Category Archives: 5K

There’s always someone faster than you, and often it’s a woman

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Yesterday afternoon was hot. Ninety-plus degrees hot. But my planned run on the Great Western Trail promised shade for much of the way. So I parked the car and wandered over to the trailhead and stretched a bit. A mother … Continue reading →

Posted in 5K, aging, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, healthy aging, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We’re all on a lifelong mission of self-recovery

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

At one point during my early 20s, I worked part-time jobs while training nearly full-time as a distance runner. Though I knew I wasn’t world class by any means, the mood among serious runners in the early 80s was one … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 5K, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, anxiety, cycling, healthy aging, IRONMAN, marathon, racing peak, swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What kind of engine do you have?

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

My wife’s coach recently made her chuckle while discussing her training. “You’ve got a diesel engine,” he told her. “We want to spread your speed and energy out over the whole race.” That got me thinking about what kind of … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, 5K, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, marathon, marathon training, running | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Reunion of Champions

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Christopher Cudworth

Last evening I received a call from Paul Mullen, a college roommate and teammate from both cross country and track. He works in Development for my alma mater Luther College. He wanted to reach out because he is super excited … Continue reading →

Posted in 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, 5K, aging, Christopher Cudworth, competition, cross country, track and field | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Athlete’s Lament

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Christopher Cudworth

I didn’t get up and work out at the crack of dawn this morning. In fact, I didn’t get up at all until about 6:24 a.m. That’s late for me. More typically I’m either out the door running, dipped into … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 5K, aging, competition, mental health, race pace | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A Turkey Trot treatise

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Christopher Cudworth

A Thanksgiving morning road race has become a tradition for millions of runners. Our local race is four miles, which is about the perfect racing distance for the masses. A little longer than the typical 5K, yet not as taxing … Continue reading →

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Rare opportunities in life

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Christopher Cudworth

What rare birds can teach us about all of life’s opportunities Yesterday through email I learned there was a sighting of a relatively rare bird, a Smith’s Longspur, in the vicinity of our house. We back up to a wetland, … Continue reading →

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What goes on in the mind of a runner?

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Christopher Cudworth

People who don’t like to run or find it boring often ask the same question: “What do you think about all that time?” Of course there’s no pat answer to that question. Runners think about a lot of things during … Continue reading →

Posted in 5K, Christopher Cudworth, competition, running, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Vacation racin’ in the human salad

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Christopher Cudworth

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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Best efforts

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Christopher Cudworth

Thirty years ago sportswriter Kenny Moore published a compilation of his best writing about runners for Sports Illustrated. His stories included profiles of people such as David Moorcroft, the British runner who ran 13:01 for 5000 meters, breaking the world … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, 5K, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, running, steeplechase | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment