Tag Archives: racing

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

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

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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50 Years of Running: A visit to the past, Warts and All

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

This past weekend I traveled to Decorah, Iowa to watch the conference cross country championship held at Luther College, my alma mater. I joined two long-ago teammates, Paul Mullen and Dani Fjelstad, to have dinner on Friday night and watch … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Freshman results

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

The Kaneland Cross Country team competed in 21 meets in 1971, my freshman year in high school. That wasn’t just the number of teams we competed against during duals and triangulars.That’s the total number of races we ran. The weekly … Continue reading →

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Winning means different things to different people

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

On a chilly October day in October, 1983, I stood on the starting line of a race in downtown Oak Park, Illinois. It was fifty degrees outside. Rain had fallen the night before and the clouds still formed a low, … Continue reading →

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Maybe fireworks aren’t what really matters

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

For several decades our family tradition was spending the 4th of July in my in-laws’ back yard. We’d light small fireworks all day until everyone smelled like smoke and gunpowder. My son grew to love the pyrotechnics and his uncle … Continue reading →

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There is still some Wonder Left

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

One of the most difficult tasks in life is sustaining a sense of wonder about the world and daily experiences. So much of our existence is taken up by routine and obligations that finding a thrill can be tough as … Continue reading →

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Dealing with the pressures of the crowd

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

In the middle of the night I woke up from a dream in which I found myself in charge of a large crowd of people trying to check out of a grocery store. The lines stretched back and doubled and … Continue reading →

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Sweet Season: Bringing it all home

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Christopher Cudworth

Volume one •  Volume two •  Volume three • Volume Four • Volume five  Volume six   Volume seven Going into the last meet of the 1978 season, we felt as if we were still capable of doing big things at nationals. Our highest team … Continue reading →

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To equal or surpass the Art of Dying

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Christopher Cudworth

There’ll come a time when all of us must leave here Then nothing Sister Mary can do Will keep me here with you As nothing in this life that I’ve been trying Could equal or surpass the art of dying … Continue reading →

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A non-fiction journey through a peak racing season

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Christopher Cudworth

  The schedule While cleaning out my house to move, I dug up some running journals that included a summary of a peak competitive season. So I invite you to Come With Me on a non-fiction journey through a peak-period … Continue reading →

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