Category Archives: 13.1

Vacation racin’ in the human salad

Posted on February 26, 2018 by

The starting pen at the Gasparilla 8K was low on competitors lined up in the 6:30-7:30 per mile pace. I’d started far at the back of the pack lined up for the race, which numbered more than 5,000. It was … Continue reading →

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Even the losers get lucky sometimes

Posted on October 3, 2017 by

Thomas Earl Petty was born Oct. 20, 1950, in Gainesville, Fla., the first child of Earl and Katherine “Kitty” Petty. Petty had a difficult relationship with his father, and cited a particularly brutal beating he received at age 5 that … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, Christopher Cudworth, competition, cross country, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One for the Birthday Girl

Posted on August 18, 2017 by

In May of this year, I married the woman I met through FitnessSingles.com. If that sounds a bit cold or commercial, be assured the story behind our relationship is much warmer. Sue and I were both going through considerable life … Continue reading →

Posted in 13.1, competition, cycling, swimming, training for a marathon, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, We Run and Ride Every Day | Tagged | 2 Comments

Far from washed up as a runner

Posted on February 27, 2017 by

I well remember the first time I thought I was washed up as a runner. During vacation I was running slowly down a long incline at Glacier National Park. My left hip felt sore. It really hurt. I was in … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 5K, aging, Christopher Cudworth, half marathon, healthy aging, healthy senior, it never gets easier you just go faster, riding, swimming, training for a marathon, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dan Johnson is in it for the long run

Posted on September 20, 2016 by

Dan Johnson is a runner from Minnesota who attended Luther College, in Decorah, Iowa, where he ran cross country and track. As with many former teammates, I’ve kept up with Dan in a variety of ways, and became aware of … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a f*ck up, and how to keep laughing about it

Posted on August 3, 2016 by

I love it when I f*ck up. Find it amusing. My kids love it too. They roll their texting eyes and go, “OMG dad.” This morning in conversation with my fiance Sue, I was discussing a fun coaching session I … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, aging, Christopher Cudworth, competition, PEAK EXPERIENCES, race pace, racing peak, Tarsnakes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

All bets are on the women in this race

Posted on April 25, 2016 by

Somewhere in the middle of the pack of 2500 participants at the Naperville Women’s Half Marathon, a lone male figure came trotting past. He was wearing a number, so he was not a bandit. The small crowd gathered at an … Continue reading →

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Chicken legs

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

When I first started running at age 13, my vision of what would happen to my legs was something of a fantasy. I dreamed that my calves and thighs would evolve into something the girls all loved. My teammates often … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, Christopher Cudworth, cross country, cycling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What do the numbers say about women’s and men’s running?

Posted on October 27, 2015 by

So while women have closed down the pace gap in a relative short time through increased participation opportunities and a continuing growth in the sport, there is still at least a 10% difference on average between women runners at both the median and world-class levels. Interestingly, that difference is hardly evident in most races. Wherever women and men race together, the playing field is essentially, perceptually even. Relatively few men can beat the world’s best women runners. Continue reading →

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The 10 mile experiment

Posted on October 19, 2015 by

What I learned from my ten-mile experiment is simple. I’m not ready to run a half marathon because there are too many weaknesses in my foundation and training to justify a run of that length. If my pace fell off from the low 8:00s I was running early in the 10-miler it was not because I was winded, but because I was struggling with a numbness and shakey feeling down below the hip line Continue reading →

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