Low and Strong

Today at mass I told Sheila I went running in my old sneakers (see Bad Day). She told me that her boyfriend Federico says you have to wear proper running shoes or else you will get very badly injured. Federico, she said, won't even jog a few steps if he doesn't have his running shoes on, not even to beat cars when he's crossing the street. She said Federico is a very good runner and has the heart rate to prove it. "What's a good heart rate?" I asked her. "Low," she said, "and strong." I didn't like the way she smiled after she said this. So I reminded her, one friend to another, that Federico is going to die some day and that no one can do anything about it. "But hopefully," I added, "it won't happen too soon."