An Ode to Lauren
This morning I woke up to an email from Lauren Fleshman announcing her retirement from professional running. For a Friday morning, it was a crummy way to start the day. In addition to a formal media announcement, Lauren wrote a post on her blog about her decision as well as shared a beautiful video that made me instantly cry.
When I first started running, Lauren Fleshman was my role model and icon for running. Despite the fact that I would never be as fast as her, she always seemed like someone that I would hang out with and be friends with. I mean, if I could choose someone to be for a day, it would pretty much be her - living in Bend, Oregon running on some beautiful trails. For someone of many talents, she seemed very down to earth and motivating even when she had her ups and downs in the running world. Her post regarding why the 5k is awesome made me feel like it was ok to run shorter distances when it felt like everyone else was running marathons. I felt like a teenager again as I joined her "fan club", and basically followed her life and career on all social media platforms.
Lauren is not afraid to challenge the norm and this is what I love about her the most. As someone who struggled with body image, Lauren's post regarding "Keeping it Real" blew my mind and made me feel empowered. I had heard about Oiselle using athletes as models and was impressed. This led me to check out Oiselle and what the brand represented and I found myself among a "flock". Lauren has fought doping and the USATF, brought her talents to coaching Little Wing where she can help other young women athletes, and started her own company - Pick Bars (which are delicious!). I love that she left Nike because it did not represent her or support other women athletes fairly. I love that she showed women that they can be a runner and a mother, even when it is difficult. I love that she sings and writes poetry and for a major badass, she is so soft spoken when you hear her speak.
Thank you Lauren! I know you will continue to do great things and support women of all walks of life. Thank you for helping me gain confidence in the running world by just being me - not a stereotypical runner, not a super fast runner, but someone who works just as hard and loves the sport just as much as anyone else. I will forever be your flyer!
When I first started running, Lauren Fleshman was my role model and icon for running. Despite the fact that I would never be as fast as her, she always seemed like someone that I would hang out with and be friends with. I mean, if I could choose someone to be for a day, it would pretty much be her - living in Bend, Oregon running on some beautiful trails. For someone of many talents, she seemed very down to earth and motivating even when she had her ups and downs in the running world. Her post regarding why the 5k is awesome made me feel like it was ok to run shorter distances when it felt like everyone else was running marathons. I felt like a teenager again as I joined her "fan club", and basically followed her life and career on all social media platforms.
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Lauren is not afraid to challenge the norm and this is what I love about her the most. As someone who struggled with body image, Lauren's post regarding "Keeping it Real" blew my mind and made me feel empowered. I had heard about Oiselle using athletes as models and was impressed. This led me to check out Oiselle and what the brand represented and I found myself among a "flock". Lauren has fought doping and the USATF, brought her talents to coaching Little Wing where she can help other young women athletes, and started her own company - Pick Bars (which are delicious!). I love that she left Nike because it did not represent her or support other women athletes fairly. I love that she showed women that they can be a runner and a mother, even when it is difficult. I love that she sings and writes poetry and for a major badass, she is so soft spoken when you hear her speak.
Thank you Lauren! I know you will continue to do great things and support women of all walks of life. Thank you for helping me gain confidence in the running world by just being me - not a stereotypical runner, not a super fast runner, but someone who works just as hard and loves the sport just as much as anyone else. I will forever be your flyer!
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