Category Archives: steeplechase

50 Years of Running: Race after race

On June 27, a day or two after the big win at the Geneva Community Classic, I dropped by to visit my former coach and business buddy Trent Richards. His partner Marietta was a lovely Jewish woman with hair that … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: Detachments

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

50 Years of Running: Sorting through a box of slides

One of the most challenging aspects of life on the road doing admissions work was feeling disconnected from the core mission of Luther College. It all seemed abstract out there in the field; showing photos ins a binder, talking with … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: On the Runway to Life

At the end of January Term, with a mere197 miles under my belt, it was time to get serious about training. But there was also the question of a serious relationship going on, and I didn’t mind that one bit. … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: First steps to clarity

Coming off the two semesters that my friends called “Cud’s weird year,” I arrived home at the farmhouse where our family lived for a year and took a hard look in the mirror. My hair was so thick and long … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: If you can’t stand the heat

There is nothing quite like setting personal records at any distance that you run. There’s no better feeling than running faster than you’ve ever run before. Heading into my sophomore year at Luther College, the goal was to achieve continual … Continue reading

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Cinders and white lime

The weather was chilly this morning while walking the dog. The wind from the west reminded me of all those laps run around the perimeter of the Kaneland High School parking lot before the cinder track dried out in spring. … Continue reading

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That’s a long time in a pair of Nike Pegasus

Something in me still holds a warm spot for Nike shoes. Continue reading

Posted in 10K, 13.1, 5K, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, running, steeplechase | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Confessions of a mediocre jumper

Somewhere in the late 1960s as a student at Martin Meylin Junior High near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I was introduced to the sport of track and field. One of the events I tried was the high jump. At that time, the … Continue reading

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Have you ever had food poisoning from a restaurant?

While we’re all eager to get back to dining out, and restaurants welcome us back in the wake of this pandemic, it is a good time to appreciate the laws governing healthy food handling practices. In case you don’t realize … Continue reading

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