Saturday, Jun. 14, 2008 - 1:31 pm

Before working out, I'll walk a mile around the track to get warmed up.

Today a gentleman, easily in his 70's, jogged up next to me while I was on a brisk clip and said "Run the next half lap ith me! Come on!" I looked at him like he was crazy.

I haven't jogged or run without someone chasing me in a hundred years.

In the span of about one second I thought about still being prone to shin splints even when I walk. I thought about my knee that has become increasingly crunchy lately when I bend it. I thought about how weird my lower back has been the past year or so.

Then I stopped thinking about all that crap and I ran with him.

We ran 1/2 the track and then walked. Then he asked if I thought I could run all the way around the track before walking again and I told him I'd give it a shot.

I did it.

I ended up running half of my one-mile warm up today.

The man, his name is Jack, asked me where my good posture came from. He thought I had to have been an equestrian to be in the habit of standing up so straight.

I told him that I had a mother whose largest pet peeve was seeing people who slouched, hunched their shoulders, stuck out their tummies and all around had bad posture. So if she caught me doing any of those things, she'd poke me in the middle of the back and tell me to stand up straight and be proud of my height.

He told me I had a good mama.

I knew that already.

Where I've Been. - What's Next.