I had the privilege to write the forward to a just released book “Slow Jogging– Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Have fun with Science Based, Natural Running” by Dr. Hiroaki Tanaka. My friend Dr. Tanaka is one of the most inspiring scientists and self-experimenting athletes I’ve met. Dr. Tanaka has changed my life and his…
Author: MarkC
Disease Free and Half the Man He Used To Be- Meet the Amazing Phillip Brenneman
This week I share the amazing story of my Indiana friend Phillip Brenneman. Phillip and I share things frequently over Facebook and email and his story is one that will change your life if you are facing similar challenges. Read on and you will understand the nothing comes easy, but if you believe you…
Official Footwear of the Boston Marathon 2016 – The Human Foot
Monday I ran my 22nd Boston Marathon and as a 49yo veteran of this 120 year old event the goal now is fun, sharing the experience with colleagues and friends, and advance the science of how we have evolved to run. Every year there are new special “Boston Edition” shoes from every manufacturer. So this…
“Cereal Killers” Coming to Shepherdstown Monday March 28 -Stars of “Run on Fat” share their Epic Journeys
** FREE SHOWING OF FILM 5:30 AT SHEPHERDSTOWN OPERA HOUSE PRIOR TO TALK ** This Monday 7pm March 28 at Two Rivers Treads we will teach you how to “Run on Fat” and meet the stars of the recent movie – “Cereal Killers 2- Run on Fat”. Over the last few years in this column…
New SNAP Policies Congruent with the Evolution of our Species?
Diseases caused by poor eating habits destroy lives and cost the nation trillions in health care. Our current Dietary Guidelines and food policies clearly aren’t working. Just this week the CDC announced obesity is on the rise despite the fact that more adults are exercising. Huh? We though that more exercise would reverse this…
2015 Dietary Guidelines for America- Sailing for Safe Harbors or keeping course toward the Full Catastrophe
In my opinion and those of others who treat patients the new 2015 Dietary Guidelines for America (DGA) will not stall the Diabetes Epidemic and we continue Full Steam to the Full Catastrophe. But there are more runners now than ever before and exercise was going to fix all this stuff? You may not pay much…
Put Your Right Foot Forward for 2016- 10 Simple Things
10 Simple Things for 2016 Happy New Year from the Natural Running Center. We hope you have achieved a goal and learned something new about how your mind and body works in 2015. Here are 10 simple and safe things to try in 2016 with the goal not to be more “fit” in the terms…
Low Carb Revolution Comes to West Virginia
Why were nearly 100 citizens including the wives of two NFL Hall of Famers gathered at Sam Michael’s Rec Center on a weeknight in October? Over 150 showed up at meeting #2 in November where we shared a low carb dinner at the Clarion. My friend Melanie Miller was igniting the social media world and…
“Anatomy for Runners”: Excerpt on Why Runners Get Injured by Jay Dicharry
by Jay Dicharry. Running is pure. You may run for yourself, seeking to improve your time on your local neighborhood loop, or maybe simply to knock out the stresses of daily life. There are few other sports in the world in which you can compare yourself purely against the clock. It’s just you covering distance…
Dr. Mark’s “The Principles of Natural Running”
Over 1 Million YouTube Views! For the past 12 years, I have dissected and modified hundreds of pairs of shoes, taught running form clinics around the country, opened a minimalist store in my home town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, directed races (from 5K fun runs to marathons), got local children excited about running, and most…
Body Asymmetries: How Past Injuries Can Affect a Runner’s Gait
What is meant by “body asymmetry?” The term is used to describe when both parts of the body don’t line up or appear in sync. It could be as simple as having a left foot slightly longer or wider than your right one. For runners, body asymmetry can mean a drooping right shoulder or outward-turning…
Treating Running Injuries: Form vs Footwear
The following article was published in the January 2013 issue of Podiatry Management, by Dr. Nick Campitelli,DPM, FACFAS Podiatrist, Foot and Ankle Surgeon. It can also be found on his blog. As he states in an introductory note, “it was written on behalf of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine and I am honored…
Testing 120 Running Shoe Models in 1979: What Running Times Magazine Learned from Its Hotly Debated Study
Ed Ayres, who has been running competitively for 55 consecutive years, was the founding editor and publisher of Running Times magazine. Ayres has competed in over 600 long-distance races, including finishing third in the inaugural New York City Marathon. He’s also the author of the new book, “The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic…
The Transition Shoe for Minimalist and Natural Runners
As we enter or transition into the first weeks of the new year, it often means aligning our personal goals with training and racing in the coming months. So now is also a good time to summarize some of the basics about transitioning to minimalism, especially for those new to natural running and who what…
Comfort Question: Should We be Running on Pillows Like the Hoka One One?
by Jim Hixson. Most runners have been taught that “softness” and “cushioning” are positive characteristics when looking to buy a new pair of running shoes. Each year, running companies spend millions of dollars, euros, and yen in an attempt to create shoes that have a comfortable “step-in” feel when customers first put them on…
The Human Foot…Starting Out
Legs, Legs, Legs
Simple Food Rules for Runners
My wife’s grandmother lived to 103, and the holidays just past have reminded me of how she lived. She was not a runner, nor did she do a lot of cardio, except for sauce stirring and daily walks to markets and church. Our own local legend Frank Buckles who lived to 110 ate in this…
Do Runners Have a Sugar Addiction?: Is the White Stuff Running You Down and Wearing You Out? “Probably,” says Dr. Phil Maffetone
“Sugar,Sugar” Sugar, ahh, Honey, honey. You are my candy girl, And you got me wanting you. Honey, ahh, Sugar, sugar. You are my candy girl, And you got me wanting you. –The Archies (1969) Sugar is my vice. My Big Bad. It’s the arch-nemesis of my life’s ambition to remain physically active and healthy. This…
The Running Event in Austin: Minimalism is Still Hot!
Huge Congrats to two Natural Running Center’s Partner Stores –Natural Strides Running and Elite Feet –who were selected as one of “The 50 Best Running Stores in America” at The Running Event in Austin, Texas– which is a fast-growing expo and meeting-and-teaching ground for running store owners and their employees. Best of all, it’s where…
Biomechanics of Barefoot Running and Their Implications for Running Injuries
Review and Summary of the Following Published Study: BioMechanics of Barefoot Running: Biomechanics and Implications for Running Injuries, by Allison R. Altman and Irene S. Davis. Sports Medicine in Current Sports Medicine Reports, American College of Sports Medicine, Volume 11 · Number 5, September/October 2012, pp.244-250. *** by Jim Hixson. Well-known researcher and author Irene…
One Small Step for Man…Proprioceptive Deception
Most of us during the course of the day seldom watch where we put our feet when we are out and about. Instead, we rely on our innate sense of balance and the neural-muscular connection between the brain and feet. It’s as if our body is on auto-pilot. For example, when you’re carrying a cup…
Video: Spark Running Store
We thought readers would like to watch this well-made promotional video for Spark Running, an independent specialty running store in Severna Park, Maryland, which is about 10-20 minutes from Annapolis, and 30-45 minutes from Washington,D.C. Spark Running, which is just over a year old, is also a Natural Running Center partner store– and offers customers…
Can Running Kill You?
More people are running in marathons and half-marathons than ever before. So it’s always interesting to read in the press the latest medical study that found that running too many miles over one’s lifetime could be dangerous for the heart and lead to an early death. That’s bad news for those of us addicted to…
Going the Distance When Kids Run “Free”
Though it’s been several weeks since Freedom’s Run was held here in West Virginia, I am still receiving emails and from visitors thanking our neighboring towns for the friendly welcome they received as runners. We would not have been able to pull off this event — marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K, one-mile kids run — without…