Running Like a Girl

Every now and then a book comes along at just the right moment. I was enjoying my perch on the fence, ambivalent about whether or not to sign up for this spring’s Iron Girl half-marathon. Then I happened upon Run Like a Girl: How Strong Women Make Happy Lives, took it home, and within five pages knew that I will run the race.

This book inspires. Author Mina Samuels recounts the stories of dozens of women athletes (almost all of them ordinary gals) and what athletics has done for them. She reclaims the expression “run like a girl” and offers it as a new mantra for our efforts. Running like a girl is “Getting out there. Challenging ourselves. Finding new possibility within. Finding strength in our own accomplishments. … accessing our ageless girl spirit, where the enthusiastic ‘let’s go’ of youth meets the ‘I can’ of experience.” Even the most seemingly minor athletic accomplishments create an inner culture of confidence and courage that ripples out into other aspects of our lives. Samuels describes the ways that athletic endeavors help us get through difficult times, find time to be alone or with girlfriends, nurture or spark relationships with a life partner, and transition back to full health.

One of the things I particularly appreciated about Run Like a Girl is Samuels’ perspective on the imperfection of it all. Most days we wake up with enough energy and enthusiasm to get up and go, but some days it will be sub-zero and dark at morning run time. Some days it will be hazy, hot and humid. Sometimes you will try a new sport and discover that it’s really not for you. Every now and then you might get injured. Many days you will be tired. She encourages us to heap compassion on ourselves in these moments, reminding us that only when we leave space in our regimen to flex and bend and rest will we stay in the fun of our sport.

Run Like a Girl is rich with anecdotes from women who have found solace, inspiration and health through running and other sports. One after another, each has her moment of genuine surprise when she discovers that she can do more than she thought she could. That’s the big take-away message for me: Set a goal that feels like a stretch, and I will run like a girl and achieve it.

Whether a running novice, an experienced athlete or still sitting on the sofa (or fence), this book will nudge you towards the next step in your fitness journey.