‘Twas the Day After Christmas | Podcast ep 12

AtoZrunning Podcast- Running Podcast

Welcome to the holiday edition of A to Z Running Podcast! This season brings story and song, so that is what we bring to you in episode 12. Merry Christmas!

The World of Running

  • Runner’s World article about minimalist marathon training
  • Running Magazine Article about ultrasound therapy
  • Chad Hall reportedly runs 1:03 half marathon (Ryan Hall’s younger brother)

Running in a Winter Wonderland

Lap bells ring, are you listening? 
In the lane runners glisten’ 
A beautiful sight 
A track meet tonight 
Running round n round n round n round

Gone away is our free time
Here to stay is that chafe line
Endorphins song
As we run along
Running in a winter wonderland

In the meadow we can run cross country
And pretend that elbow room abounds
He’ll say are you bleeding?
We’ll say, yeah man
Your spike just stabbed my leg, and face, and arm

Later on, we’ll perspire
As are legs are ever-tired
We’ll face unafraid
a new race we’ve paid
Spending all our money just to run

In the meadow we can build a season (a season)
And put on more layers than the last (than the last)
We’ll say it’s fun training in the winter
Until I lose my fingers, face, and …. Ears….

Cow bells ring (cow bells ring), are you listening?
Crowd lined streets, cheering, whistling
A beautiful sight
We’ll dream of tonight
While running in a winter wonderland

Storytime with Zach: Twas the Day After Christmas

‘Twas the day after Christmas when all through the house,
Day-old holiday cheer littered all, and my spouse,
Like my children, all dear, slept off ten pounds of sweets
While I, no surprise, despite my own excessive treats
Was dancing to the rhythm of distance runner beats

Despite the early hour, I was readying a run,
Admiring the load of things the holiday had done,
The ups and downs, the highs and lows, the loud, rambunctious cheer
The quiet moments of delight, impossible to hear
The bitter sorrows, broken losses, heartache, pain, and tears

In the corner, near the tree, crumpled, torn debris
Piled there by gratitude, greed, grumbling, and glee
Joyful thanks on every lip as likely as a groan
Smiles real and fabricated, a sigh as oft’ as moan
All thoughts on whether gifts revealed would strike the proper tone

At the table, here and there a cup or dish we missed
Evidence of presence, not necessarily willingness
Surface conversations, mostly cordial and polite
Occasional unpleasantness, a common family plight
Most wanting to avoid another all-out family fight

On the rug inside the door, dirt from stomping boots
The place where greetings and farewells wear very different suits
Merrys bandied and exchanged much like the wrapped up gifts
Impossible to know how near sincere it drifts
Except to hope whatever else, it might a spirit lift

Finally, my shoes laced up, my gloved hand on the door,
I glanced back over all of it, reflecting just once more
When suddenly a smile and tear sprang freely from my heart
For though the holiday saw joy and pain both play a part
We in our broken, fragile state find hope beneath the light
Of the star that lit the way that most holiest night

Coming Soon!

Next week we interview the all-time 5th fastest female American steeplechaser, Leah O’Connor. Subscribe if you don’t want to miss it!

(Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify!)

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3 replies
  1. Suzanne Fedewa
    Suzanne Fedewa says:

    This is very fun! I read it all first and then listened. Listening was definitely more fun! Definitely would like to hear more of both the singing and the poetry. Proud of both of you. I wonder if certain Essential Oils might give the same benefit as the Ultra Sound. Perhaps, Cypress for circulation.

    Reply
  2. Sage Davis
    Sage Davis says:

    What fun! Thanks for having me join your creative holiday fest! I doesn’t feel like Christmas until I’ve done an impromptu musical number with a sibling. Maybe next year it will be a Backstreet Boys lip-sync video (shout out 3 Mile Christmas)!

    I agree with you guys that more info is needed on the “no long run” marathon training. It makes me wonder what the PRs are (6 hours? 5 hours? 4 hours?). Did she cross train? I could see some decent training with running 6 miles after a long bike ride, so one could get the aerobic training and practice taking on nutrition during the 6 miles running while fatigued. However, relying too much on cross training is still not ideal for strengthening the body (bones, stabilizing muscles, etc) to withstand 26.2 miles of running; it seems like a big risk for injury.

    Reply

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