Category Archives: college

Wear and tear and ‘wouldn’t change a thing’

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Christopher Cudworth

While attending a Luther College reunion, I was walking next to my cross-country coach Kent Finanger, who was bent over and limping due to back issues likely related to his years of playing football and basketball during his college career. … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, alcohol, coaching, college, competition, cross country, death, Depression, foregiveness, friendship, healthy aging, healthy senior, injury, life and death, love, mental health, mental illness, running, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A November 18 to remember

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Christopher Cudworth

I make no attempt to hide my age, and it’s with pride that I share today, November 18, an accomplishment 47 years ago. I was a Luther College senior, captain of the cross-country team, and in my 8th season of … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, friendship, injury, running, steeplechase, track and field, training, TRAINING PEAKS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Rise of Women in Sports: Breaking Barriers in Running

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Christopher Cudworth

The author reflects on the impressive achievements of female athletes, like Jane Hedengren, and their unique challenges in sports compared to men. They highlight the bodily and societal hurdles women face, including menstruation, body image issues, and motherhood, while emphasizing the resilience and strength women exhibit in overcoming these barriers in their athletic pursuits. Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, college, competition, cross country, mental health, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Erections come with a cost

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Christopher Cudworth

When my daughter was just into junior high, we sat watching together TV when a Viagra commercial appeared on the air, concluding with a warning that users should “seek help” for an erection lasting longer than four hours.

“Four hours!” she burst out laughing. “Oh my God!” Continue reading →

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What else was I gonna do?

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

Over the eleven years since my late wife died and I met and married my wife Suzanne, I’ve given much thought to that choice to date so soon after the loss of a spouse. My answer to that question comes … Continue reading →

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

A definite feeling of unsurety

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Christopher Cudworth

Have you ever wondered exactly how good you really are at something? Pick anything. It could be gardening. Your job. Relationships. Marriage. Divorce. We all face these pursuits in our own way. Yet it’s really hard to judge whether you’re … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Great joys and hard lessons

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Christopher Cudworth

The day-to-day joy of writing full-time for a living was not lost on me. I truly loved writing columns and found it fascinating to edit national columnists’ work from all sorts of political perspectives. As editorial writers, our job was … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Transfer of Excellence

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

During my early thirties, I came up with a personal motivational concept called “transfer of excellence.” The idea centered around taking the best things you’ve learned from doing one thing and applying it to another. I wanted to carry over … Continue reading →

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50 years of running: building on success

Posted on November 12, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

During years of competitive running from the age of twelve through post-collegiate success on the roads and track, the most important lessons learned were how to set goals and plan the process to achieve them. After being coached through high … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Becoming a Midwestern boy

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

As our family drove west through Ohio and Indiana toward our new home in Illinois, the land flattened out and the trees disappeared into distant blue clumps dotting the horizon. I’d been to Chicago once as a small child, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, college, cross country, nature, race pace, running, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment