Julie Haynes was having pain and sought help from her doctor.

"Just don't run," was the advice.

Haynes, like a lot of women, hear this sort of thing more often than we'd like. I've had a chiropractor mutter, "We'll see," when I mentioned that I wanted to run again. And, of course, there was a recent incident with an X-ray technician who pointedly and judgmentally wondered aloud if I "really" was a runner or if I'd just overdone it.

Haynes and I talk about this topic at some length. I went on a bit of a chat with her about my feral cat colony that I share with my neighbors.

Still, it is a conversation worth having and listening to.

I found this story from the New York Times that addresses this topic. (Women not being taken seriously by their doctors, not feral cat colonies.)