The Carnival of Running #55

Welcome to the 55th edition of The Carnival of Running!

A runner makes an origami crane out of Brook shoe boxes. Why? Because he can:

There were TONS more Santa suit races, but I’ll leave you with just the one in Paris, the one in South Korea, and the Santa Speedo Run in Boston, which suffers from a serious lack of chicks, although these two look like fun.

The Christmas spirit lives on at The Extra Mile with “The 12 Days of Running,” and Frayed Laces waxes poetic with “‘Twas the Night Before the Marathon.”

Enough with the ho-ho-ho runs, and on with the Ho Ho Run, which featured delicious Hostess snack cakes.

Everyone is writing those “gift list for runners” columns, but I think the best gift for runners is massive quantities of food, especially for Woman on the Run, who may have the munchies after asking if running is like smoking pot. I don’t think so, but sometimes it’s like smoking crack.

If that’s not for you, here are a few ideas.

Is your running apparel trashed? How about trying running apparel made from trash?

Or get some peace and quiet by sending the runner in your life to running camp.

Or deal with those dark winter running trails and “turn your dog into a flashlight with the PupLight.” Sounds great, but if they come up with something that can turn your flashlight into a dog it’s going to freak me out.

In celebrity running news, we have NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, a marathon veteran with a 4:16 PR, and actress Julia Roberts, who evidently ran her first half-marathon at the Santa to the Sea in Oxnard, California. A fan blog posted this photo of Roberts running in true Hollywood fashion…

…which is certainly her but it’s not certain it’s from the race. Planet Ynnep Running provides a race report, along with the detail that Roberts finished in 2:29:47, which means Roberts didn’t use her real age (42), since two 37-year-old female runners – J. Moder and K. Hagenlocher – finished with that time. Roberts is married to Daniel Moder.

If you’re in the habit of taking an ice bath after a run, why not combine the two with the Frosty 5k Run followed by the Polar Bear Plunge?

As Christmas approaches, please keep our soldiers, sailors and airmen in mind. Here is a story about running in Iraq, and another about a British warrant officer who ran 70 miles through the Falklands to raise money for charity. I’ve been to the Falklands, and running short distances there is a struggle.

This week’s linky love goes out to Running Catholic. After 12 years of Catholic school, I can still remember all the words to Adeste Fideles.

That’s all for this week, friends. Have a cup of duty-free tea on me. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!