~2.7 miles @ ~16 min/mi

"This looks familiar," I say, optimistically, as we approach another stream crossing.

"But it all looks familiar!" Mary Ewell replies. We're on the trails of Lake Fairfax Park in Reston VA, late morning on a damp and drizzly day. But the pathways have changed considerably since we were last here (2009-04-08 - Hills with Mary) and in spite of GPS help we take several false turns along the way.

Mary meets me at the ice rink on Michael Faraday Court in Reston, and in late morning we set off on the Lake Fairfax trail. Maps at the park entrance and at intervals along the way show the maze of new paths for mountain bikes, horses, hikers, and runners. On our way back to the parking lot we see a cyclist fall on a rugged side trail. "Are you OK?" we shout. No answer, but his buddy shows us and starts to untangle him from the brush. "Guess he's all right," we conclude.

I give Mary a couple of bottles of Succeed! e-caps; she gives me herbs from her garden (rosemary, oregano, chive flowers) and insists on paying for lunch at the Silver Diner. We meet Jerry Lewis and his wife at the next booth — not the comedian, but the fast older runner, who has done multiple JFK 50 milers and Marine Corps marathons. At Trader Joe's nearby Mary advises me on what wines to try.

^z - 2011-05-24