‘Twas The Night Before Santa’s Race

‘Twas the night before race day when all through the town
Not a runner was stirring, they were all lying down.

Their shoes were placed by the back door with care
In hopes new PR’s would soon be theirs.

The Cruisers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of age group wins danced in their heads.

And Bill in his boxer briefs and I in a race shirt
Had just settled down with no more than a flirt,

When all of the sudden I was shaken awake,
By the strums of the iPhone – there was coffee to make.

The night had flown by with hardly a snore,
Race day was upon us, and my feet hit the floor.

Bagels and bananas – I needed to fuel
A trip to the bathroom, then meet my carpool.

The sun shone brightly on frost covered grass
With temperatures perfect for this running lass.

When, what to my sunglassed eyes did I see
But Erin arriving in her new SUV.

With Tracy riding shotgun and ready to race,
We drove off in a hurry, scheming about pace.

From the parkway to the greenway to town center we flew,
No time for stopping, not even for GU.

Once at Reston Town Center we sped from the car,
We had MRTT group photos in which to star.

Erin and Amanda of co-leader fame,
Gathered our runners calling them by name:

“Smile, Tracy! Smile, Deb!  Smile, Melissa and Tarynn!
Pose, Cheryl! Pose, Angela! Pose, Susan and Karen!”

 After the pictures, with a good luck to all,
I took off to warm-up without hitting the wall.

Lined up to race with two thousand runners,
It was a matter of waiting for the sound from the gunner.

And just like that – we were sent on our way,
Santa was running! Where was his sleigh?

Santa was speedy, but social as well,
Greeting the kiddos – were they good, would they tell?

We ran, and we ran, down hill and up,
Ahead was the finish line, this was no time to schlup.

Sprinting through the finish with my speedy legs churning,
I was shocked at how much, my poor lungs were burning.

No PR for me, but I couldn’t complain
Injured early on, this wasn’t my year to train.

After I finished I looked back around,
And there I saw Santa kneeling on the ground.

He chose not to finish in his fastest time,
But cheered on some runners from his spot, oh so prime.

After cheering and clapping, Santa finished the race,
He was such a good sport – so full of grace.

After catching my breath, I cheered on my friends,
And took pictures of them finishing without a long lens.

Upon finishing the race, we gathered at Fountain Square,
With many race stories we were eager to share.

Susan was beaming from ear to ear – she got her PR,
And deserved a gold star.

Santa stopped by, making his rounds,
Then headed to the food tent to pack on the pounds.

Shenanigans and tom-foolery among the girls kept us busy,
Silliness reigned, and soon we were dizzy.

Tug-of-war started with a little pull,
Mother and daughter fighting over a scarf made of wool.

Our silliness couldn’t go on; sadly it had to end,
For both MRTT’ers and Cruisers had parties to attend.

We headed for home during the awards presentation,
Busy afternoons meant no time for age group celebrations.

Once home we made time for Tweeting, Instagraming, and Facebooking,
To share our fun on social media – our friends would be looking.

Later my MRTT friends gathered for holiday cheer,
The friendships we’d forged were so very clear.

And that very same evening the Cruisers celebrated,
Our annual Christmas party with gift swapping much debated.

Both running groups shared the same thoughts about fitness,
“Happy Racing to all and to all Merry Christmas!”

• Questions:
• • For those celebrating Christmas, do you read the Night Before Christmas to your children on Christmas Eve? ~ My dad read it to my brother and me every year along with the story of the birth of Jesus from our Children’s Bible Stories book. 
• • Did you run in a holiday themed race this year?

Photo Credits:
Santa starting race and kneeling at finish line – courtesy of =PR= Race Series.
Santa running – courtesy of Dustin Sell.
MRTT group – courtesy of Erin.
Deb and Santa, and shenanigans – courtesy of Melissa.