Category Archives: cross country

And it was good.

Posted on December 1, 2016 by

  At the age of 12, having moved with my family from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to the small town of Elburn, Illinois, the world felt like it was upside down, or inside out. Even the soil in Illinois looked different from … Continue reading →

Posted in competition, cross country, running, track and field, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

The legacy of Kent Finanger at Luther College

Posted on October 26, 2016 by

  This week my college cross country coach Kent Finanger celebrated a birthday. Kent always encouraged his runners to appreciate that day in their life. “This is your day!” he’d egg us on! “Wow Fun Wow!”   That was one … Continue reading →

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When the autumn light leads to inner light

Posted on September 13, 2016 by

The last few days have been so pristine and beautiful here in Illinois it almost takes your breath away. The skies have been clear. Hardly any breeze. That led me to take a run in the forest preserve where the … Continue reading →

Posted in cross country, running, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Biggest Loser

Posted on September 9, 2016 by

  Through the third week of the high school cross country season during my senior year in high school, I had not lost in a series of dual meets and triangulars. Then came the first invitational of the season, a … Continue reading →

Posted in cross country, running, Uncategorized | Tagged | 7 Comments

Gotta Love A Locker Room

Posted on August 17, 2016 by

The timeworn cliche of a rough old coach on the playing field calling an end to practice by yelling, “Hit the lockers, boys…” may not be what it used to be. Times have changed. Some kids refuse to use the locker … Continue reading →

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Ever thought about the best fitness investments you ever made?

Posted on May 13, 2016 by

All of us depend on equipment and coaching to improve performance. In 40+ years of competition, I’ve tried to invest in areas where the returns are greatest. Some of these items were part of a team opportunity or program. Others were … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, cross country, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chicken legs

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

When I first started running at age 13, my vision of what would happen to my legs was something of a fantasy. I dreamed that my calves and thighs would evolve into something the girls all loved. My teammates often … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, Christopher Cudworth, cross country, cycling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Memories are mist on the windshield of time

Posted on December 16, 2015 by

The last two days I made the wonderful drive up to Minneapolis, Minnesota and back. And I mean that seriously. It really is a beautiful drive. Over the years, and for a variety of reasons I’ve covered that road up from … Continue reading →

Posted in bike accidents, bike crash, bike wobble, Christopher Cudworth, cross country, cycling, cycling the midwest, running, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

10 Lessons from Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2015 by

It struck me during a 6-mile run this morning in increasing rain that today is indeed Halloween. I can recall many a fall evening on October 30 being excited about the next day’s promise. Often a conference cross country meet … Continue reading →

Posted in cross country, cycling, running | Tagged , | 4 Comments

A place to run through time

Posted on October 22, 2015 by

Yesterday I ran in Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve, a large park on the west side of St. Charles, Illinois where I went to high school. The preserve is a mix of grassy hills, mature oak woodlands and former farm and … Continue reading →

Posted in cross country, running | Tagged , | 1 Comment