Book Author: Mark Cucuzzella Review by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
I read about Mark Cucuzzella for the first time through mentions on another book I have read a couple of years ago. To the author he seemed to know what he was talking about. Then, in the Marathon Training Academy podcast I heard an interview of the author about his âRun for Your Lifeâ book and I knew I had to read it. It took a bit longer than I wanted to get my hands on it but once I got it, I consumed it with passion.
Cuccuzzella is a doctor and a runner who is passionate about both. His bio on Google Books reads as follows: Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel, practices family medicine in Ranson and Martinsburg, West Virginia. He is a professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and conducts Healthy Running Medical Education courses. He has run competitively for almost four decades, with more than one hundred marathon and ultramarathon finishes, and he continues to compete as a national-level masters runner with an active streak of thirty straight years under a three-hour marathon. Cucuzzella owns the first minimalist running and walking store, Two Rivers Treads, in his hometown of Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
The book is divided into three parts and an Appendices section. The parts are: Before the Starting Line, The Body in Motion and Running is for Everyone. Each one touches in form a different perspective, the importance, the right way, and the approach to human movement so you can do it smarter, stronger and springier. This book is as much for sub-3 marathoners as it is for walkers wanting to complete their first 5k.
Dr. Cucuzzella has run sub-3 marathons for 30 years in a row
Each one of the 19 chapters concludes with a short section of drills to address what was taught in the previous pages. Such drills are not just strengthening or stretching exercises, but approaches, mental exercises or adjustments in your mechanics, your approach to exercise on your everyday life. It also has a companionship website where the recommended exercises and drills are explained in video format and additional scientific resources are available.
Dr. Cucuzzella is a firm proponent of the minimalist shoe. He gives a scientific-based explanation on why this is the way to go, as well as the right way to transition there. As interesting and well supported as his theory is, I donât see myself switching to a minimalist shoe anytime soon, although it has made me reassess my selection of footwear, which I have already discussed with the manager of my local running store.
Part II was the key section of the book for me. It is about the science of running. The part the brain controls, the engine that builds endurance, nutrition, recovery, injury prevention, flexibility; how to make your muscles, tendons and ligaments work on your behalf and biomechanics of our gait. His explanation is so well adjusted for non-doctor readers and so solidly and convincingly based on science, that I have already adopted a few of his recommended adjustments and have seen amazing improvements on my step, which are confirmed in the way my running shoes have started wearing out.
This book is worth the money and the time invested in reading it. It is not about how many miles to run on Saturday and how many 400 reps you need to do on Wednesday. Once you are done with the book, make sure to keep it handy because it will become a consultation volume for years to come.
I someone knows Dr. Cucuzzella, please send him a big thank you on my behalf. There are many great running books out there. This is certainly one of them.
Book Author: Martin Dugard Review by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
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As soon as I heard about the author of this book, I knew the name sounded familiar. I checked my book log and yes, back in 2004 I read his New York Times bestseller âInto Africaâ, about the epic adventures of Explorer Dr. David Livingstone and his search for the source of the Nile back in 1866, and Henry Morton Stanleyâs quest to find him after two years of silence. This was his first of multiple NYT bestsellers. A great book, but this is not what this post is all about.
The author is a well-known writer; accomplished, lifelong runner and successful high school coach. According to the book, he has run a 2:41 marathon and in Athlinks.com you can see a 3:05 in New York back in 1993. He run in High school, college and kept alive his love for the sport despite a few hiatuses here and there when life got on the way. He has also participated in triathlons, adventure racing, Spartans and multiple other competitions.
The book is structured in nine sections, each one with three, four or five small essays touching on an experience, a thought, a goal or just rambling about whatever. Each essay is no more than five or six pages so even if you are not an avid reader, you can go through the book with ease and really enjoy it.
From running with the bulls in Pamplona, to high school running meetings and from adventure racing to getting back into shape or breaking a personal best; there is a chapter here for everyone. As an accomplish writer, Dugard has many amazing running quotes in this book. If you have followed my Instagram feed, @foultips, you have appreciated my love running quotes. I lifted more than a handful of the from this book, which you will find at the bottom of this writing.
I highly recommend âTo Be a Runnerâ. It is worth the time and the money. My only suggestion is to read just one chapter a day, takin your time to enjoy it, digest it and feel empathy for the thought conveyed. I made the mistake of reading it during the quarantine, so I rushed through it and did not get the most out of it. So it is back in the âto readâ pile for a second round.
Racewalking can give you a second career on the asphalt.
