Training with Lelia

I have Saturday plans and therefore am missing training tomorrow, and one of my teammates and mentees, Lelia, also was going to miss part of training. So she suggested that we get together after work today and do the six miles together. Great idea, because the miles just flew by with Lelia to talk to. Last Saturday's solo seven miler in the fog seemed to take twice as long as tonight's workout with a friend. Plus the weather was perfect, with the overnight and morning rain giving way to a breezy sunny afternoon with temperatures that were perfect for a run or a walk. The gorgeous colors this time of year were a great bonus, and the route is one of my favorites - across the Boulevard Bridge and along Riverside Drive. It is a good workout with some hills, but with some great views as well. It also intersects the Buttermilk Trail, where I did a nice hike last year - a bit of wildness in the big city.

We are both coming off some injury issues with Lelia spraining her ankle a couple of weeks ago, and me dealing with some knee pain. So while we did some running, we did more walking, probably averaging about 12 to 13 minute miles for the six miles. Lelia was rushing off afterwards to play dodgeball - oh, to be young again! I dodged traffic on the way home to get something to eat and to say TGIF with a glass of Chianti!

Here are some photos of the gorgeous Virginia spring scenery.

At the start of training, I knew I needed a photo of these beautiful cherry trees in full bloom by the lake.

We crossed the Boulevard Bridge, aka the Nickel Bridge, which has pretty views downriver (like this shot) and upriver of the mighty James.

Lelia was running incredibly fast here, but my camera's special freeze frame feature was able to make it look like she was barely moving.

From the route we ran and walked, there are sometimes scenic views of the river. The bridge we crossed is now far away, and a nice reminder of how far we came in just a short time.

This is a view of the Carillon, very close to where we started but now far across the James, and just a tiny spire against the sky, another measure of how far we have come since the start.

This home had the most gorgeous azaleas!

The State flower is the dogwood, and Lelia pretends to catch her breath in front of a pretty pink dogwood tree. I love Virginia this time of year. It is a feast for one's eyes!

Lelia runs back across the Boulevard Bridge.

No, this is not Holland, but good ole Richmond. How pretty! I am secure enough in my masculinity to admit that I think pink is a really pretty color!