A Runner's Night Before Christmas

This is a repost from 2015. Updated, of course, for 2019.

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore....

'Twas the day before Christmas and out on the road,
Not a runner was running, they must have no-showed.
Their shoes were placed by the door with care,
With hopes that there would be a run somewhere.
But sleep kept the runners all snug in their beds,
While visions of PRs ran through their heads.
For me, Chicago a memory, my victory lap,
And so I settled in for a long winter's nap.
When out on the road there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutter and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Lured me and my shoes to the road far below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
It was eight elites sporting new running gear!
With a leader to the start line he seemed to have sped,
I knew in a minute it must have been Meb!
More rapid than stallions, his companions they came,
As he whistled and shouted and called them by name!
Now Galen and Jared and Eluid and Lenny,
On Molly, On Sara, On Jordan, and Desi,
To the front of the pack, past the myth of the wall,
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!
As dry leaves that before the hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle and mount to the sky,
So to the front of the pack, the runners they flew,
With eyes to finish and Meb with them too.
And then in a twinkling, I heard all the cheers
The runners all finished, the best times in years.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
A whistle blew and my feet hit the ground.
Like magic, I was dressed from my head to my feet,
My clothes were for running and no one to beat.
I flew through the course like a bird with spread wings,
As I headed to the finish you could hear my voice sing.
That was the best year I've run in all of my life,
More than I hoped for in spite of the strife.
I look back on 2019 with a smile and cheer,
Happy Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!

And to all a good run! Enjoy the holidays! /via @oldrunningmom #runchat #running #christmas #holidays 

All my best for a happy 2020!
xoxo Wendy