Seen at the Shepherdstown Holiday Parade is a Newton-wearing Grinch. Maybe the original G was plotting a quick getaway!
Even the Grinch Cares About Proper Footwear!
Reply
Shepherdstown Holiday Parade
We had great fun today at the Shepherdstown Holiday Parade with the Two Rivers Treads team. The parade was priceless and to have a giant “foot” ride the convertible with Miss West Virginia (Spenser Wempe) is one for the local history books. Miss WV even came into our store. Here’s several photos. By the way, she’s wearing four-inch heels, and as everyone who knows me, I am barefoot! Hence the “height discrepancy! –Dr. Mark
Local Ultra Runner Jeff Fiolek Conquers Oil Creek 100-Mile Trail Run
Two Rivers Treads' James Munis (in race "pacer" bib) helped Jeff Fiolek get through a very long run! Jeff's son Jackson also shows his support.
by James Munis
Last October, I was lucky enough to enjoy supporting a local runner in an ultra running event (treks/runs of more than 26.2 miles). Here’s my fuill report of a remarkable weekend and remarkable runner.
Ultra events are guaranteed to be a unique discovery/learning experience for anyone, weather volunteering or participating. The Oil Creek Ultra Trail Runs (www.oilcreek100.org) are Pass/Fail events. You cannot switch from a longer run to a shorter distance during the event. You must finish the event you start; finisher’s belt buckles and bumper stickers must be earned, they cannot be purchased.
Jeff, Sheri, and their son Jackson Fiolek of Harpers Ferry, WV spent the last year or so preparing for their third Oil Creek trail run adventure in Titusville, PA. Sheri has been top three- female the first two years and Jeff has run twice. This would be Jeff’s first 100-mile finish and being familiar with such a difficult course is essential to “pass” this test of endurance. The Fiolek family approach to any of their adventures always begins with respect for the difficulty of the course and for Mother Nature in general. Next, they prepare with the patience and discipline required to properly build a foundation of endurance – something most humans are naturally capable of, but mentally challenged with following through on. Ultra runners will tell you that they cannot be successful without the support of their friends and family, and I was witness to what this support is all about. Continue reading “Local Ultra Runner Jeff Fiolek Conquers Oil Creek 100-Mile Trail Run” »
Wee Warrior Dash: Obstacle “Racing” Just for the Kids
Laura Bergmann, World-Class Athlete, World-Class Person
Laura in her Newtons at the gym; photo courtesy of The Observer.
This just out: Read in the November issue of The Observer, the story and amazing rise of local Laura Bergmann to world-class multisport status in duathlon and triathlon. With her sterling athletic background and Master’s degree in exercise science, Laura is a popular member of our Two Rivers Treads’ team teaching clinics and mentoring the community in healthy running and movement. Thank you writer Dave Lillard for acknowledging her strong, tireless work ethic. — Dr. Mark
Two Rivers Treads and Dr. Mark in New York Times Sunday Magazine Feature
Chris McDougall at our free barefoot running clinic last May in Shepherdstown Photo by http://machenfamily.blogspot.com.
Two Rivers Treads got a huge shout-out this week in the New York Times: “Two River Treads {is} a ‘natural’ shoe store sandwiched between Maria’s Taqueria and German Street Coffee & Candlery in Shepherdstown, W.Va., which, against all odds, {owner} Cucuzzella has turned into possibly the country’s top learning center for the reinvention of running.” The article was written by Chris McDougall who has been to Shepherdstown twice and attended our barefoot running and form clinic last May. Thank you, Chris and the New York Times for the mention and alerting readers to the injury-free joys and delights of natural running. Read entire article here. And make sure to read the readers’ comments here; and there’s over 150, many who are new believers in minimalism, while others adopt a skeptic’s stance. The ongoing footwear debate continues. Let us know what you think. Submit your comments below.
A Free Spirit in the Freedom’s Run
Freedom’s Run, Continued….
Start of the kids run.
The 200 kids in the Free Kids Fun Run was a highlight of the day for us. We were about to call this off but the kids insisted we run it. Good advice. They were happy and smiling.
