Long-time marathon runner and medical professional talks winter training

  • Published
  • By Brian Brackens
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Winter is in full swing and one challenge for marathon runners is training with snow on the ground and in low temperatures.

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, a two-time U.S. Air Force Marathon winner and the chief medical consultant for the race spoke by phone from his home in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, about training for a marathon during the winter. Cucuzzella is an expert on healthy running, has run more than 60 marathons, and has hosted a number of training clinics to prepare runners for distance running.


Q: Is it safe to run outside when it's cold?

Cucuzzella: It's perfectly safe to go outside in the snow and cool weather, as long as you are dressed well with adequate layers so that your body generates heat.

Q: Can you train when there's a lot of snow on the ground?

Cucuzzella: Without snow shoes it would not be possible to run; but you can do other things. I've spent time shoveling snow, and hiking with my kids to sled hills, all of which is training your body to move and build endurance and leg strength. So you don't need to run -- just get outside and move in the snow. Anyone who's done that for an hour knows that's more work than running.

Q: Do marathon runners train differently during the winter than they would during the warmer months?

Cucuzzella: I think it all depends on when your event is. If your event is the Air Force Marathon in September, the only goal of winter should be easy running and building your aerobic base. There's no need for any hard running or overly fatiguing running. I recommend months of easy running because it's hard to get hurt that way and that's how you run your best marathon.

Q: What does easy running look like?

Cucuzzella: It should be running at a pace where you can carry on an easy conversation or sing a song. Most people train too hard. If you are running with someone and they are huffing and puffing and can't catch their breath, they are going too hard, and they are not really serving any purpose by doing that.

Q: Any safety tips?

Cucuzzella: Safety is important, and if you are going to be running on the roads and there's snow, make sure you have adequate reflective gear. Also, I have a pair of shoes with sheet metal screws on the bottom designated for ice and snow running, which grip on ice and snow, and they are fine on the pavement. 

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

Cucuzzella: Sometimes running is too hard so don't be afraid to walk. You should build up to the point where you can spend an hour on your feet mixing walking and running and keeping your heart rate nice and low. Over the course of several months you'll progress to being able to run for that hour, to being able to run for two hours. The goal is to start easy and comfortability or else your odds of injury go up and you're not adequately building your endurance. If you get hurt during your training, you've defeated the purpose.


Cucuzzella is training to run in the U.S. Air Force, Boston and U.S. Marine Corps marathons this year.

The United States Air Force Marathon will be held Sept. 17, starting at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The Sports & Fitness Expo is held at Wright State University's Nutter Center and will be Sept. 15-16. For more information and to register, visit www.usafmarathon.com