Category Archives: 13.1

50 Years of Running: Party till you drop

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

I had a problem during the summer of 1981. The coach house I was renting became Party Central for my circle friends including my running buddies and a group of co-workers who loved having a place to toke up in … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Why running is life

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

The Rails-To-Trails movement in Illinois started in the early 1980s. The most significant development in the Fox Valley where I lived was the conversion of the Great Western railroad tracks to a running and cycling path. Most of the training … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: The Achilles Heel

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

On October 2nd of 1978, our cross country team ran a hill workout in Palisades Park, a bluff reserve on the southeast side of downtown Decorah. That weekend, we were scheduled to race at the St. Olaf Invitational. My former … Continue reading →

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13.1 miles of active consideration

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Having recently started work as a staffer at Dick Pond Athletics in St. Charles, Illinois, I’ve had cause to engage in consideration of my running career. The Dick Pond group of stores is celebrating 50 years of running, a fact … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Where Respect Is Due

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Midway through the 1973 season, I’d run well enough, and our team was doing so well, that we began to gain the attention of some local sportswriters. The newspapers that covered our team included the St. Charles Chronicle, the hometown … Continue reading →

Posted in 13.1, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, cycling, cycling the midwest, half marathon, healthy aging, PEAK EXPERIENCES, race pace, racing peak, running, running shoes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sometimes it pays not to follow your original instincts

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Last Sunday I planned to run a seven mile loop along the river path. It was windy as heck from the northwest, so it made sense to tuck down in the valley and avoid the worst of the bluster. My … Continue reading →

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An unexpected climb on the Great Western Trail

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Having lived in the Fox Valley region of Illinois for many years, I vividly recall fast-moving freight trains from the Great Western line crossing the bridge over the Fox River through downtown St. Charles. Those trains would sometimes veer off … Continue reading →

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That’s a long time in a pair of Nike Pegasus

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Something in me still holds a warm spot for Nike shoes. Continue reading →

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Winning means different things to different people

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

On a chilly October day in October, 1983, I stood on the starting line of a race in downtown Oak Park, Illinois. It was fifty degrees outside. Rain had fallen the night before and the clouds still formed a low, … Continue reading →

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Just my wife and I and ten four hundreds

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

By the time we arrived at the Geneva Middle School track, the sun was barely a hand’s width above the horizon as I took measure of the light. We’d have forty minutes or so to complete a workout of 10 … Continue reading →

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