As much as we try to navigate our way around Dr. Google and his suggestions for our troubles as runners, we all know deep in our hearts that the best way to deal with an injury or frustration is to go speak to a medical professional. 

But it can be hard to find someone you trust without spending thousands trying to find someone who won't just say, "stop running". That is why I brought Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Dr. Josh Emdur on today as they are working on something radical that could change the way we as runners are treated for our running injuries. Steady MD is something that I believe a LOT of you will benefit greatly from.

Mark, Josh and I discuss running in its basic form, the peace it brings us, and why even if you have a very busy life, where it feels like you don't even have a minute to yourself, you need to find time to get yourself in a healthy place, or there is no way you can help those you love. If Dr Josh and Dr Mark can manage it, we all definitely can!

We discuss the problems in the health industry today, and the frustration as runners we feel when we can't even get our doctors to get back to us within 24 hours, let alone the immediate response we hope for...when we have a pain, but a big race is coming, we need help NOW.

We dive deep into the culture we live in, and what we can do if we are frustrated with the communities we live in. You have to be the role model and the one to begin that change towards health. Mark and Josh give great advice how.

Finally, we talk about female bodies, and what body fat a woman needs to be able to sustain a healthy pregnancy, and how we can overcome the mismatch with what our culture portrays as the perfect weight.

If we do not do something, the girls growing up in our world will believe that an unhealthily lean body type is what they have to strive towards, but it needs to be changed. 

This episode is for you if you are passionate about health and those you love being in a place where they can live a long and happy life. Or if you are frustrated with injuries and the medical system never really giving you any help or control over the situation. 

Today's Guests

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Dr. Josh Emdur

Dr Mark Cucuzzella is one of the leaders of the health industry for his work in the state of West Virginia. Mark a family medicine physican with an extensive background in treating health diseases. Mark is the executive director of Two Rivers Treads Running Store, and race director for the Freedom Run.

Dr Josh Emdur is a family physician with extensive expertise in the non-surgical treatment of adult disorders, including the treatment of severe life-threatening illnesses. Josh is now the lead physician working for SteadyMD Running; an online platform to work one on one with a health professional who cares about you as a runner.

What You Will Learn About

• Why waking up early to get your run in is like being a member of a secret club and the stillness is so good for us.
• Is trail or road running more likely to give you an injury? Should we all do trail running or just for runners doing trail races?
• Why SteadyMD is partnering runners from all over the world with a physician who actually understands runners and can help you with your running injury questions at any time you need.
• Fructose and the damage is is doing to our bodies, what we can do in our communities to reverse or limit the damage on our loved ones.
• Why it is so important to cook and eat dinner as a family...even if that means you eat later at night.
• Why women lose their menstrual cycles, and how to know if you need to do something about it.

Inspirational Quotes

It wasn't really until I became a parent where I found running and started running consistently.  -Josh

(Running) just creeps up on you. It took me a while before I started to identify myself as a runner, but once you really start having that consistency of training, you realize, the habit forming and addictive nature of running, its interesting how it just sneaks up on you.-Josh

In order to be in a healing profession, it's impossible to care for others if you aren't yourself in a good personal spot...If you are stressed, and you are not happy with your own life, it is really impossible to heal others.-Josh

Variety is the spice of life for everything. It is great to do different things, and prevent burnout.-Josh

We live in a new world of connectivity with the internet, there is no doubt healthcare is changing...the current model of healthcare doesn't really leverage technology to its potential. With SteadyMD, using technology and messaging and video conferencing, I am able to develop real personal relationships with my runners.-Josh

I don't think virtual medicine or online medicine is going to solve every single problem a patient comes in with, but probably 90% of things that happen in well people can be done online.-Mark

Most chronic disease management and preventing is understanding the patterns a person has, looking at their lab values, going through training and food diaries.-Mark

Just because you are a runner and you exercise frequently, it doesn't actually mean you are healthy.-Josh

its up to you, the world out there is designed to make us all really sick. There is a mcdonalds on every street corner, we take buses, the streets aren't safe to go run or ride your bike. That is what it is and that's not gonna go away. Mark

You start losing the weight, and your body is making energy.-Mark

Don't put pain in your body. -Mark

Health is normal human functioning, and a females health, the way we are designed or evolved is that we are designed so that if you are a female to get pregnant, sustain a childbirth, and feed the child, which takes a different level of body fat to Josh or I. We were designed to go out and hunt and kill things or keep bad things away from the cave or whatever habitative dangers are.

You need a critical percent body fat to maintain those normal functions, running fast is kind of a mismatch. To run at world class level, probably the highest end body fat of an olympian champion marathoner might come in at around 15-16%, and they are healthy to a degree. Unhealthy is when females start getting down to 10-12%. Mark

Once you stop menstruating, it really should raise some flags, and what are my goals. Sure, if you are trying to make the olympics, thats a sacrifice, but for most people, menstruation is a healthy, normal body function, and in order to get it back, you really have to invest in your recovery. -Josh

Resources Mentioned

• Last week's episode with Rob Jones
• The Healthy Running Clinics (Mark's courses)
• HealthFitYou (will be the website once it launches)
• Steady MD Running
• Natural Running Center website 
• Washington Post Article on Stress Fractures in Collegiate Athletes
• Peak Performance by Steve Magness and  Brad Stulburg