Tag Archives: birdwatching

50 Years of Running: Becoming a Midwestern boy

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

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50 Years of Running: Closing time

All of us who run know the difference between a good race and a bad race. There are empirical factors such as time and place by which we measure our efforts. Yet even these are subjective depending on conditions such … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: The Peregrine

This morning while walking the dog in late September sun, I thought back to one of the first cross country meets of the season for St. Charles in 1973. Our team was training well, and we knew that there were … Continue reading

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Against the wind and blown away

This morning my schedule called for a bird census trip to a restored prairie at a local forest preserve. It was windy out today. I’m not a fan of birding in the open when a strong breeze is blowing because … Continue reading

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Abiding with the seasons

This time of year, the day after Halloween, things seem to happen fast. Weatherman Tom Skilling of the Chicago Tribune this morning notes that November is the fastest chilling month of the year. Those of us who run and ride … Continue reading

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On the day your father dies

Three years ago today I visited my father in the hospital for the last time. He’d lived with the effects of a profound stroke for more than 15 years. My mother died in 2005 and that left me in charge … Continue reading

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, competition, Depression, healthy aging, Uncategorized, We Run and Ride Every Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rare opportunities in life

What rare birds can teach us about all of life’s opportunities Yesterday through email I learned there was a sighting of a relatively rare bird, a Smith’s Longspur, in the vicinity of our house. We back up to a wetland, … Continue reading

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The time and place for competition

Two of the main passions in my life began at about the same age. I was twelve years old when I started running. That was the same age I also became a birder. Both interests began with seminal experiences earlier … Continue reading

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What one small bird can tell those of us who run and ride

By Christopher Cudworth This time of year is peak migration season for songbirds. Millions of birds are moving south for the winter in search of food sources and warmer temperatures. It’s a tough go, made even tougher by the fact that in … Continue reading

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