Category Archives: running

50 years of running: The appeal of discipline

Posted on August 25, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

As a kid I wasn’t happy about being told what to do. My father was a bit authoritarian in his approach, and something in me always fought back. Classic father-son stuff, really. Nothing that millions of kids in the 60s … Continue reading →

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50 years of running: Finding joy in being tested

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

The first few weeks of freshman cross country season in 1971 were rife with tests of many kinds. Building endurance takes time. Yet the days keep coming despite sore legs and a growing sense of overall fatigue. Our coaches Rich … Continue reading →

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50 years of running: An introduction to pain

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

This is the first in a series of articles chronicling fifty years of running since I went out for cross country as a freshman in high school. Some point in the middle of August 1971, my father drove me from … Continue reading →

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Finding time for workouts

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

As a young father in my late 20s and early 30s, I made the decision to back off heavy training to concentrate more on making a living and being a good father. That doesn’t mean I quit running altogether. It … Continue reading →

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My longtime friend the red-tailed hawk

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Heading into my senior year at Luther College, my fitness was good and I’d used the summer to clean up my act. I cut off the long, thick hair that shrouded my face. Dumped the thick glasses and got a … Continue reading →

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Changing management practices spell the end of hosting country meets at county forest preserves

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

A friend and former cross country coach named Jeff Leavey noted on Facebook that the Kane County Forest Preserve district board voted to boot all cross country programs out of the parks starting in 2021. The board may have an … Continue reading →

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Fireworks on our minds

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Our family once had a blast setting off fireworks on the 4th of July. For the most part, they were the legal kind easily available here in Illinois. On several occasions, we also brought home louder, more dangerous fireworks from … Continue reading →

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Going fast and built to last

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

The cycling season has ramped up kind of slow for me this year. For the last few seasons, we’ve gone to a triathlon camp that kicks fitness into gear. Like most athletes, I need that sustained period of training to … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, Christopher Cudworth, climbing, college, competition, cross country, cycling, cycling the midwest, healthy aging, healthy senior, it never gets easier you just go faster, riding, running, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The wrong kind of Tick Tock

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Here’s something I can say without remorse or equivocation. I hate ticks. Regular old dog ticks are bad enough. They find their way onto my socks and pants in the fields and make their way up my body until something … Continue reading →

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On the flip side, I don’t have to prove myself at the family picnic

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Yesterday I wrote a short lament about the way sports consumes so much of our lives if we let it. That’s not a total regret. I’ve gained quite a bit from sports, including the aptitudes of perseverance when called upon, … Continue reading →

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