Emily Yoffe wrote "Law and medicine were once almost closed to women, now enrollment is these professional schools is near 50-50. Veterinary medicine was once almost exclusively male; today enrollment is about 80 percent female."

I suppose since I'm feeling empowered today, this reminds me of a great story about Kathrine Switzer, the woman famed for entering and running the Boston Marathon when it was still a male-only race, in 1967. She entered the race simply as K Switzer, was nearly physically removed from the race at mile three by the race's director, but ultimately she finished the 26.2 mile race. The Boston Marathon remained male-only until 1972, but Switzer's participation mobilized women and men (and doctors of both sexes, too) to re-evaluate women's physical capabilities.

Women were barred from participating in marathons and running events all over the world, not only for the general 'reason' that women were considered not physically strong enough to survive running them, but also for the specific 'reason' that their uteri might fall out.*

I ran the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2005 with eight fellow first-time marathon-running women. Deena Castor - 2004 Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist - won the women's division that day, her first race win. My friend Leah - a first-timer - ran the whole race through severe injury in both her knees. And I finished the race despite dangerous dehydration that stopped me in my tracks at mile 21. I ran the race to raise money for the American Liver Foundation, as my mother was then living with end-stage liver disease. I ran alongside amazing women and men alike, and I am reminded of how grateful I am to the pioneer women who 'entered a man's world' to do what they wanted to do and helped pave the way for the rest of us to have the opportunity to experience and pursue our passions.

As an aside, please look for the DVD release of Spirit of the Marathon - a movie that just world-premiered in Chicago theaters in early October. The movie documents three amateur runners (including my friend Leah!) and two elite runners (including Deena Castor!) on their journey to train for and complete the 2005 Chicago Marathon. It's a very inspiring film!

*This isn't the best article, but my original source - Spirit of the Marathon - is a movie.

Sorry - It's Deena Kastor, not Castor!

I ran the Vancouver Marathon in 2002 and lost exactly zero internal organs. In fact, I'm quite sure I completed a 20-mile training run with a gigantic menstral uterus, and I'm happy to report that it did not fall out then, either.

Phew!

Congrats - running a marathon is a huge accomplishment! And, so is keeping your uterus, supposedly. :)

I would like to believe this, since keeping my uterus is something I'm succeeding at, and running a marathon is not.

All runners have my respect, awe and a little bit of envy.

:) Thanks. I'm hoping to get back out there and do another one, maybe in 2009. In the meantime, finding any time or energy to run more than 3-5 miles at once is hard!!!

now if you can only get the military to understand that females can be just as effective as males in combat...shooting or stopping a bullet is not gender specific, but the discrimination of females in combat positions needs to be stopped, also, the sexist law that requires only males to surrender all personal info to the selective service admin. on their 18th birthday under penalty of law is discriminatory at best..write you congressperson and demand equal treatment under the law....

Made Editors Picks!

Thanks. :) I secretly love it when that happens. :)