Run For Your Life

The first running book by a leading pioneering running doctor and athlete, creator of the US Air Force’s Efficient Running program (also updated for iPhone) – the result of more than three decades of study, practice, and science that shows us in clearly illustrated and accessible text how easy it is to run efficiently and injury-free and stay healthy, whether you’re in your twenties, sixties, or seventies–for beginning runners and experienced marathoners.

In Run for Your Life, Dr. Mark Cucuzzella explains the simple mechanics of how our bodies have evolved and adapted to run. Despite our natural ability and our human need to run, each year more than half of all runners suffer injuries. Pain and discouragement inevitably follow. Cucuzzella’s book outlines the proven, practical techniques to avoid injury and reach the goal of personal fitness and overall health.

His book–the first running book written by a Professor of Medicine with the credibility of the US Air Force behind him–gives us a straightforward, easy-to-follow look at the anatomy, biomechanics, nutrition, and clinical medicine with clear drawings and photographs. The book provides illustrated exercises designed to teach healthy running, along with simple progressions, schedules detailing key components and common mistakes, and cautions that allow the reader to tailor the training regime to individual needs and abilities. With an annotated list of videos and other innovative, book-Internet links.

“A fantastic repositioning of how to run, and of what makes running fun and healthy (they can be one and the same). True to the Hippocratic oath, Dr. Mark Cucuzzella takes back the paradigm of running that has been fostered by major shoe companies and mass media, and he recalibrates it with the runner’s best interests at heart.”

—Joe Puleo, coach of the Marine Corps Running Team and author of Running Anatomy

“The principles outlined in this book were transformational. Not only did I run faster and better, but I was able to complete my third marathon pain-free. Most important, I felt the joy of running, and that’s the type of joy anyone who runs—either around the block or one hundred miles—should have the chance to feel. Reading Dr. Cucuzzella’s book will help get you there.”

—Mike Plunkett, MisFits columnist, The Washington Post

“Dr. Cucuzzella is the most complete runner I know. He has studied every aspect of running from superior performance to injury prevention to optimal health. Most important, he aims to improve the fitness and well-being of all, from the uninitiated to beginners to veterans who still have new tricks to learn.”

—Amby Burfoot, Boston Marathon winner, writer at large for Runner’s World magazine,
and author of The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life and other titles

“Dr. Cucuzzella has long been a leading mind when it comes to healthy running and healthy living. He understands the comprehensive physiology behind the simple act of running, but he has also mastered the art of applying both science and passion to help runners understand how to maximize their strength, endurance, fitness, and enjoyment in a healthy, sustainable way. He’s an authentic source of information and enthusiasm amid a turbulent sea of flashy trends and biased product marketers. I expect Run for Your Life to become one of the leading running books of this era and to serve as a guiding light to runners of all abilities.”

—Brian Metzler, former editor in chief, Competitor magazine; founding editor, Trail Runner magazine;
co-author of Natural Running and Run Like a Champion

“Beginner. Intermediate. Advanced. Runners of all ages and abilities will advance their knowledge just by getting this book in their hands. Runners will not want to put this book down.”

—Rod Dixon, four-time Olympian and a medalist, two-time World Cross Country Championships medalist,
and New York City Marathon champion