Health & Fitness

Health & Fitness Resources for Female Trail Runners

Trail running is about more than just miles—it’s about how we care for our minds and bodies along the way. Dive into our community-sourced health and fitness hub, featuring honest conversations on body image, mental health, and the physical transitions of a lifelong runner. No topics are off-limits; we’re here to help you stay healthy, happy, and hitting the dirt for years to come.

These highlights are only a snapshot of the inspirational, educational and empowering words of our authors. Search the full archive.

Why a Bony Issue Isn’t Just a Bony Issue

Christina Mather

In a February 5, 2025 post on Instagram, Braden Goimarac ( the_run_strong_coach), posts “Lacing up to become the greatest of all time requires you fly close to the sun, so getting burned at some point in your career is inevitable. The best runners in the world, with the best coaches in the world, doing the most scientifically informed training in the world still get injured. Embrace it as a part of the process and move forward.”

Sleep, Stress and Slow Recovery: The Hidden Hormone Link for Female Runners

Melissa McGaughey

Do you feel like recovery from training your runs, hikes or long adventures and races is more of a challenge these days? If your “recovery sleep” feels more like staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m., you’re not alone and not imagining it! And, it may be more than just training stress!

Protein Consumption + Timing for Female Runners

Melissa McGaughey

Protein is essential for everyone, females included. Especially endurance athletes and even more so as we get into our perimenopause years which can begin in our mid-late 30s. As we age, we need to consume more protein, not less.

A Therapist’s Guide for Managing Internal Chatter

Amy Waldron

In my work as a psychotherapist, I teach my clients how cognitive distortions can get in our way and shape how we perceive ourselves, the world, and the future. We have tens of thousands of thoughts per day that contribute to a hum of background chatter.

Running With Anemia

Hannah Williams

It begins in my chest. Small hitches in my hamstrings, a dull pounding in my head when my feet strike the dirt beneath me. I find a rhythm for a beat, then my left toe catches on my right heel and I stumble over myself. Strike two.

7 Signs of an Exercise Addiction

Hannah Woodhouse

This article will cover signs of exercise compulsion but is far from exhaustive. I am speaking from my experience and am not a licensed clinician–nor can I possibly explain all the nuanced warning signs of compulsive exercise.

No, It’s Not Because I “Run Too Much”

Sammie Lewis

Through all of these struggles, the most important thing that I’ve learned is how important it is to advocate for yourself in the healthcare system, especially as a female runner.

Mindfulness Practices for Runners

Cassie Nevins

Mindfulness and meditation go hand in hand in that they both work to connect our mind to our body so that the two become one. However, for people like me that find traditional meditation to be difficult, mindfulness can be performed in several ways to include movement.

Love Your Legs: Embracing Cellulite and Dimples as a Female Athlete

Carly Flandro

I’ll never forget how I felt a few years ago when I saw a picture of myself from a trail race. In my head, I imagined I looked lean and fierce as I charged up and down singletrack. In reality? Not even close. The photo showed quads dimpled with cellulite rather than defined with muscle. I felt so deflated.

The Female Runner’s Body: A Resource to Promote Positive Body Image

Ray Nypaver

As women, runners, coaches, and human beings, TS writer Sandi and I (Ray-her twin!) were fed up with hearing about eating disorders among young female runners. We knew our friends were too. The Mary Cain story, where she was body-shamed by her famous coach, was the final straw.

Embracing Depression Through Trail Running

Emily Fife

Depression is an illness I have lived with for more than 20 years. It is an illness that has kept me from becoming who I wanted to become. It feels like chains constricting me, holding me back from my dreams and aspirations. It isolates me and at times creates a cage that prevents me from connecting with those around me.

Search over 35 more articles!