Category Archives: race pace

50 Years of Running: Tears for Fears

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

All around me are familiar facesWorn out places, worn out facesBright and early for the daily racesGoing nowhere, going nowhere Lyrics to Mad World by Tears for Fears, later recorded by Gary Jules As I continued working hopefully for Trent … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, Christopher Cudworth, competition, healthy aging, life and death, mental health, mental illness, nature, race pace, racing peak, running, track and field | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Under a Mad Moon

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Whether from the wet and 40-degree April weather or from the impacts of overtraining, I picked up a nasty cold at the end of April, 1984. “Sore throat. Sore thighs. Tired. Dry air in room. Window open tonight,” I wrote … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 400 workouts, 5K, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, race pace, racing peak, running, running shoes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: “Faster than you”

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

On April 15 of 1984, I raced on home turf for the Running Unlimited store in Arlingtonn Heights. Though it had rained overnight, and dawn arrived with 43-degree temps, I was eager as hell to run a five-mile race after … Continue reading →

Posted in 5K, adhd, Christopher Cudworth, competition, healthy aging, mental health, nature, race pace, racing peak | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: And pocketfuls of money

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

While my quasi-job search continued, and freelance work kept trickling in, I mused whether to continue the solo journey or go to grad school. I’d made one inquiry years before about getting a Master’s Degree in Art from Northern Illinois … Continue reading →

Posted in alcohol, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, love, mental health, race pace, running, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: The cold heart of a Chicago winter

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Our landlord was a cheap bastard when it came to heating our building. At times, the inside temps sank to fifty degrees indoors. I’d struggle to keep painting or writing under those conditions. We complained, but it was no use. … Continue reading →

Posted in fear, God, life and death, love, mental health, nature, race pace, running, sex | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: The singular nature of a double life

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

In late October of 1983, with the racing season nearing its end, I was still attending workouts with the Tom Brunick crew at both University of Illinois-Chicago as well as the odd little cinder track at Northwestern in the upper … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, gay marriage, God, love, mental health, mental illness, nature, race pace, running, sex, track and field, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: In the company of legends

Posted on February 12, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

My association with my former coach Trent Richards grew in 1983 and ’84. We finished up his brochure for his new company One-On-One Fitness, and spent some time learning biomechanical analysis from his associate and podiatrist friend Dr. John Durkin. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, cross country, injury, mental health, race pace, racing peak, running, running shoes, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Unlimited

Posted on February 10, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

As the fall racing season wore down in 1983, I managed to race twice in November, a 32:08 10K on the 6th and a 32:26 10K in the Vertel’s Turkey Trot on November 20. The splits in that race indicated … Continue reading →

Posted in cross country, fear, mental health, PEAK EXPERIENCES, race pace, racing peak, running, running shoes, training, training for a marathon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years or Running: The architecture of victory

Posted on February 9, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

After winning the Run for the Money 10k in Arlington Heights, I turned my sights to another 10k, the Frank Lloyd Wright Run in Oak Park. That week I caught up to a guy while training in Lincoln Park. “Interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, 5K, bike crash, bike wobble, Christopher Cudworth, competition, healthy aging, race pace, racing peak | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Summer reckoning

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Reckoning: the action or process of calculating or estimating something. August in the City of Chicago is often literally and figuratively exhausting. That was particularly true because our apartment on the second floor faced Clark Street and Lincoln Park. With … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, Christopher Cudworth, college, cross country, Depression, God, it never gets easier you just go faster, race pace, running | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment