Category Archives: training for a marathon

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

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

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, competition, marathon, marathon training, race pace, running, running shoes, training, training for a marathon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Unlimited

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 of Running: Breaking barriers

Running has its barriers for everyone. Until Sir Roger Bannister first broke the 4:00 mile barrier in 1954, people speculated that it could never be done. Now the world record set by in 1999 by Hicham El Guerrouj stands at … Continue reading

Posted in 10K, 13.1, aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, Christopher Cudworth, competition, mental health, race pace, racing peak, running, training, training for a marathon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A long line of strong women

Heading into last weekend I read that a distance runner named Letensenbet Gidey had run a world record 5000M time of 14:06 in a track meet in Valencia, Spain. I sat there for a moment and thought, “14:06. That means … Continue reading

Posted in running, swimming, track and field, training, training for a marathon, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why you can’t trust your devices for every decision on training

Yesterday I ran an easy seven miles through a forest preserve and back. It was warm out again, so I didn’t run hard. When I got back home and saved the workout on my Garmin Fenix, the data was shared … Continue reading

Posted in 10K, 13.1, competition, cross country, race pace, swimming, training, training for a marathon, TRAINING PEAKS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Useful takeaways from a triathlete’s first 70.3 Half Ironman

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

Moving on down the dusty trail

The Great Western Trail is a former railroad bed running from St. Charles, Illinois out to the town of Sycamore, seventeen miles away. For much of the trail from St. Charles to Lily Lake, there is ample shade at all … Continue reading

Posted in cross country, running, trail running, training, training for a marathon | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dancing with the cranes

For the last four days a trio of sandhill cranes has been hanging out in our backyard. They are large birds equipped with a bill designed for a multitude of food options. The red on their forehead is distinctive, and … Continue reading

Posted in running, training for a marathon, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What do we want from summer?

In two days it will be June. That is the official start of summer in my mind. Which meant it felt a little bittersweet to stumble upon this photo taken in August of last year. Summer often goes too fast… … Continue reading

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, cycling, cycling the midwest, training, training for a marathon, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Leave a comment

Amanda Leibowitz is a survivor and a thriver

In the age of the Internet and social media, we sometimes meet people more by osmosis and familiarity and through shared stories than by true acquaintance. Yet even with a digital distance between us, there are connections that build. Such is … Continue reading

Posted in training for a marathon, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment