It’s been a super busy past few weeks, so I got a little behind with Dr. Mark’s Desk. I’ve had a hectic travel schedule that first took me to New York City where I gave a talk on healthy running and diet to over a hundred health professionals at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. While in…
Category: Dr. Mark’s Desk
From the desk of Dr. Mark Cucuzzella…
Barefoot Run Through History
*** One of my favorite places to run is Antietam National Battlefield Park, which is the site of the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Over 20,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of fierce combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s first…
Endurance Sport Conference
I have been invited to speak at a sports injury conference this August in Florida, and I hope that many who regularly come to this site can attend. The First New Paradigms in Endurance Sport Conference will be held at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida, from August 3-5. Over 60% of runners are…
Caballo’s Last Race…Copper Canyon Ultramarathon
Hey Everyone, Dr. Mark is relaxing at the beach with his family during this holiday weekend, so I am filling in for him this time around.– Bill Katovsky. Last week, the New York Times ran a marvelous, heart-stirring, and emotional wallop of a feature story about an individual whose life, directly and indirectly, touched us…
Natural Running Camp for Youth
Grownups shouldn’t have all the fun when it comes to running naturally. This summer, Two Rivers Treads and For Love of Children’s Education Center will be hosting a Natural Running Camp for middle-school students from July 6-8, and high-school students from July 13-15. (Plans are underway to have an adult Natural Running Camp later in…
Dr. Phil Maffetone’s Music and Wellness Tour
My small town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia is privileged to be one of about dozen towns to have a special visit from Dr. Phil Maffetone who is a best-selling author of health and fitness books, the former coach to countless world-class and recreational athletes for decades, and a member of the Natural Running Center’s Advisory Board. …
Walk Right Before You Run (and Only in the Right Shoes)
Half of the customers who enter Two Rivers Treads in Shepherdstown, West Virginia have no interest in running or buying running shoes. That’s because we are not exclusively a “minimalist running store”. We also carry shoes for walkers and hikers. We want people moving and there is no safer, accessible, and natural movement than walking….
Celebrate Family Fitness and Joy of Running
I had the privilege to speak for the second straight year at the Boston Marathon Sports Medicine Conference hosted by the American Medical Athletic Association (AMAA). Last year, my presentation was on barefoot running (the hot topic of 2011). This year, I spoke on healthy aerobic development for life and the work of legendary New…
Boston Marathon 2012 — Meet the Heat
With the hot temperatures putting a distinctive stamp on the 2012 Boston Marathon, I wisely played it safe. I finished 10 minutes slower than last year’s time (2:37), yet came away with fourth in my age group (45-49). More importantly, I avoided the medical tent by following good racing practices. I wasn’t here to see…
How to Run the Boston Marathon: Race Day Strategies
In just over a week, I will be running in the 2012 Boston Marathon. This will be my nineteenth time there, with a current string of 10 consecutive races. My only misses were for military and work duties, and a foot surgery. I had five races under 2:30, six between 2:30 and 2:35; three between…
Nature, Play, Running, and the Rebirth of Fartlek
*** Last week, I had the privilege of addressing an audience of local youth in a TEDx event that was hosted by National Conservation and Training Center in Shepherdstown , West Virginia. The topic was “Connection to Nature.” For those who have never heard of TED, it stands for “Technology, Entertainment, and Design”, and the…
Learning Good Barefoot Running Style
Mark Cucuzzella, MD, and director of the Natural Running Center regularly runs unshod as a way to strengthen his feet and legs, as well as improve form, cadence, and posture. This short training segment was filmed on location at the Antietam National Park.
Enhancing Natural Pronation Control: Your Feet Were Designed to Do Just That!
When customers enter Two Rivers Treads, questions always arise about pronation. Many of them in the past have been labeled pronators by well-meaning employees at other running stores. Some claim that they have classified as supinators. They want shoes that fit. They want to run injury-free. Yet it’s not something as simple as asking them…
Natural Running Fun Run & Clinic Central Park NYC
Come join me for a Natural Running Fun Run and Form Clinic sponsored by Newton Running in New York City’s Central Park. For the clinic in NYC this is what we will cover Understand the principles of walking and running movement and how running form, proper strength and mobility, and footwear can contribute to injuries…
Take the Stability Test — Practice Standing on One Leg
As we “comfortably” situate ourselves into the off-season, reducing our training mileage and racing, this is an ideal time to work on balance and form. A runner will typically average 1,200 steps a mile on one foot. And the gravity force on the body structure is 2.5 times the body weight with each step in…
The Ideal Running or Walking Shoe Complements Natural Foot Function
Last month, I wrote about the need to properly assess your own foot size when buying running shoes. And judging by the number of emails I continue to get from readers on this topic, I feel it’s important to address these concerns once again. First, abandon the notion that you have a shoe size. Instead you…
Coming to the Midwest: “New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries”
———— My good friend Blaise Dubois is a physiotherapist who teaches at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University. Blaise has developed the Running Clinic Canada and has taught over 50 conferences around the world. Two of those conferences named “New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries”were held in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The inaugural…
Avoid Overtraining! — Keeping Your Body Healthy Means Active Rest and Recovery
Laura Bergmann is living example of a home-schooled athlete and teacher. I met Laura two years ago when we were both spreading the word on fitness in our small town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She was not excited about running since it often led to discomfort. Yet, in time she changed her gait; it eventually…
Proper Fit Explained: You Don’t Have a Shoe Size; You Have a Foot Size
In the past three years, I have completely rethought how a shoe should fit. More accurately I now think about how a shoe should fit rather than just pick a size. Since I started running more true barefoot miles over the last year my foot size has greatly increased in thickness. I can no longer…
Injury-Free Running Is Easier Than It Seems
“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery” — James Joyce In the aftermath of Chris McDougall’s article on natural running in the New York Times, I’ve been flattered by the emails from around the globe of runners sharing their stories of recovery and discovery. Here is my own personal story in even greater detail….
New York Times Feature Article on Injury-Free, Natural Running by Who Else…Chris McDougall
The timing is perfect. And intentional. The New York City marathon is taking place this weekend. And in the New York Times Sunday magazine, Chris McDougall has written a wonderful article on natural, injury-free running with this rather emphatic headline: “The Once and Future Way to Run.” It’s available online here. It begins with an…
Semper Fly: How to Go Fast in the Marine Corps Marathon 2011
As a Lt Col in the U.S. Air Force, I have been an Air Force Marathon Team Member since 1988. This will be my 20th Marine Corps Marathon with two Masters wins and two top-five overall finishes. This Sunday, I will be competing again in the Marine Corps 26.2-mile race which is held in D.C. While I…
The Cucuzzella Kids Can Run!
Two weekends ago, our small town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia was bustling with activity and runners. It was the third annual Freedom’s Run, of which I am the race director. From the start we intended to make this a small town event with scenery, history, fun, local flavor, and low fees compared to the big…
Get Your Kids Into Minimalist Shoes to Ensure Natural Foot Development
As a family physician, I firmly believe that children should play in their bare feet or in activity shoes that complement natural foot development and proper biomechanics of movement. Runners, walkers, coaches, and the medical community are all awakening to the benefits of allowing proper natural foot motion to occur in all of our daily…
First Lydiard Coaching Seminar Attracted Running Legends
by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella. I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the first Lydiard Invitational Coaching Seminar in Boulder, Colorado this past weekend. It was humbling to be in the room with running legends of the past and present, hear their stories, and listen as they shared lessons learned and “secrets” they figured…