章 13: Chapter 13

The two men got up and walked over to the track. Pausing for a moment to let a couple of guys jog by, they started at a nice easy pace.

“You don’t have to kill yourself to get the benefit of a good jog,” Butch said. “You should be able to carry on a conversation but not sing. That shows you’re at the right level of stress on your heart.”

“That’s good because I can’t sing. I’d clear the place in an instant,” Ernie quipped.

Butch smiled. He liked that Ernie seemed to have a sense of humor.

They jogged along side by side for a couple of laps. Butch could see that Ernie wasn’t in the best of shape. He was breathing heavily and had broken a serious sweat.

After the fourth lap, Butch slowed to a walk.

Ernie matched his stride. “Man. it’s been a long time since I’ve done any serious running.”

After walking just a few yards Ernie was still gasping for air and started to cough.

Butch stopped him. “Bend over and just try to relax.”