Sally, the owner of Oiselle, invited Fleshman to see their business headquarters in Seattle. Fleshman felt drawn to the space for its small size (reminding her of her own business in its infancy) and to the all-female staff and focus. She went for a run with Sally, who understood her frustrations with Nike.

Fleshman discussed her concerns over the latest young female phenomenon, Mary Cain, training with Alberto Salazar, with Oiselle investors.

Fleshman, now three months pregnant, signed on with Oiselle; she was the first athlete to sign an endorsement deal while openly pregnant. Although the starting salary they offered was small, they also made Fleshman a partner in the business and offered her stock.

Fleshman modeled Oiselle workout clothes on the runway at New York Fashion Week a few months after the birth of her son, Jude. Realizing that she was contributing to the pressure on women to return to pre-baby weight, she was quick to publish other, less flattering photos of herself, which trended with the hashtag #KeepingItReal.

Fleshman began writing a column for Runner’s World. For her cover photo, she objected to their creative guidelines specifying that women must wear form-fitting spandex shorts, insisting on wearing her looser-fitting ones.

Oiselle circulated Fleshman’s “Letter to My Younger Self,” and Fleshman was celebrated for her advocacy on social media.

Fleshman repaired a rift with Kara Goucher, a rival who didn’t sacrifice her spot in the 5,000-meter race for Fleshman in the 2008 Olympic selection. Goucher joined Oiselle.

Fleshman reflects that, while Oiselle has done its best to be inclusive, there have been blind spots in their marketing that have been exclusionary. Dena Evans, Fleshman’s old coach (and a woman of color) pointed out that their advertising was done with exclusively white models; Fleshman realized that her feminism needed to become more intersectional.

Despite the challenges of the path of advocacy that Oiselle champions, Fleshman feels proud to be doing work that is aligned with who she is.

Fleshman then began her career as a coach by founding a group called Littlewing. Her first athlete was Mel Lawrence, who had had a successful high school and early college career, only to have struggled with injuries over the last four years. Fleshman’s approach focuses on providing support on various aspects of athletes’ health, including their injury recovery, diet, and mental health. Lawrence became competitive in the field again, finishing third in a USA championship and within the top 20 in the world.

Fleshman attended a woman’s retreat called Muse Camp, where she reflected on how widespread body image issues are among women.

While at a track meet, Fleshman worried again about young athlete Mary Cain, who underperformed and was spoken to rudely by her coach, Alberto Salazar. She now regrets not speaking to Cain at the event; she feels that Cain could have thrived under her gentler, more supportive mentorship at Littlewing. Instead, Cain suffered immensely at the hands of Salazar and later went on to file a lawsuit against Nike for abuse.

Fleshman retired as a professional athlete in 2016. She continues to focus on her coaching; it brings her immense joy and satisfaction to create a safe space for female athletes to thrive in.

Frank, suffering from cancer, was put into an induced coma. He died soon after. The morning after his death, Fleshman saw a more youthful version of him standing in her bedroom. She went for a run, reflecting on his life and death, including his addiction to alcohol, and broke down crying at the track of her old high school, realizing that so much of her running career had been driven by trying to impress him and connect with him.