Tag Archives: track and field

50 Years of Running: The Villanova Factor

Adjusting to life in the Philly suburbs took some doing. With rare exception, I took the train downtown because driving into the city was a manic experiment in age-old expressways and traffic backups right and left. The main route into … Continue reading

Posted in aging, aging is not for the weak of heart, race pace, racing peak, running, we run and ride | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: On the Runway to Life

At the end of January Term, with a mere197 miles under my belt, it was time to get serious about training. But there was also the question of a serious relationship going on, and I didn’t mind that one bit. … Continue reading

Posted in 400 meter intervals, 400 workouts, 5K, Christopher Cudworth, college, competition, steeplechase, track and field | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years of Running: Rough surfaces and deep dives

The winter of 1977 was, like so many winters in the late 1970s and early 80s, as cold as hell and frozen over. We trained through the cold by running on snow-packed roads. We’d often leave in the near-dark and … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: Let’s steeple people.

The spring track season in 1976 broke typically cool, windy, and wet. Not great weather for any type of runner. The sprinters sought to avoid muscle pulls while the distance runners suffered in shorts through cold winds, puddles on the … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: A Proving Ground

Between cross country season and the start of indoor track at Luther College, I’d often play pickup basketball in the gym. While I’d ceased my official basketball career after junior year in high school, my game actually improved because I … Continue reading

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50 Years of Running: Jumping Through Hoops

While my love of running had grown through a pair of successful cross country seasons, I’d been raised in a basketball family and went straight to practice the week after the Sectionals meet where our small school got handed a … Continue reading

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No revisionist history necessary

As a member of the Facebook group Glenn’s, I’m privy to a load of statistics and recollections from runners who excelled in the sports of cross country and track during the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Those years produced times and … Continue reading

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The fabric of life and a sense of home

I’m substitute teaching at the high school a block from our former home in Geneva, Illinois. The streets look the same as they always did. The giant cottonwood tree on the corner of the block was a favorite waiting place … Continue reading

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Standing strong in the face of shattered perceptions

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

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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