A few weeks ago, we saw a beaver in Fountain Creek while on a walk. I am happy to report that the beaver was not assassinated by the City. Instead, it was relocated. 

"Colorado Parks and Wildlife relocated a beaver recently that was causing damage in Colorado Springs."

After it cut down several trees and dammed the creek, the wildlife agency trapped the beaver and moved it to a wilderness area.

You can see the article and the beaver at the link here.

Another in my series of Seen on the Trail. This time, I slow things down with a large turtle in no hurry to cross the trail.

Turtle tucked its head inside, but you can see its nose. It was crossing the trail from a swampy drainage area, and heading toward Monument Creek. Perhaps turtle had visited the marsh in search of a snack, and was now headed home.

The Garden of the Gods Ten Mile footrace has been around for 45 years. This challenging venue also offers a 10K and a trail 10K race. The ten mile race is comparable to a half marathon on less hilly terrain.

This year I opted for the 10K. I had signed up for the ten mile, but I didn't stick to the last two weeks of my training program. Having run the ten mile race before, I knew I had to be at my peak to hope to finish within the cutoff time.

I had been training for the ten Mile, so I felt confident the 10K would be a piece of cake. When we woke up to a 90+ degree forecast, my confidence waned. I hate running in heat. 

My daughter ran with me. Although she is an accomplished long-distance trail runner, she insisted on sticking with slow mom, encouraging me up and over the many hills.

I drank water at every aid station. That helped. A little. Despite the heat, we made it across the finish line. I wasn't thrilled with my performance, but I met my goal - don't be last.

Following the Women's FIT Team training program, I also made it without injury. No blisters, no limping around due to muscle strain. I was merely tired and a little dehydrated. The team celebrated with Coach Judy later that day. We shared our race day stories, deciding which hill was the toughest, and complaining about the heat.

I use my love of running in my fiction writing. In the Rock Shop Mystery series, the main character becomes involved in charity fundraising races. I'm writing a book for a new Annie's Publishing series where one character is a runner.