Category Archives: IRONMAN

Ironman, humanity, and humility

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Christopher Cudworth

Things didn’t go that well for my wife at Ironman Chattanooga last weekend. While she finished the race last year minus the swim, the hurricane that made landfall and traveled north from the Gulf of Mexico through the eastern United … Continue reading →

Posted in death, IRONMAN, life and death, love, mental health, mental illness, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The five craziest endurance feats of my life

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

As I wrap up this serialized autobiography titled Competition’s Son, I began thinking about the craziest experiences I’ve had in running, cycling, and swimming. I’ve been a runner more than fifty years, a serious cyclist just under twenty years, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, climbing, cycling, cycling the midwest, cycling threats, IRONMAN, it never gets easier you just go faster, marathon, marathon training, PEAK EXPERIENCES, race pace, racing peak, riding, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Building our lives together

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

During the early phases of our relationship, Sue and I focused on enjoying time together. She’d just taken on a new job, and I was in a state of transition working as a freelance writer for companies like Aquent and … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, adhd, bike accidents, bike crash, Christopher Cudworth, coaching, competition, cycling, cycling the midwest, IRONMAN, marathon, marathon training, racing peak, running, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | 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

Racing in Racine

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Christopher Cudworth

A few weeks into our dating, Sue was scheduled to do the Half-Ironman 70.3 race in Racine, Wisconsin. Having just gotten to know her by that point, and eager to deepen our relationship, I decided to drive up early Saturday … Continue reading →

Posted in 13.1, Christopher Cudworth, coaching, competition, cycling, IRONMAN, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

70.3 miles of key learning experiences

Posted on September 10, 2023 by Christopher Cudworth

For those of you who do triathlons, I’m sharing what it was like to do my first-ever 70.3, a Half Ironman race in Madison, Wisconsin. Those of you who don’t know the sport well are invited to find out what … Continue reading →

Posted in adhd, anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, coaching, competition, cross country, healthy aging, healthy senior, IRONMAN, running, running shoes, training, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | 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

Everything you need to know about sexualization in women’s sports in one image

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

This morning my Facebook news feed opened up to reveal a telling juxtaposition of two images and competing headlines. The first story link documents the decision by German gymnastics competitors to wear full body suits rather than participate in the … Continue reading →

Posted in competition, IRONMAN, sex, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Des Moines deserves a day in the sun

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

On the morning of the Des Moines Certified Piedmontese 70.3 Ironman, the rains thumped the roof of our hotel and race delay notifications buzzed on our phones. The lightning storm was a dire threat to anyone caught out in the … Continue reading →

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Useful takeaways from a triathlete’s first 70.3 Half Ironman

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Five years ago, standing on top of the spiral parking ramp by the Madison Hilton, I watched the start of the Wisconsin Ironman race in which my wife Sue was competing. She had a decent go of it that first … Continue reading →

Posted in 13.1, bike accidents, bike crash, bike wobble, Christopher Cudworth, climbing, competition, cycling the midwest, duathlon, half marathon, healthy aging, IRONMAN, marathon, running, swimming, training, training for a marathon, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, We Run and Ride Every Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments