Run to Preserve Your Health

In our current times of COVID-19, do not treat it as a time to cease activity. This is the time to adjust your schedule while following established guidelines. There is going to be a new normal, which has not been fully defined. 

Enter Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, U.S. Air Force Reserves for 29 years, board-certified physician in family medicine, and a professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine. He is a two-time winner of the Air Force Marathon and has run a sub-three-hour marathon for 30 consecutive years. He is also the race director of the Freedom’s Run Marathon and owns a specialty running store in Ranson, West Virginia, called Two Rivers Treads. 

When it comes to the sport Dr. Mark is the total package and well-versed in techniques and the style of running.  

When did you realize you had a love of the sport?

I was always a regularly-active child and loved running. Running as a sport became a passion after I entered my first real race, which was a half marathon I did in Columbia, Maryland, at age 13. I ran one hour, 23 minutes and won my age group. It was nice to get a prize.

How did the Air Force and medical career come together?

During my college running career at the University of Virginia, I was constantly hurt. I developed a good relationship with our team physician, Dr. Daniel Kulund. I started shadowing him a bit in his clinic and thought this would be a fun way to spend a career, trying to help people with injuries. I did not have any money for medical school, so I saw a flyer in the elevator about how to apply for a military scholarship. It was the best decision I ever made—I loved my 29-year career in the Air Force.

With your busy schedule, how do you balance your lifestyle with family, work, etc.?

Gosh, I’m not sure I’m very good at this being constantly behind and overwhelmed with things. I get up early every day to run, which helps me relax and at least feel I’ve accomplished something that day besides making my bed.

What aspirations did you have?

Probably one goal I chased a bit was qualifying for the Olympic trials marathon in 2000. I ran 2 hours, 24 minutes a couple of times, but I needed to run 2:22. I wish I had known some things then that I know now about training and injury prevention. I always had injuries and probably ran too hard on recovery days.

Can you share comments on diet?

I have learned a lot about this topic through my own life and medical career. I developed a type of insulin insufficiency and diabetes about eight years ago so went on a low carbohydrate diet. Obesity is rampant in the military as well as in my state of West Virginia, and the processed carbohydrates and junk food are the leading drivers of this. When people can get rid of these things in their diet, they can finally get their energy back and lose weight. More importantly, it can reduce their risk of chronic disease.

How did the Two Rivers Tread store come about?

I started directing races here a little over 10 years ago, and there was no place for people to learn how to run or get shoes. Traditional running shoe stores did not apply biomechanics or science—they put people in big motion control shoes, and I knew that was not the right way to go for most people.  So, we opened a store doing the opposite. Our goal is to get people in more natural footwear and retrain the foot and movement patterns. You can check it out at www.tworiverstreads.com. 

What are the obstacles you hear from customers that prevent them from achieving their goals?

People have been told that they shouldn’t run because it will hurt them or that they have bad joints or bad tendons, but I don’t think that’s true. I think anyone can relearn how to run even if slow. It is so powerful for every part of human health, including the mind.

What was your progression in the sport?

I have progressed from running for competition in the past, to running now as a means of relaxation and meditation. I am seeking new adventures, mostly on the trails as this is a new frontier, and you learn new things about yourself every time you are out there expanding your boundaries. With all the races canceled this fall, I decided to try my first 100-mile trail race. We’ll see how it goes.

What is your philosophy when it comes to the sport?

I think running, if done correctly, creates health and prevents injury and disability. It is a misnomer when people think that running causes injury. If you do it correctly, you are more resilient to do all the usual everyday activities that make us human. This is especially true as a military member.  I wrote a book called Run For Your Life, which outlines so many aspects of running behind just cardiovascular fitness. 

How do you manage the aging process?

You certainly cannot stop aging, but you can use countermeasures to keep muscle mass and “protect your telomeres.” When we age, we need to eat more protein and do more strength training to prevent what is called sarcopenia. Trying to reduce stress and prioritize sleep is also important, although I fail at this many days.

What are five key points for the person getting off the sofa?

1. Just take the first step.
2. Then repeat the next day.
3. Fix your diet because when your metabolism is healthy your body wants to move.
4. Find a friend, or get a dog.
5. Get a standup desk so you mix it up each day.

How did Run For Your Life come about?

I felt like there was a lot about running and health as a lifestyle that wasn’t talked about. Thirty years of work as a physician as well as a runner gave me some insight into the mistakes people were making and the principles that lead to long-term sustainable health and enjoyment in the sport.

As an accomplished athlete what two events standout when your plans, training, and execution led to success?

In 1995, I had a breakthrough race in the Military World Championships in Rome, Italy. It was a 75- to 80-degree day, and I started out conservative but came back strong to finish in 2:24 and 10th overall in an international field.

My second attempt at the JFK 50 miler felt like a success since I dropped out the year before not knowing anything about 50-mile races. I changed my strategy completely to go easy on the Appalachian Trail and then started running when I hit the C&O Canal at mile 16. It paid off, and I broke seven hours. The next year I came back with the same strategy and ran a 6:44 to win the Masters division.

List two events where you did all the wrong things right?

I would say my first attempt at the JFK 50 miler was classic novice ultra. I was in second place at halfway, eating about four goos an hour, and ended up throwing them all up on the trail. This was before I understood fat adaptation and running. I ended up jogging to mile 38, but my body was a wreck, so I got in the car but learned some lessons.

In my first Boston marathon in 1989, I learned some important things too with a downhill start. I went out fast, feeling fit, and getting halfway in 1:08. Then at about mile 16, I felt my quads not working. They were trashed from the fast-downhill running. I got in the T at Boston College. Have finished 27 Boston’s since that day. 

How do you handle injuries?

Honestly, since having my feet operated on 20 years ago and relearning running, I have not had a running injury. I did break my toe running the Appalachian Trail in sandals a couple of months back, but that was a trauma, and I splinted and taped it and was able to keep training, so no harm done. 

What is RUNMED?

We do training out of my store, Two Rivers Treads, where we can take time and individually assess you, do gait analysis and strength analysis, and try to get you back healthy again.

How do you respond to “I cannot run?”

I’ll help people believe that they can. If people have a belief that they can do something, their odds of doing it are pretty darn good. If we tell someone they cannot do something, they tend to believe that. I also tell them that running or jogging super slow is therapeutic and helpful for the tissues, especially the fascia and the bones and the joints as it loads them properly.

What is minimalist and the value?

Walking and running in minimal shoes will help keep your feet strong. A strong foundation is the basis of injury prevention as well as performance. Once you have strong and functioning feet, you can put on some cushion now and then, depending on the terrain and your mood.

How have you managed in the COVID-19 environment?

I am very protective and cautious about exposure since I work in a hospital, and I’ve also been living in a home with my wife’s mother, who is 91. We try to educate people at the store, and we have been doing Facebook live sessions as well as Zoom sessions, trying to clarify some of the fear and confusion. I encourage people to stay fit and get outside and exercise as this builds your resiliency and decreases your risk of severe illness with COVID-19.

What are some key points to keep in mind?

For overall health, Tim Noakes said it best: “You can’t outrun a bad diet.” As we get older, focus on eating nutrient-dense foods. If you have obesity, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, or diabetes, you need to look at reducing your carbohydrates and forget about the dogma of carbo-loading and running.

What are some of the challenges of being a race director?

With race directing, there is planning but also a little bit of luck along the way. So many things can go wrong on race day, and there are so many things you can’t control, like the weather. I surround myself with a good team, and we all love hosting the events and bringing people to our small town. The joy of seeing new people in the sport as well as visitors to our region far outweighs the stress and challenges. We hope that races recover after COVID-19. We have sadly had to cancel two races this year.