Tag Archives: running

50 Years of Running, Competition’s Son, Part 1

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Over many years of running with hundreds of teammates, I’ve learned many ‘origin tales’ about how people (both men and women) got into running. When I began this blog series on 50 Years of Running, the origin tale began with … Continue reading →

Posted in adhd, anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, competition, Depression, race pace, running shoes, track and field, training | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Newlyweds and beyond

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

In the summer of 1985, my wife and I drove to Glacier National Park in Montana for our honeymoon. The drive across Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana took a few days. We stopped at the Badlands to stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, competition, foregiveness, God, running shoes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in adhd, anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, life and death, love, mental health, running, running shoes, track and field | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: An end to the city experiment

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

For almost two years my roommate and I made the best of our city life together. But both our lives were starting to change. His graduate work in exercise physiology at the University of Illinois-Chicago was winding down, and my … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, mental health, running, running shoes, sex | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Noble causes and otherwise

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

We didn’t even spend $500 on our trip out west to Colorado in mid-August 1984. Over the years, I’ve met other people traveling around the country on similarly meager funds. They always seemed happier than people spending tons of money … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, addiction, Christopher Cudworth, college, cross country, love, mental health, nature, running, sex | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Race after race

Posted on March 4, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

On June 27, a day or two after the big win at the Geneva Community Classic, I dropped by to visit my former coach and business buddy Trent Richards. His partner Marietta was a lovely Jewish woman with hair that … Continue reading →

Posted in 10K, 5K, anxiety, Christopher Cudworth, competition, healthy aging, running, sex, steeplechase, training | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Tears for Fears

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

All around me are familiar facesWorn out places, worn out facesBright and early for the daily racesGoing nowhere, going nowhere Lyrics to Mad World by Tears for Fears, later recorded by Gary Jules As I continued working hopefully for Trent … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, Christopher Cudworth, competition, healthy aging, life and death, mental health, mental illness, nature, race pace, racing peak, running, track and field | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: The Rain King gets no satisfaction

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

On March 20, 1984, the vernal equinox arrived with typically chilly March weather. But like a maple tree with its sap starting to run, I was eager to start using the fitness I’d built over the winter. After the freezing … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, fear, God, love, mental health, mental illness, sex, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: And pocketfuls of money

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

While my quasi-job search continued, and freelance work kept trickling in, I mused whether to continue the solo journey or go to grad school. I’d made one inquiry years before about getting a Master’s Degree in Art from Northern Illinois … Continue reading →

Posted in alcohol, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, love, mental health, race pace, running, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years or Running: The architecture of victory

Posted on February 9, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

After winning the Run for the Money 10k in Arlington Heights, I turned my sights to another 10k, the Frank Lloyd Wright Run in Oak Park. That week I caught up to a guy while training in Lincoln Park. “Interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, 5K, bike crash, bike wobble, Christopher Cudworth, competition, healthy aging, race pace, racing peak | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment