story was amazing to read。 It was powerful and raw and is a must read for any female athlete。

Pam ，

This is a must-read book for every parent of a daughter and every coach from pee wee to pro。Both a compelling memoir （that I read during every free moment） and a call for action。 Runners will certainly connect with this book but so will any woman or ally who believes in empowerment， agency and speaking your truth。 Loved this book。 Pre-order at your favorite book seller。 Publishes Jan 2023。