Poodle Man

6 minutes and 59 seconds.

THAT, is how long it took me to sprint a mile today.

I AM a sub-seven minute mile. Barely, I know. But I have been in the seven-eight minute range for almost 2 years. My fastest time prior was 7 minutes 27 seconds last year.

Now to get the rest of the miles I run in the sub-seven range and I might have something here. What? I don't know.

I use to think once I could consistently run several miles at an 8 minute pace then I would be a runner. Then I thought once I run a marathon, I could definitely consider myself a runner. My current thinking is that if I am running 7 minute miles no one will call me a jogger.

You see, Poodle man is a jogger. Heck, really he is a walker that puts on a running stance. I do not want to look like Poodle man. For those of you who don't know who Poodle man is--and why would you?--Poodle Man is a man I often see on one of my regular running routes. He is an man of 60-something and not in the best of shape but he is out there and has been for many years. He is NOT getting better or faster.

Poodle Man runs with this giant black poodle (NOT ON A LEASH). The poodle ALWAYS charges me and it ALWAYS freaks me out. Poodle Man laughs at me and says "Honey, it is just a poodle." I say nothing back, but think yeah, just a poodle. . .just a poodle that is 120lbs. The thing is huge.

ANYWAY, even though I am scared of the poodle I still consider myself tougher and more of a runner than Poodle Man, who is, afterall, just a jogger.

Last week when I went for a long run I saw poodle but not Poodle Man. It was a strange meeting. I was coming down the sidewalk and poodle was turning from the street that my run deadends on and I was passing the street to the neighborhood poodle lives in. Poodle is faster than Poodle Man so I expected to see Poodle Man shortly and cringed inwardly and braced myself to be charged, determined not to stop this time.

But I did stop as poodle passed me. Poodle didn't charge me but looked at me as he turned the corner to his neighborhood and kept on jogging. I watched him for a minute but he didn't turn back, so I started running again and ran down the sidewalk to my street. I expected to see Poodle Man but never did. The only thing I can think is that poodle went for a jog without Poodle Man and followed the same route.

I am left wondering what has happened to Poodle Man and why poodle was out for a run without him. I also think that if I am just going to see poodle and not Poodle man on my runs, I may need to re-evaluate how I measure up as a runner if poodle is my new competition. I am pretty sure he can out run me. Damn it! Still not a runner!