Running with Cherie

Wednesdays at 1:30 Cherie and try to meet and run around Battersea Park, but as often as not I get buried at work and have to call up at the last minute to catch her and send her on her way alone... but today we arranged for a Friday run, which is much better because so many people are out on Fridays that the brushfires are less likely.

She's switching job contracts next month and I do hope her next one will still be in SW London so we can still meet up. She's a much better conversationalist than Nelly!

OK, I should have an action shot... but we would have just been a blur! (Too much stuff strapped to my belt to run too fast)

Here's a snapshot from Buckeyeoutdoor.com with my route highlighted. I've got a mile from my office until I meet her, picking my way through back streets from Whitehall down to Buckingham Palace Road. Then together we run across Chelsea Bridge, which Queen Victoria opened in 1858, and around the park. There's a running track in the park, but we've yet to have the nerve to ask if we can run on it.

As we've been running after lunchtime, we don't see as many runners as I usually see (as they pass me) in Hyde Park, and there are little passageways through the trees to explore around the fringe of the park.

The Albert Bridge on the west side of the park is spectacular baby blue and I think is the most beautiful of London's bridges. Along the river is the Japanese Peace Pagoda, a gift to London in 1985. I mean someday to stop and really look at it, but we just race by, chatting away.

Then back across the bridge and back to her office. I walk the last mile back to mine - to cool down avoiding humiliation for my tomato-red face back at my desk. Here's a snapshot of the RunningBuddy log of the Nike+ info from the run (see http://runningbuddy.info/ but remember to un-hide hidden files to run it). Better than a pizza for lunch!