During Olympic competition we always see those weird-looking racewalkers shaking those hips while keeping short steps and swinging arms like crazy. A select few know about whatâs going on, some wonder what it is theyâre doing, and the vast majority just laugh out of ignorance. Racewalking has been around since long before the Boston Marathon was a thing and it is an athletic discipline that requires the same training and dedication and any other discipline. Most important for this audience, it can give you a second career on the asphalt.
Personally, racewalking was my segue into running. After my second knee operation, at age 39, I told the doctor I still had another marathon in me, and I wanted to make sure I could do it. He was very clear telling me âyour marathon days are overâ. Sadly, I took his word and stopped completely until eight years later, when I realized I could still participate even if it was walking. Shortly after, I discovered racewalking, met with a racewalking group and the rest is history.
Racewalking is not just walking fast; it is not power walking either. Racewalking has two basic rules: a â one foot always must be in contact with the ground (as discerned by the naked eye), and b- the front knee must be straight when it makes contact with the ground. There are other techniques and details you need to know but this is what you need in order to get started.
Racewalking is gentler on your knees because you are not dumping the additional weight of a jump on them when you land. That alone can give a second career to both those knees and its owner. It still provides you with cardiovascular benefits if you exert yourself hard enough and you can still enjoy the runners-high we all crave. If that wasnât enough, you can still participate in races, as there are no limitations against walking, you just need to observe the right etiquette, which in not on the scope of this blog post.
Less stress on your knees
The one thing you will have to adjust when you move to racewalking is switching your mindset. Throwing out the window all your previous PRs, race paces, tempos, age group rankings and being comfortable at the back of the pack. You will have to be content with just racing against yourself and enjoy getting better and progressing. Just realize you are still racing in a 5K, or a half marathon, or even a marathon, which is a better alternative to reading on how your friends via your WhatsApp group.
It is unfortunate that there are not that many racewalking groups out there, given how beneficial this discipline can be to so many. I was lucky enough to find a group and to meet coach Danny Koch, who guided me through 13 half marathons and 3 full marathons before I was able to return to running. Regardless if you find a coach or not, I can recommend âThe Complete Guide to Racewalkingâ, by Dave McGovern, as the go-to book to learn about the philosophy and technique of racewalking.
If your knees canât handle running anymore yet you still want to remain active and/or competing, I invite you to give racewalking a try. It worked for me so who knows, it may work for you, too.
Book Authors: Carrie Jackson Cheadle and Cindy Kuzma Reviewed by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
The year 2019 was for me one of those you couldnât wait for it to end. You just hoped that a change of digits at the end of the date will magically make you leave all your woes behind. A new page has turned, hopefully bringing you better health. Not one but two inguinal hernias and a couple more non-running injuries, kept me on the sidelines for the last 8 months of the year. I couldnât do much more than walk during that time.
A Must book for any injured athlete
When you are injured, your self-worth as an athlete suffers. There is no consolation even if the injury had nothing to do with your sporting activity, like mine. It was just your lot. Your performance if affected anyway, and it is difficult to cope with it. It becomes a mental challenge when your buddies start off their group run and you are left in the dust walking, so you can keep yourself active. It sucks, even if the fact you are just walking is already a triumph.
Here is where the book âReboundâ, comes in. Written by Carrie Jackson Cheadle and Cindy Kuzma, it takes injured athletes through all the mental and psychological stages of injuries. This way, you can gain some perspective on the reality that they are facing.
The severity of an injury can cost you from the next race to your career or every stop in between. âReboundâ will guide you through the process so you can manage your new reality an injured athlete in a non-self-destructive way and enhancing your probability of a successful recovery and return to action. Like they state in no uncertain terms: Recovery is now your sport.
Since injuries affect you more than just physically, the book structure guides you through the psychologic aspects of injuries and recovery. It also includes practical suggestions to continue moving forward while avoiding depression or despair, especially for those individuals whose identities are intricately woven with their athletic performance. Each chapter is anchored by a background story from a real-life athlete who has been through the issue treated in the chapter, who was able to rebound and return to action. This makes your situation relatable, and thus, solvable.
It is unfortunate for me that I got my hands on this book towards the end of my recovery. At that time, I had already suffered plenty and was in the last stages of my recovery. After reading it, I understand how beneficial would have been to have it the day I was told I needed surgery, so it could guide me through the process. As athletes, most of us will all get injured as we keep going, it is a matter of time. From 75-95% of runners (depending on the stats you read), will become injured at some time. I invite you to read the book now, so you can be prepared for when your number is called, or you can purchase it and have it handy for when your turn comes. If not you, somebody you already know will benefit from it.
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Book Author: Mark Cucuzzella
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