Category Archives: Christopher Cudworth

With dogs and cats the gratitude goes both ways

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Just over a year ago we adopted a rescue dog that had been abandoned on a roadside in Tennessee with a broken leg. She was gathered up by Safe Haven, a Chicago area dog adoption organization and fostered by our … Continue reading →

Posted in bike crash, Christopher Cudworth, cycling, running | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If you want better workouts, warm up like the pros do

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Over the past few months I’ve conducted an unintentional experiment with which you may be familiar, but don’t always abide. It’s called doing a legitimate warmup. On runs, this means taking the first two miles no faster than your body … Continue reading →

Posted in 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, Christopher Cudworth, competition, cycling, running | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

An August afternoon with bikinis, sunshine and running

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

During the summer of 1974, anticipation for the fall cross country season was high. We’d done well the previous year in both the conference and district meet, and a core of seniors was returning to make it a fun and … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, cross country, swimming | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Keeping your distance while going the distance

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

While setting up transition for the Springfield Olympic distance triathlon this past Saturday, I was greeted by a tall guy parking his bike on the same rail. It was Denny Koonce, a reader of this blog and a solid triathlete. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, competition, cycling, half marathon, healthy aging, healthy senior, mental health, racing peak, swimming, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Have you ever been underestimated?

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

When my son Evan was perhaps ten years old, he turned to me and said, “Dad, have you ever noticed that when people say “Good for you” they are often being condescending?” Yes, my son understood the meaning of condescension … Continue reading →

Posted in anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, competition, cross country, cycling, marathon, marathon training, mental health, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In memory of Dave Bashaw, a sweet and talented guy

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

A friend of mine from long ago (and still today) sent me the obituary of a fellow runner from a nearby town. His name was Dave Bashaw. Dave was a talented and determined runner from Geneva High School. I competed … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, mental health, mental illness, running | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The smell of asphalt

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Yesterday while working at home the air inside our house started to smell something like mothballs. I walked around trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. Then my wife told me, “It’s the pavers doing the driveway … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, running | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The anatomy of a grandiose fail

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Following an epic countryside ride in which I joined up with much younger cyclists to whip across the Illinois landscape, I was feeling frisky and proud. I got back home and wanted to take a photo for Instagram with my … Continue reading →

Posted in bike accidents, bike crash, Christopher Cudworth, cycling the midwest | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Scandal on the Great Western Trail

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

I did the unthinkable today. I wore shorts that exposed the white skin on my upper thighs. It didn’t used to work this way. As a young runner, back when running short fashions were high, my legs were tan from … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, cross country, running | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No basket of regrets. Just buckets of fun.

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

The summer before my senior year in high school, I worked as a coach for the St. Charles Track Club, an organization originally managed by my coach cross country and track coach Trent Richards. When he stepped down a dedicated … Continue reading →

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