Lauren Fleshman Quotes

I’ll never forget the first time I ran with a group of Kenyan women in 2004... The first mile was way slower than my typical run to the point where I was looking around thinking, “Are they for real? These are the fastest women in the world?” But by mile 5 we were buzzing along, mile six I was hitting the gas, and mile seven I was hanging on for dear life.

The injured runner is like a recent amputee victim, continually forgetting that the limb isn't there, crestfallen at each realization. What we need more than anything is a suitable prosthetic and an attitude adjustment.

My sport has transformed my body to be powerful for a specific task over years of training and competition. The more tuned for competition I am, the less "feminine" I look, and it has made me feel powerful on the track but self-conscious in the sack. That transformed for me as I let go of feminine ideals of all kinds, in work, parenting, etc.

I decided to make the life I want, and put energy into what moves me, and not rely on anyone for approval of my choices.

By lifting each other up we lift ourselves up

Running is not who I am; it's something I do; it's something I love.

I may not be the lithest, the most talented, or have the fastest time in the field, but I have passion and courage, and sometimes that is enough to do something extraordinary.

Sometimes we push ourselves. We take a workout and we use it as a way to crack open our shell, let the pain rush in and push out the stagnant wounds of the heart. Sometimes a workout sets you free.

Make your race a playground, not a proving ground.

When you recognize that failing doesn't make you a failure, you give yourself permission to try all sorts of things.

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 inability to stand firm in a storm. If you want to change your body, aim for 'athletic.' An athletic body is healthy, strong, and built to thrive. An athletic body can take many shapes.

We can't expect to effectively move forward with half the population carrying sandbags.

Anyone can train hard. Do you have the discipline to recover?

Perfect preparation doesn’t exist. Excellent adaptation does.

When you're a dreamer, heart break and failure come with the territory, but I can tell you it's worth it, because it's a way of living that is both moving and memorable.

Success has a very narrow definition in professional athletics: medals and records, and pursuit of anything outside of that is looked down upon.

Fear is gradually replaced by excitement and a simple desire to see what you can do on the day.