My son Leo in the photo is eight years old. He had just finished a wet soccer game and came over to help at the Freedom’s Run finish line with his sister Lily, who is six. The kids’ run was scheduled for 11:30. At 10:30 there was a miserable cold rain and I was considering canceling. I asked Leo’s opinion and he was puzzled.”Why would you cancel?” he asked. So we ran and over 200 children played happily in the puddles.
Leo ran a mile in 7:40 in his super minimalist Saucony Hattori’s. Sister Lily was hot on his heels in 7:59 in her VivoBarefoot Rooty’s. The Cucuzzella kids are Born to Run.
Short Video from Freedom’s Run 2011
Connecting Running with History and Nature: The Freedom’s Run
Photo by Susan Scheff
An article by Mary Evenhart in the Shendandoah Press wonderfully captures the birth and founding spirit of the Freedom’s Run which will attract 2,700 runners and 400 volunteers in less than two weeks. As former Freedom Run’s Marathoners know, the course takes runners from Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia up the C&O Canal and Potomac Heritage Scenic Trail into Antietam National Battlefield through Sharpsburg, Maryland, ending in Shepherdstown. It’s a run right through the pages of American history. (The other Freedom’s Races don’t cover as much ground!) Freedom’s Run would never would have gotten to where it is now without the vision and support of Lois Turco, regional cultural activist, who, according to Mary’s article, “at that time was also working on two projects that combined tourism with the region’s history: establishing the Washington National Heritage Area, which she hoped would heighten awareness of George Washington’s vision for the nation’s westward expansion, and the Two Rivers Heritage Partnership, which would promote sustainable tourism and development, with conservation of the region’s heritage as the key to its marketability.” I hope you read the article, and thank you, Lois, and thank you, Mary! –Dr. Mark
Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, 44, Wins the Air Force Marathon!
On Saturday, September 17, in Dayton, Ohio, Dr. Mark Cucuzzella won the Air Force Marathon in a time of 2:38:48. Not bad for a 44 year old who topped 2,500 finishers! Those are Newton's MV-2's he's wearing and they are in stock at Two Rivers Treads. Complete interview with Mark at Natural Running Center -- go to http://naturalrunningcenter.com
Freedom’s Run Spotlight: Don Taylor
So what do you do as an encore after finishing the 2010 Freedom’s Run marathon at the age of 79? Well, Don Taylor, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, has an answer. You keep on running. Don will be there at the 2011 race when the gun goes off. He will be 80. (He went 6:10 last year.) Don has been running competitively for 70 years, and his marathon PR stands at 3:49:11 when he was 55. Don retired after serving in the military and working in operations for a large U.S. corporation. He runs two to three times a week, preferably trail, and at least once a week he bikes with a club in Shepherdstown, averaging between 20 and 30 hilly miles. He’s run 131 marathons. Freedom’s Run will be 132; he’s also done plenty of halfs, ultras, and 5Ks. At the age of 72, he summitted Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (19,340 feet). Fortunately, Don has been injury-free most of his life following his service in the military. These days, however, he admits to feeling some tenderness under the ball of his foot (no bruising) which gives him momentary acute pain but seldom before mile 20.
And what about his footwear? He says that he has no brand preference but he has wide feet, high arch and an abnormally high instep. Tom Shantz at our store was able to find Don the right pair for him — Newtons. Don says that they were “probably the most comfortable shoes that he has ever worn but that he still had to change his running posture.” As he admits, “it’s not easy teaching new tricks to an old dog.” Good luck, Don, in our race…and all your upcoming races. You are inspiration to everyone!
VivoBarefoot Kids Shoe Giveaway
On Sunday, less than 24 hours after Hurricane Irene roared through the region, the day was calm, the skies were blue, and the sidewalk outside Two Rivers Treads was filled with excited kids and their parents. They were there for the VivoBarefoot Kids Shoe Giveaway. Earlier in the week, I had sent out an email to everyone who is on our store’s mailing list:
Community Runners and Walkers,
VivoBarefoot kids shoe giveaway this Sunday 4-6pm at Two Rivers Treads. We have 150 pair of barefoot style kids shoes that many parents and kids have grown to love over the past year. VivoBarefoot and Two Rivers Treads are both donating shoes to make this happen.Kids will make a pledge to run 26 miles over the course of the fall in small chunks….we’ll have a fun sheet for them. Shoes fit children approx ages 4-8. (sizes 27-34 Euro).We’ll try our best to fit your kids.
Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated on how their running is going.–Dr. Mark
“Keepin’ Up!” — Barefoot Running with the Kids
Shepherdstown Chalk Art Festival
On Sunday, August 7, local artists decorated the sidewalks of Shepherdstown with chalk art, demonstrating that chalk drawings are also for grownups. The first Shepherdstown Chalk Art Festival was a fundraiser for the Children’s Tree House and CraftWorks at Cool Spring. These two local organizations are nonprofits that incorporate nature in education. Adding an artist’s touch to the sidewalk in front of Two Rivers Treads was Sheri Fiolek, a serious runner, great supporter of our local runs, and art teacher at Paige Jackson Elementary School. Sheri told a reporter for the Shepherdstown Chronicle that she chose our store because “I’m a big fan of Two Rivers Treads.They are one of the first shoe stores to abandon the traditional running shoe. They teach natural running form.” Sheri later emailed me a photo taken during the art fundraiser with this note: “I wore my Vibrams. Funny anyone who was from Shepherdstown automatically ‘got’ my images. I tracked the bare feet down the sidewalk a ways. I had the ‘modern’ running footprints entering the store, and bare feet (or Vibrams) leaving the store, trekking through a mud puddle and running through town.” Thank you, Sheri, for sharing! — Dr. Mark
Running Uphill: Quick Video Tutorial
As much as I love running in West Virginia, business often takes me far from home. I don’t mind, however, when the destination is Boulder. Colorado. I was there for several days in early August to conduct running drills and work with the Newton Running team on various projects. Whenever time permitted and the meetings were over, I headed straight for the trails. Here’s a video on uphill running that my friend, Pete Larson, who is also Mr. Runblogger (a must-read blog for anyone interested in any and all aspects of footwear science, gait, and shoes), filmed of me and Two Rivers Treads employee Brad Dodson going up the rocky trail on Flagstaff Mountain. Brad is a 4:07 miler, physical therapy student, and formerly injured runner. I say “formerly.” Enjoy the short video, and I hope it helps you better tackle the hills in our own backyard near and around Shepherdstown.
–Dr. Mark
Filming the Filming of Our Newton Running Video
It’s a Bird, It’s A Plane, No…It’s Brandon Going All Out at the Finish in a High School Track Meet
Brandon Doughty, who works part-time at Two Rivers Treads, is also an accomplished high school runner, wining the mile and cross-country states his junior year. Here’s his pr’s: 400 meters-50.4; 800 meters-1:54.03; 1600 meters-4:12; 3200 meters-9:12. His top time for the 5K is a sizzling 15:23. In this photo, Brandon is simply doing what he knows best, and that is giving his all near the finish. He didn’t win the 800 meters race, but we’ll give him a 10 for his airborne form, giving new meaning to the term, “taking a dive.”
Step Into Our Shoes– A Two Rivers Treads’ Music Video
Local Runners Take Part in Our New Video for Newton Running Shoes
Local runners mill in front of the store as the filming is about to get underway.
Even though it was hot, with one of the nation’s worst heat waves clamping down on folks, local runners came out in response to my email invitation to film a community-oriented piece for Newton Running Shoes. Probably over a hundred runners showed up in front of Two Rivers Treads on late Sunday afternoon (July 24.) I also would like to thank The Journal for helping to get the word out. While the video focused on Newton’s brand of running shoes, runners were able to wear whatever they happened to have. Our goal was to film a large group of runners and walkers coming up German Street. All ages, abilities, runners and walkers were encouraged. The commercial was filmed by Thad Reid Productions, and will be shared at Newton’s Retail Conference in two weeks.
We had such a blast that I’d to share with everyone several additional photos that were taken during the filming. — Dr. Mark
