By Jeff Commings<\/i><\/p>\n
TUCSON – Living in Arizona has lots of advantages, not the least of which is swimming outdoors in late December. Those of you who have the pleasure of swimming outdoors — either today or at anytime during this holiday season — know what a gift it is to burn off the holiday feast in a pool with the sun on your back (or front, if you’re swimming backstroke).<\/p>\n
While training for the 2012 Olympic Trials, I was inspired to write the following lyrics while swimming on Christmas Day. This is to be sung to the tune of the Nat King Cole version of “The Christmas Song.”<\/p>\n
Merry Christmas!<\/p>\n
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
\nSunblock slathered on my nose
\nBackstroke flags blowing hard on a wire
\nI stretch my arms and say “Well, here it goes.”<\/p>\n
Everybody knows
\nA pace clock and a sun that glows
\nHelp to make a workout bright
\nJudging by my workout I know,
\nI won’t find it hard to sleep tonight<\/p>\n
I know that Olympic Trials is on its way
\nThat’s why I needed to swim hard on Christmas Day
\nAnd every swimming coach is gonna spy
\nTo see if this breaststroker really does butterfly<\/p>\n
And so I’m offering this simple phrase
\nTo kids from 1 to 92
\nDon’t know if it’s been said many times, but anyways
\nSwim on Christmas
\nKoo-koo-kachoo<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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