Lauren Fleshman knows firsthand the challenges of being a female runner, and how some of the greatest challenges come from the system meant to support athletes. In this episode of Emerging Form, she talks about how and why she came to write her memoir, “bringing a pulse to the research.” She tells us about the challenges of trying to write a book during a global pandemic while parenting young children and how depression threatened to derail the project. Our discussion includes frank talk about her mental health crisis, how she healed, and how she found the courage and authenticity to see the project through.

Lauren Fleshman is one of the most decorated American distance runners of all time, having won five NCAA championships at Stanford and two national championships as a professional. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and Runner’s World. She is the brand strategy advisor for Oiselle, a fitness apparel company for women, and the co-founder of Picky Bars, a natural food company. She lives in Bend, OR with her husband, triathlete Jesse Thomas, and their two children. Her new book is Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World.

Lauren Fleshman’s New York Times Op/Ed

Image: credit Oiselle Ryan Warner

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Episode 79: Lauren Fleshman on Telling Her Story to Create Social Change