Natural Running Center

Dr. Mark's Desk

Stability and Mobility Video for Healthier Natural Running

Patrick writes: After looking at some of the Sock-Doc’s videos on the Natural Running Center site and trying to find out how to deal with some pains on both the inside and the outside of my right knee, it appears to me that there is similarity between Dr Gangemi’s methods and Trigger-Point Therapy.  Is this accurate? [Read more...]

On a regular basis, health and fitness journalist Gretchen Reynolds, who contributes to the Well Blog of the New York Times, has done a stellar job writing about the information, studies, and reports emerging rom the frontlines of exercise research. The topics are timely, and she is able to expertly highlight the salient facts. Best [Read more...]

Trail Runner Nation is a community-centric website that’s supported by aficionados of the off-road. Their motto is “Run Strong and Run Long. They recently invited Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, our fearless leader of the Natural Running Center, to share his views in a podcast. It’s a fun, informative and doozy of an interview. Listen here if [Read more...]

Camille Herron, who placed 26th at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with a PR of  2:37, has an interesting personal story. Years ago, she was a self-described “hobby jogger” with a top time of 19 minutes for the 5K. Then she got serious, really serious about running. She went minimalist. Camille writes on her [Read more...]

Blaise Dubois, the great running maestro from the Great North and founder of The Running Clinic, is never shy when it comes to expressing his well-researched, expert opinions about form, footwear, and function. The following essay by Blaise, “10 Good Reasons to Run in PECH shoes (Pronation control and/or Elevated Cushioned Heel)”, recently appeared on [Read more...]

 A regular reader of Natural Running Center’s website, Patrick sent us the following essay– which in the interest of runners everywhere, we’d like to share. To misquote Thomas Paine, “these are the times that tries men’s soles.”– NRC   I am a barefoot runner from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. As I get better at running barefoot, I [Read more...]

In the following essay, which appears in the current issue of Podiatry Today, Dr. Nick Campitelli, a health and medical advisor to the Natural Running Center, who is board-certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, addresses a hotly debated topic in professional foot-treatment circles. Tackling The 10 Myths Of Barefoot Running by Nicholas A. [Read more...]

 A month ago, running form guru Jae Gruenke was kind enough to email me with some of her learning and observations from years of experience teaching and developing a program now called The Balanced Runner. She has taught hundreds of runners at her clinics in New York City.  She has also helped three-time Olympian Jen Rhines. From [Read more...]

Action picks up around the 1:10 mark.

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Two Rivers Treads want your old, and they mean really old, running shoes for their new “Shoeseum” that will originally be housed in the Shepherdstown, West Virginia store.  Vintage sneakers from the 60s and 70s are especially wanted (flat-sole, thin treads, lightweight, little cushioning). This makes one think how running has [Read more...]

Kevin Lyons, an Austin-based runner, journalist, and blogger at 5Ksandcabernets.com, posted an interesting take on how speed is indeed relative when compared to distance covered. Kenya’s Patrick Makau set the world record time for a marathon by running the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 38 seconds (2:03:38). Makau’s minute-per-mile pace was a blistering [Read more...]

by Jason Robillard. Go to any road race.  Stand at some random spot along the course.  Watch as the runners pass.  Count how many land with a heavy over-striding heel strike. It’s obvious this style of running is still extremely popular.  Hell, it’s even advertised for products that are supposed to be designed for midfoot [Read more...]