Category Archives: competition

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

A minute can last a lifetime

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

I had a nice conversation yesterday with Craig Virgin, one of America’s greatest distance runners whose 27:29 10K still ranks in the top ten all-time. He was also a three-time Olympian We talked about his book Virgin Territory, which I … Continue reading →

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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 →

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What athletes can teach the world about surviving a pandemic

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Yesterday’s news was dominated by the fact that the State of Florida broke the record for the most cases of Coronavirus in a single day. That outcome was the result of hundreds of thousands of people flooding back to beaches … Continue reading →

Posted in bike accidents, bike crash, competition, cycling, healthy senior, religious liberty, riding, swimming, training, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | 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 →

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Blasts from the past

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Perhaps you’ve experienced a few encounters online the past year or so in which people openly defy practical truth in favor of their closely embraced ideology. Much of the world, it seems, is quite busy manufacturing their own version of … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, Christopher Cudworth, competition, death, Depression, evangelical Christianity, running | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Maybe fireworks aren’t what really matters

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

For several decades our family tradition was spending the 4th of July in my in-laws’ back yard. We’d light small fireworks all day until everyone smelled like smoke and gunpowder. My son grew to love the pyrotechnics and his uncle … Continue reading →

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How much do you value your college experience?

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

I’m leading off today’s original thoughts on running, riding and swimming by asking readers to consider a question: How much do you value your college experience? And then I’ll follow up with a confession. Perhaps I’m one of those people … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, healthy aging | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

You never know what a little cheerleading can do

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

A cross country meet is not the place where one normally expects to see cheerleaders. That tradition is more closely associated with football and basketball games where crowds fill the bleachers. Yet there were cheerleaders assigned to our cross country … Continue reading →

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