Category Archives: marathon

50 Years of Running: When the shit really did hit the fan

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Christopher Cudworth

Back in college days, I became a big Warren Zevon fan. I dug into his albums because I liked the twisted lyrics and sad, crazy, needy, nutso characters he created. Zevon later became friends with Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, one … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Lessons learned

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

I can think of several big mistakes that I made during my competitive running career. The biggest blunder of all was running a 20-mile final training run the week before I was scheduled to compete in the Twin Cities Marathon. … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 5K, adhd, anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, competition, half marathon, marathon, marathon training, mental health, race pace, running | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: BSA Blues

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Coming from the world I’d inhabited in the City of Chicago, where there were few rules and fewer people to enforce them, the culture shock of working at the Boy Scouts of America was profound. I’d enjoyed being in Cub … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Hanging out with Bill Rodgers

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

My former coach and business associate Trent Richards ran a side hustle as a race director for road running events. He recruited his former athletes to work logistics, run timekeeping equipment and help with setup. It was always a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, aging, Christopher Cudworth, competition, healthy aging, marathon, running, running shoes | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

50 Years of Running: Dark nights and glimpses of light

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

As October days grew shorter the days at work started and ended in darkness. Fortunately, Van Kampen Merritt uprooted from its Chicago office and moved out to a newly constructed building at the corner of Naper Boulevard and I-88. It … Continue reading →

Posted in alcohol, anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, God, life and death, love, marathon, mental health, mental illness, nature, running shoes, sex, track and field, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Detachments

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Once the optometrist found the retinal detachment in my left eye, all the other stuff that occupied my mind fell away. I pushed him for information about how the condition came about. Was it trauma? I’d recently gotten hit in … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, Depression, God, life and death, love, marathon, mental health, race pace, steeplechase, track and field, We Run and Ride Every Day, werunandride | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giving it your all even if you’re not the prettiest in the pack

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Earlier this week I was scrolling through YouTube videos letting the algorithms toss old road and track races my way when a mid-80s video of the Gasparilla 15K popped up in the feed. The race featured a few familiar names … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 5K, Christopher Cudworth, competition, cross country, marathon, marathon training, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meet Mike Savage, one of my favorite Tri-Guys

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

The first time I got to know Mike Savage we were together riding on a long climb near Phoenix, Arizona during a weeklong Experience Triathlon spring training camp. We’d already done a couple rides that week along with a run … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, climbing, college, competition, cycling, cycling the midwest, doing pulls in cycling, healthy aging, healthy senior, marathon, riding, running, swimming, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, we run and ride | Leave a comment

There’s a right way to go bananas in endurance sports

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Given the fact that the “fruit” we call bananas is so common and inexpensive to buy, it is easy to take for granted that the Cavendish bananas commercially available in stores are a production miracle brought to the United States … Continue reading →

Posted in 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, competition, injury, marathon, marathon training, mental health, PEAK EXPERIENCES, race pace, racing peak, running, swimming, track and field, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A run of luck with Glen Kamps

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

This morning I met up to run with one of the leading personalities of the Illinois running world. That would be Glen Kamps. We go back a long ways to the early 80s when he was first working for Dick … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, cross country, half marathon, marathon, race pace, racing peak, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments