Tag Archives: distance running

50 Years of Running: Competition’s Son, Part 5

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Not long after our family moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my mother made connections with another mom whose son was the same age. That afternoon, she drove me to their house on Golf Road across the street from the Meadia Heights … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Transition time

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Forty years after my 1984 engagement as an essentially ‘full-time runner,’ I got interested in triathlon and started competing in Sprint and Olympic distance events. I quickly learned that the most awkward part of triathlons are the transitions, those moments … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Exhaust fumes and lane changes

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

By November of 1984, I’d raced enough that by the 17th of November when I ran a 20:17 four-mile… that should have been enough to call it quits. But then my former coach and then-business associate Trent Richards got involved … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: The Curse of Marathon Santa

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

In late September ’84, I was picking races closer to the suburbs as my time living in the city was coming to a close. Spotting an event listed in the Warrenville area, I signed up on race morning and lined … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Getting past the crap and the flies

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

The year was half over, and running races in March, April, May, and June was fun, but the brain and body needed a rest. By late July of 1984, I was ready for a break from racing, but there were … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Qualifying time

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Coming off a less-than-stellar race like the one I had in Elgin, where a side stitch slowed me down, is tough on the short-term confidence. But while I was second-guessing the ten-mile race in Elgin, I heard that there was … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: “Faster than you”

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

On April 15 of 1984, I raced on home turf for the Running Unlimited store in Arlingtonn Heights. Though it had rained overnight, and dawn arrived with 43-degree temps, I was eager as hell to run a five-mile race after … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: In the company of legends

Posted on February 12, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

My association with my former coach Trent Richards grew in 1983 and ’84. We finished up his brochure for his new company One-On-One Fitness, and spent some time learning biomechanical analysis from his associate and podiatrist friend Dr. John Durkin. … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Time to fly

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Heading into the month of September 1983, I looked at the schedule and planned a three-week period of quality training to prepare for races. First I drove up to Luther College to have a go during the Intrasquad race. “Gonna … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Life tectonics

Posted on January 10, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

By the winter of 1981, I’d completed much of the fictional book Admissions that I’d written on the train while commuting to Chicago. One of the main characters in the book was a professor that invented a concept called Life … Continue reading →

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