Girls Running

Melody Fairchild’s domination as a high school running “phenom” expanded the horizon for an entire generation of girls who followed in her footsteps. Her career highlights include: two-time national Footlocker cross-country champion and current course record holder, bronze medalist at the Junior World cross-country championships, 8-time Colorado state champion and state record holder in the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters, NCAA All-American in track and cross-country, NCAA 3,000-meter indoors champion, two-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the 10K and marathon, and U.S. World Track and Field Championships team member. Today, Melody directs the Boulder Mountain Warriors Youth Running Club and is founder of the Melody Fairchild’s Girls Running Camp, which gives ‘tween and teen runners the skills to thrive in running in high school, college, and beyond. She has coached youth running programs for nearly 20 years. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. Elizabeth Carey is a writer and running coach. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Runner’s World, Trail Runner, DyeStat, and PodiumRunner. Her running journey started in 1999 on the Cleveland High School track team in Oregon. She ran Division I cross-country and track for Columbia University and has coached at all levels of the sport. She explores trail and ultrarunning in Seattle, Washington, where she lives with her husband.

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