A date with the dermatologist

Do you know that feeling of worrying about how often you've flossed your teeth lately, when you're about to have some dental work done? Or trying to remember exactly what kind of prescription & otc medications you've been ingesting over the last few weeks or so, when completing those pesky questionnaires when you're seeing a new doctor. Do they really need to know ALL the operations you've ever had? Don't they realize that some of us have been around for more than half a century, we've had some work done, people.

Tomorrow I'm seeing a dermatologist, first time in years. I'm not worrying about what she will find. Like any 57-yr old, there's a couple of spots here and there on the face that she may want to scrutinize, but nothing too serious I don't think.

What I'm apprehensive about is the overall impression, shall we say. Sorry doc but I'm (t-a-n-n-e-d). Can you use the 't' word in a dermatologist's office? It's not that my face resembles a leather handbag - I think you have to live in Florida or Arizona to reach that 'pinnacle' of tan-dom. Mine is just your common, garden variety tan. All natural, mind you. You'd have to pay me a lot of money to get me into any kind of artificial tanning contraption. Nonetheless, I am bracing myself for at best a lecture, at worst some disapproving looks, a bit of head-shaking and some stern reminders about the dangers of skin cancer.

What can I say, I spend a lot of time outdoors. It's hot around here, I take my shirt off, I am a runner... I go to the beach, I work out - outside... We've got a pool in the complex. Any other good excuses? My other doc told me to get some sun for Vitamin D? I'm allergic to suntan lotion? My hat is too big/small. I'm a sun lover? I'm an idiot.

And on to running news:

Last Saturday's Run Wild 5K was a little disappointing. I ran a worse time - 22:21 - than the previous week (which was a much tougher course). Didn't get close to placing in my age group. And worst of all, I was passed by dozens of runners over the last mile or so. Not a good feeling. Definitely ran out of gas over the last mile, probably due to the heat - it was oppressively hot & humid. So I'll chalk this one up to experience and move on. At least it was fun to see a few other Striders there and to renew my acquaintance with Roger, whom I ran with in Galloway days, almost 10 years ago. Kathleen did much better than she expected to, which was great - if she'd been 100% healthy she would definitely have placed in her AG. We're both looking forward to the next race which is the Lunar Rendezvous at the Johnson Space Center on July 19.