Category Archives: we run and ride

50 Years of Running: Becoming a Midwestern boy

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

As our family drove west through Ohio and Indiana toward our new home in Illinois, the land flattened out and the trees disappeared into distant blue clumps dotting the horizon. I’d been to Chicago once as a small child, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, college, cross country, nature, race pace, running, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: It’s about time I raced again, and what fun!

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Standing in the sand at the beach next to Bang’s Lake in Wauconda, I felt one small tremor of nerves. Then I remembered that these days competition is more about the experience than the result. I swung my arms a … Continue reading →

Posted in running, running shoes, tri-bikes, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, we run and ride, We Run and Ride Every Day, werunandride | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Marching on

Posted on January 29, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

By March 6, 1983, the weather in southeastern Pennsylvania was beginning to moderate. I ran a sixteen-miler in 1:43 on a route that I now knew well enough to do with confidence. No more getting lost in horse country. I … Continue reading →

Posted in blood on the highway, Christopher Cudworth, competition, death, fear, mental health, mental illness, race pace, racing peak, running, running shoes, sex, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: The Villanova Factor

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Adjusting to life in the Philly suburbs took some doing. With rare exception, I took the train downtown because driving into the city was a manic experiment in age-old expressways and traffic backups right and left. The main route into … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, race pace, racing peak, running, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Predecessors

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

In writing this biography about 50 years of running experience, I come to points where the story seems to broaden because it occurs to me that the circumstance into which I entered was different than I imagined or understood. That … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, cross country, running, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Accomplishing something real

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

Following each cross country season, Kaneland coach Rich Born put together a results booklet containing training advice, inspirational quotes and––after my freshman year––a cover comprised of newspaper stories about our success. I remember feeling a great sense of pride and … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, competition, cross country, race pace, running, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Summer road trips

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

It is officially summertime. Covid is at least partially on the run. Time for a road trip. We have a busy race calendar in this household this summer. My wife has a race in Des Moines in a weekend or … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, competition, Share the Road, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In races with our own faces

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

As an artist, I’ve never been one to paint or draw many self portraits. I prefer to look out at the world rather than constantly looking at myself for some hint about the universe. But yesterday, while sitting on a … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, anxiety, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, we run and ride, We Run and Ride Every Day, werunandride | 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

The mixture of joy and relief after a hard race

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

The desire to compete in races comes from many different places within us. For some, it is a test of resolve. For others, a raw test of fitness. But it’s always about proving oneself in the face of difficulty. You’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, competition, cross country, cycling, PEAK EXPERIENCES, race pace, racing peak, riding, running, track and field, training, TRAINING PEAKS, triathlete, triathlon, triathlons, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment