AF marathon champion teaches running basics Published Oct. 31, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Jake Eckhardt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Team Scott members ran to the Base Theater Oct. 24 and 25 for a running mechanics clinic from an Air Force marathon champion. Lt. Col. Mark Cucuzzella, West Virginia University professor of family medicine and two-time Air Force Marathon champion taught the principles of exercise physiology, safe training, proper running movement and strengthening techniques. "Running should not be hard," he said. "Just drop the, 'No pain, no gain,' attitude to help you better understand the principles of movement and training." The doctor compared the running styles of adults to a child's style of running. Children often run without shoes forcing them to have a more natural and painless run. Adults have grown accustomed to wearing shoes which trains the brain to think that it is natural to have a one-half to three-quarter inch raised heel. "Children have a natural spring when they run," he said. "We have new shoes that keep adding support, because we feel like that will ease the pain when we don't need it. The more support you put under the foot, the less the foot can act like a spring, what the foot is designed to do while running. "When the foot is braced up, it inhibits the foot's abilities." Running pain may stem from from reduced flexibility of the toes and poor running posture, he added. Heeled shoes alter the normal body posture; cause the user to have a more leaned back posture which places more pressure on the joints instead of the muscles. Cucuzzella taught three exercises to correct the effects of shoes: Start by slowly jogging in place focusing on landing closer to your center of mass, use a bicycle inner tube, and have a partner hold it around the runner while they try to run away. This forces the runner to activate their primary running muscles, the glutes. He also demonstrated running with a jump rope, which teaches the runner to spring, balance, and not over stride. "It's all about the landing position," he said. "Most people stretch their leg out far in front of them, causing high impact forces and braking. The foot is supposed to land underneath you, which allows you to store and release energy." The doctor has been to roughly 40 different Air Force bases during his seven years of teaching the class and doesn't mind helping others succeed. "One by one, we're making an impact," he said. "If I can help servicemembers succeed on their PT test, I can help them succeed in their career."