Category Archives: Christopher Cudworth

50 Years of Running: Turning dreams into reality

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

During the 1972 cross country season at Kaneland High School, the program started to fulfill its potential in new ways. The Varsity and Sophomore programs both finished with 14-3 records for the year. The schedule of 17 dual and triangular … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Accomplishing something real

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Following each cross country season, Kaneland coach Rich Born put together a results booklet containing training advice, inspirational quotes and––after my freshman year––a cover comprised of newspaper stories about our success. I remember feeling a great sense of pride and … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Summer running, or not

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Coming out of spring track into the summer of 1972, I was excited to get back to playing baseball. The Elburn Babe Ruth team had a fantastically fun team the year before. We traveled to small towns like Hampshire, Huntley … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Fear and Loathing in Cross country

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

I was too young to have read anything by Hunter S. Thompson when I was a freshman in high school. But it would have been good for me to absorb some of the fearless antics of the Gonzo journalist that … Continue reading →

Posted in anxiety, blood on the highway, Christopher Cudworth, competition, cross country, death, fear, mental health, running | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

50 Years of Running: Hilltop Encounters

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Perhaps a couple weeks into that first cross country season in 1971 at Kaneland High School, our team piled into a yellow school bus and traveled east for ten miles to a park known as Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve. That … Continue reading →

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130(+) miles and a great nap to show for it

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Last weekend was a great chance to indulge in serious mileage on the bike. While I’m not a mega-mileage kind of guy these days, I still relish the chance to get out there and see the wheels spin beneath the … Continue reading →

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Finding time for workouts

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

As a young father in my late 20s and early 30s, I made the decision to back off heavy training to concentrate more on making a living and being a good father. That doesn’t mean I quit running altogether. It … Continue reading →

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My longtime friend the red-tailed hawk

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Heading into my senior year at Luther College, my fitness was good and I’d used the summer to clean up my act. I cut off the long, thick hair that shrouded my face. Dumped the thick glasses and got a … Continue reading →

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Changing management practices spell the end of hosting country meets at county forest preserves

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

A friend and former cross country coach named Jeff Leavey noted on Facebook that the Kane County Forest Preserve district board voted to boot all cross country programs out of the parks starting in 2021. The board may have an … Continue reading →

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Fireworks on our minds

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Our family once had a blast setting off fireworks on the 4th of July. For the most part, they were the legal kind easily available here in Illinois. On several occasions, we also brought home louder, more dangerous fireworks from … Continue reading →

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