Table of Contents
Introduction
1: Your Running Journey
How to embrace your own path: Melody’s journey / Role models
2: Hello, Body!
A run through the systems that keep you moving: Body parts and systems / Heart rate / Puberty and periods 101
3: Train Like a Boss
The magic of work and rest: Running form / Recovery and sleep tips / Strength, core, and mobility routines / Crosstraining workouts
4: Adaptations
Zoom in on progress and growth: Running systems and why you do specific workouts / Periodizing your season and career / Pain and sickness / Training logs
5: Running with Hormones
How to train and race your best through puberty and periods: Puberty for athletes / Periods and their phases decoded, plus tips for dealing
6: A Winning Mindset
Yes, you can handle pressure and meet your goals: Intro to mindfulness / Goal setting / Sports psychology tools, including visualization / Mental health and when to get help
The Journey of Women’s Running: A Timeline
7: Compete Like a Champion
Tips and strategies for racing fierce: Pacing yourself / Teamwork and scoring / Overcoming challenges / Running in college
8: Fueling for Success
How to feed yourself and your busy life: Sports nutrition and energy balance / What to eat—plus why and when / Hunger signs / Special diets / Recipes
9: Food&Body Issues
How to tackle problems head-on: Body shaming / Racing weight and other myths / Dangers of underfueling, including Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) / Disordered eating, body issues, and when to get help
10: Building a Great Team
It takes a village, and these are the people you want in it: Intuition and discernment / Building your support crew / How to find doctors, PTs, RDs, and other experts (and what to ask them) / Being a good teammate
11: Gearing Up
The basics and the extras: Sports bras / Running shoes and spikes / Other gear
Acknowledgments
Selected Bibliography
About the Authors