Running with the Devil (Dog)

Several years ago, our daughter, Allyssa, really wanted a dog. She promised to be responsible and take care of the dog and train it. Well, four years later none of those things have come to pass, but I did inherit a great accountability partner.

Aero Smith, yes I got to name him since I agreed to pick up the tab on her new dog. I named him Aero simply because my wife absolutely refused to allow me to name either of our two sons, Aero.

Having the last name Smith can be both a blessing and a curse. For example, only one time have I ever been asked to pronounce it.

I remember it like it was yesterday, it was one of the funniest moments of my life. One the first day of school a teacher was calling roll and was pretty deep into the alphabet. She said, “Andrew… could you please help me pronounce your last name.” Thinking it was me she was referring to, I said loudly and slowly to ensure everyone could hear, “Smith.” Everyone in the entire class started laughing hysterically, and the teacher started blushing before proclaiming that there was another Andrew with a completely different last name.

One of the negatives is that when you tell someone your name half the time they don’t believe you, especially when you are in trouble. In fact, Smith is such a common name that my brother Matt Smith was one of three Matt Smiths in our neighborhood and one of two on our small street.

I decided before I even got married that I was not going to give our kids common first names to go along with the most common last name in America.

So then why did I title this blog, “Running with the Devil?” Everyone knows that is a Van Halen song. Great question! Actually, I’m a much bigger Van Halen fan than Aerosmith, but the fact that “Aero” Smith is such a cool name, how could one not be a fan? After all, Steven Tyler is a rockstar. No, literally, he is a rockstar.

“Running with the Devil” arose from our running relationship. Aero is one of the best accountability partners I’ve ever had.

He plays the guilt trip better than anyone I’ve ever met. He has a fantastic ability to put his head on the floor and look at me with his sad eyes making me feel guilty for not taking him on a run.

“Aero, I ran 20 miles with my running club this morning,” I would try to explain, but he would have none of it. At first, I thought maybe because he is German and English is his second language that he just didnt understand me. But I remembered back to elementary school and every kid whose second language was English suddenly had selective hearing whenever they were in trouble, so I thought it might be that, but in the end I realized it was a good old fashioned guilt trip.

Which still leads me to why “Running with the Devil?” Here’s why! Every single time I take him on a run, he stops to take a crap. I think he saves it up. He baits me into taking him running to demonstrate his alpha dog status by making me pick up his crap in one of those little green doggie dookie bags. He lets me get into a great rhythm and then just stops on a dime which nearly yanks my arm out of its socket so he can drop a deuce on the grass near the edge of the sidewalk.

Deep down, I know he is laughing at me because as I lean over to pick it up his crap, I'm trying my best not to inhale any of the fumes in this hot summer heat as I'm sure that at this point in the run it would surely make me throw up. I’m sure it is as funny as hell watching me run with a little green bag filled to the brim with his crap swinging back and forth in my hand all the way to the next trash can (which is sometimes over a mile away).

Regardless, of the fact that he can be a Devil dog, he is still one of the best running buddies and accountability partners that I’ve had.

He never complains! Yes, sometimes he stops to stare at other dogs or tries to sniff trees and other things, but he never whines or complains.

Enthusiasm! Aero is ALWAYS super excited and ready to run! Even when it is 105 outside! He is covered in fur, but he still always wants to go run.

I never have to wait for him to get ready to run. No last minute re-tying shoelaces or finding that playlist on his doggy iPod. He only likes a few songs - Who Let the Dogs Out by the Baha Men, Black Dog by Led Zepplin & Walkin’ the Dog by you guessed it AeroSmith.

He lets me set the pace! Whether it is a slow day or a fast day, it is up to me. He is compliant except when he sees another dog approaching and then sometimes needs to be restrained.

He doesn’t talk my ear off. As guilty as I am of this with some of my other running buddies, he doesn’t do it to me.

He even enjoys watermelon and a dip in the pool with me after a run.

He’s never canceled on me! He’s never overslept or been too hungover, depressed or too tired to go run. Work has never gotten in the way, and he’s always positive, optimistic and ready to run.