Band on the Run: Giving Thanks

I’m in day three of a Turkey Coma.  Ahhh, Thanksgiving.  All the delicious food and family fun without spending 94 hours in a mall buying presents first.  My refrigerator is filled with leftover desserts:  apple pie, apple crisp, buttertarts, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, chocolate animals.  The theory is that we (Husband et moi) should take home all the extra sweets because we run and therefore magically burn thousands of calories.  In theory.  In reality I will be carrying an 13 extra pounds on race day.  What does one do the day after a Thanksgiving binge?  If, like me, you have eaten two over-sized Thanksgiving dinners and 17 desserts in 48 hours you go for a run.   I need to cover approximate 860 kilometres to burn off the 43,000 calories I consumed Thanksgiving weekend.   That’s a lot of running.  To get my lazy butt off my sofa and away from 30 Rock reruns I need lots of gratitude blasting into my ears.  As I lace up my sneakers I’ll pause and give a moment of thanks for the luxury of an easy 10. 

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Theme.  Picture Schroeder playing the piano and Lucy vying for his attention.  Good times.  Good memories.

Run Turkey Run – The Rob Beadle Triangle Band.  Run turkey run from me now because I’m coming to eat you.  Run turkey run from this house, yes I’m going to eat you.  Open wide, here comes the onion.  It’s nothing personal.  You taste good with cranberry sauce.

Thank You for Being a Friend – Andrew Gold.  Ahh, the Golden Girls.  I was a wee child when this show aired and I do not know why I was drawn to the fiesty silver-haired ladies, but I loved this show.  Thank you for being a friend, travelled down the road and back again. 

Thank You Friends – Big Star.  Something about 1970s rock music makes me want to run.  To all the ladies and the gentlemen who made this so probable.  Thank you friends. 

Thanks A Lot – Johnny Cash.  The upbeat running-friendly tempo disguises mournful lyrics. 

Thank U – Alanis Morissette.  A fellow marathoner, Alanis reminds me I should stop eating when I’m all full up.  Too little too late Alanis.

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly and the Family Stone.  Put some funk in your step.  I love that the song gives a shout out to earlier hits.  There are undertones of resentment in the lyrics, but the true thanks shine through.  Thank you for letting me be myself again.

I Thank You – Sam & Dave (the ZZ Top version of this 60s hit is awesome).  The first line commands you to get up, so the song starts on the right note.  You didn’t have to, but you did, and I thank you.

Thank You – the Redwalls.  The optimism of love.  You and me are gonna be alright.  I can connect with any song that tells me I’ll be okay.  Chase my blues away.

Thank You Girl – The Beatles.  I pretend I’m the girl in the song.  All I got do is thank you girl.

Thank You – Dido.  A quiet song for on-the-run reflection.  Sometimes the little things add up to big overwhelming things.  The wrong flavour of Gatorade.  A broken shoelace.  Startline jostling.  A dropped satellite signal.  She reminds you that it’s not so bad, it’s not so bad.

Let’s Turkey Trot – Little Eva.  Trot is a dangerous word to a runner.  This song refers to an actual dance, not a port-a-loo dance – but it means to you whatever it means to you.  My grandmother taught this dance to me.  She did it at the turn of the century.  You swivel your knees and you start to strut.

Thank You – Simple Plan.   Bitter, bitter thanks for the angry, angry runner.  Thank You by Ben Folds also fits on the long list of resentful thank you songs. 

Gratitude – Earth, Wind, & Fire.  They ask for freedom in stride.  I wonder if any of them are runners?

Thanks That Was Fun – Barenaked Ladies.   Sigh.  I’m still mourning the loss of Stephen Page.  Don’t forget, no regrets.  A little inflection change and all of a sudden thanks takes on a sarcastic edge.  No regrets, that’s a good motto.

Gratitude – Oingo Boingo.  Lead singer Danny Elfman is best known for his musical scores in Tim Burton works and for creating The Simpson’s theme.  Life’s been good to me, has it been good to you?

Thanksgiving Song – Adam Sandler.  I eat the turkey then I take a nap.  So. Tempting.

Thank God I’m a Country Boy – John Denver.  A tip of the hat to my country girl roots.

Danke Schoen – Wayne Newton.  I was a teenager before I knew a man sang this song.  Obviously I wasn’t listening to the lyrics.  And now I can’t hear Auf Wiedersehn without thinking about Project Runway.  Thank you in all languages.

Thank You for the Music – ABBA.  Although my posts may suggest otherwise, I rarely run with music and only race with music as a backup plan.  But on a long and lonely run or during a tough race music can make or break my run.  Thank you for the music.

So Long and Thanks For All the Fish