Tag Archives: track and field

Standing strong in the face of shattered perceptions

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth

During my long running career I saw plenty of meets and races where competition was fierce. For the most part, I witnessed good sportsmanship. But two days stand out in which bad sportsmanship took the day. Following a conference cross … Continue reading →

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In honor of Keith Ellingson, one of the greatest runners and best guys I know in this world

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Converging lives My freshman year at Luther College was some years ago. I entered college as a marginal student in high school with a high C average thanks to laziness in subjects that I disdained. But Luther saw potential in … Continue reading →

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How much do you value your college experience?

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

I’m leading off today’s original thoughts on running, riding and swimming by asking readers to consider a question: How much do you value your college experience? And then I’ll follow up with a confession. Perhaps I’m one of those people … Continue reading →

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Living between two worlds

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Yesterday I wrote about what it’s like when two apparently divergent worlds collide. My relationship with an older woman ultimately dissolved when our interests simply did not meld. Yet I’ve also been caught between two worlds as well. As a … Continue reading →

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On April and track and field

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

Ever since 1970, when I was an immensely skinny 8th-grader competing in track and field for the first time, April has been a vexation on my body and my soul. I too-well recall stripping off sweatpants to stand shivering in … Continue reading →

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Hair today, gone tomorrow

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

While conversing with a teammate from long-ago times at Luther College, I opened up the binder of results from our freshman year in cross country. Those mimeographed sheets are fascinating relics of a different age. But the photograph at the … Continue reading →

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Old School is New School. Never forget it.

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

This morning on the way to drop off our dog at daycare, I drove past the building that was the only high school in town back when I was a student in St. Charles, Illinois. By the time I was … Continue reading →

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The sensation of running

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Christopher Cudworth

I’ve written previously about a 1973 newspaper article in which a local sports journalist branded me a “junior sensation” for leading our high school cross country team to a few early-season victories. That pulp fiction title cost me dearly the … Continue reading →

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We need more liberal arts majors in this country, not less

Posted on July 16, 2019 by Christopher Cudworth

This past weekend was spent at Luther College in the company of more than 100 alumni from a track and field program that won Iowa conference track championship titles 26 out of 30 years. The event was illuminating on many … Continue reading →

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A Reunion of Champions

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Christopher Cudworth

Last evening I received a call from Paul Mullen, a college roommate and teammate from both cross country and track. He works in Development for my alma mater Luther College. He wanted to reach out because he is super excited … Continue reading →

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