Category Archives: cycling

On race and running

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

The coaches for the primarily black teams were always big personalities it seems. They would move around the track keeping kids in check all day, organizing relay teams and keeping an eye on the focus of their best athletes.

As a white kid from the suburbs it was enlightening to see this leadership in progress. What I knew of leadership in the black community was from big-world events in the mid-to-late 1960s. I was in grade school when John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their hands in black gloves in protest on the Olympic podium. We learned about Martin Luther King, Jr., in school, and we knew that he’d advocated peaceful protest as a means to achieve equality for black people in America. We also knew that he was assassinated by someone that was afraid of what he had to say. That was my take anyway. Continue reading →

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It takes courage to go slow sometimes

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

One of the principal lessons in distance training over the years came in the most unexpected way. I had moved out to the Philadelphia area for work when I was 23 years old, and went looking for a group of … Continue reading →

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It’s a giant game of chicken on the roads

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

So you see it really is the product of a mindset of dominance and violence of one “tribe” of people toward another. Granted there are elements of prick cyclists making it worse for everyone. Yet the mere fact of existing as an entity on the roads is motivation for the haters to move forward with an agenda of aggression toward cyclists. These actions are protected by laws governing free speech, but at some point the hate does convene into action. And who is then responsible? Continue reading →

Posted in bike accidents, blood on the highway, cycling, cycling threats, evangelical Christianity, game of chicken, gay marriage, hating cyclists, I hate cyclists, internet trolls, Open Carry, religious liberty, road kill lovers, same sex adults, Share the Road, trolls | Leave a comment

Approaching fitness, training and life like a realist

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

The sports of swimming, running and triathlon are great for both men and women in terms of body image. They give you some degree of control over how much fat hangs out on your frame, and how your muscles look and perform.

Heavy Guy Getting PumpedNo, we don’t have perfect control over all that. And perception has much to do with how we ultimately conceive and project ourselves on the world. Our vanities sometimes expose our worst attributes. Continue reading →

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, competition, cycling, duathlon, half marathon, healthy aging, healthy senior, it never gets easier you just go faster, running, the rules velominati, triathlete, triathlon, We Run and Ride Every Day | 1 Comment

Barely in control of the stupid beast

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

It used to be that the greatest threat to human beings were large animals. Supposedly we’ve evolved in some way, conquering both nature as a wild place and our own nature as a result. But it isn’t quite true. In … Continue reading →

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Burning to go

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

A news story plopped into my Facebook feed through a page called Look At My Bike Leaning Against Stuff. Yes, this page exists. And typically it is what is says. Pictures of generally nice bikes in interesting locations leaning against … Continue reading →

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The real men in the tinfoil hats

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

Years ago while on a training run in Fermi Lab, a man rode up next to me on a Schwinn bike. His chain squeaked. It needed oil. But the most interesting aspect of this fellow was the tinfoil hat that was … Continue reading →

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The obstacle course and the Tour de France

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

About a decade ago I wrote to one of the leading physiotherapy groups in the Chicago region with an idea to promote their services. And I paraphrase. “We should set up Human Agility Trials just like they do for dogs.” And … Continue reading →

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How to benefit from using speed in your training

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

Athletes who do not come up through organized programs in endurance sports often struggle with how to improve their base speed. They simply never get put in situations where the pace is pushed enough to stretch their self-perception. If your … Continue reading →

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Summer engagements and the drivetrain of love

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Christopher Cudworth

Yet, it tends to be a greasy chain of love and trust upon which we depend to drive our relationships. We wish it could always stay shiny and clean and working like new, but it doesn’t. Like all collaborative relationships, the drivetrain of love accumulates a little dirt and history along the way. Unresolved feelings tug and pull. A collection of hurts or neglect gets jammed in the links. A gritty conversation or two creates noise and wears down the components. The drag of past relationships gets in the way. All need to be maintained and cleaned up with regular purpose and practice, lest we break a chain and have to start all over again. Continue reading →

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