Can Go Fast

I have heard Mark say he doesn't like to run with me when he is in serious marathon-training mode. Something about my running style being too inconsistent, too stop-and-go, too slow. Well, first off, let me say that if he wants to "seriously" train for anything, he may want to lay off the Mountain Dew and heavy snacking. There, I said it.

However, I will also admit that there's some truth to what he says. But if he is honest, I'm sure he would have to admit that a run with me is far more interesting than a run without me. Am I inconsistent? Do I stop and go? Do I run all the time at his marathon pace? Yes, yes, and sometimes, respectively! I mean, seriously, why would I want to just go and go without stopping? Booorrring!

However, let the record show, that I can be a marathon-training dog. Today, for example, I went on a 6-miler with Mark. Let me take you through the run mile-by-mile.

Mile 1 -- 8:57 pace. Warm-up. Stopped to pee once, poop once, and sniff grass once.

Mile 2 -- 9:40 pace. Huge hill. Was a bit distracted. Mark muttered something about should have left dog at home.

Mile 3 -- 7:37 pace. Got focused. Still hilly. Kind of liked going fast.

Mile 4 -- 7:27 pace. Still hilly. Went even faster. No stops.

Mile 5 -- My favorite mile, because Mark took me off the leash so I could run in the Johnny Brook fields! Mark ran a 7:11 pace this mile, but I left him in the dust. If I had to guess, I would say I ran a 5:15 pace to the brook, swam a little, jumped out, sprinted around (probably an extra half-mile), and stood there waiting for him at the bridge over the brook. That's right; I was waiting for him.

Mile 6 -- 8:07 pace. Hills. And I thought he needed a cool-down.

So... can I run fast enough? I think yes.