If you've spent any time running with a person you will learn to recognize their gait from miles. Three quarters of the way through a two hour training run this morning, I noticed an lanky, heavy heeled figure heading my way. It was, unmistakably, Mark.Also known as Klopps (short for Kloppenburg), Mark and I met and became training partners in high school, back when I could keep up with the boys. Between then and now he's overtaken me with his lengthy stride. At 6'2" and all legs its no wonder.
This morning, the multiple ironman triathlete had just set out for his first run in weeks and was, like the good old days, keeping up with me. (Alright, so I picked up the pace a bit once he joined me.) When we crossed paths I convinced him to keep me company for the rest of my mileage. I even talked him into running me home where I could take a pic for the photo journal - I like to know that I can still exercise a level of influence over my ex-boyfriend of six years.
Mark has recently taken on a position with Windsor Police, and like a good officer, kept an eye out for oncoming traffic as I haphazardly jay-ran across busy city streets. I wonder if I would recognize Mark if I saw him in full uniform. Constable Mark is not the Mark that I know. But I am certain to never mistake his running stride. We've spent a lot of runs side by side, Mark and I.
