Category Archives: friendship

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

Here’s the 411 on the 911 on 421

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Christopher Cudworth

We all need a “go-to” route when we want to run without thinking about the course. Continue reading →

Posted in aging, Christopher Cudworth, cross country, fear, friendship, life and death, running, sex, Tarsnakes, training | 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 →

Posted in aging, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, friendship, healthy aging, healthy senior, mental health, mental illness, running, sex, track and field, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lessons learned in how to carry on

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

Following the passing of my late wife in 2013, I remained the principal caregiver for my father, Stewart Cudworth. My mother died in 2005, and despite my father’s condition as a stroke victim, he remained in their home under the … Continue reading →

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

Passing the girlfriend test

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

Following Sue’s bike accident in July 2013, she was initially not able to swim due to a torn rotator cuff. When the Naperville Sprint Triathlon rolled around in August, she reached out to a Master’s Swim buddy named Lida to … Continue reading →

Posted in alcohol, bike accidents, bike crash, Christopher Cudworth, competition, friendship, IRONMAN, running, training, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beyond the Avatar

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

Perusing the profiles on the FitnessSingles dating app in the early summer of 2013, I observed that there were plenty of active women out there in the world, but not so many close to home in Batavia, Illinois. I signed … Continue reading →

Posted in competition, cycling, cycling the midwest, friendship, healthy aging, healthy senior, love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Grief and choices

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

At times I’ve considered whether I’m “missing a chip” when it comes to grieving lost loved ones. Over the years I’ve met people, both men and women, that can’t recover after losing a spouse. Time magazine dealt with the subject … Continue reading →

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A trip back east in search of a sense of hope

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Christopher Cudworth

Following a departure from an audio-visual company reeling from its inability to finish a new product for which they never completed the software, I engaged in full-time caregiving for my wife as she sank into another recurrence of the ovarian … Continue reading →

Posted in anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, fear, foregiveness, friendship, mental health, mental illness, PEAK EXPERIENCES, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Sprint to Respectability

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Christopher Cudworth

The Naperville Sprint Triathlon is the first real triathlon I participated in ten years ago with my wife Sue. We’d met in July of 2013, gone riding and running together right away, but then she had a bike accident (her … Continue reading →

Posted in 13.1, 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, 5K, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, anxiety, bike accidents, bike crash, Christopher Cudworth, competition, cycling, friendship, IRONMAN, love, PEAK EXPERIENCES, race pace, racing peak, riding, running, swimming, Tarsnakes, triathlons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment