Wednesday Ralston Creek Short Run, Healing

Today I had a colleague leave work early because they live on the road next to this fire and may be in the evacuation zone (didn't hear before he left). The Lower North Fork fire of last year was in the same general area. I was just southwest of there there on Sunday running around in the woods, and there was a lightning storm over the current fire area, but it was also still damp everywhere. It must have dried out since then. Fire-fighting aircraft were flying back and forth over the west metro area while I was running and on the drive home. Hope it rains again soon and my co-worker's place is OK.

After two days off with an aching heel (bad Monday, almost pain-free Tuesday), I ran on Wednesday and it felt pretty good. Still, I only went 5 miles and took it easy, sticking close to the car so I wouldn't have to walk far if it went south. I only felt some irritation in the last mile or so, but was glad I did a short outing.

I hung close to the creek in the shade of the trees, and while I enjoy it and it was cool compared to the path, it gets tougher later in the season with more weeds, more bugs, and worse pollen. By the end of this run I was itching like crazy and my nose and eyes were not happy. I'm heading back out to the foothills ASAP, where it's not so damp and those annoyances are nearly nonexistent.

While cruising through the long grass I heard rustlings of rodents, saw a couple of snakes, and flushed out a deer that was resting.

Turns out it was a momma, and its worried look was because of this fawn:

I wanted to get closer but held back. Once I was out in the boonies and had a fawn come right up to me like a friendly dog, which apparently they will do before their fear instincts kick in. It was looking at me with those huge eyes surrounded by long lashes, as if to ask "Are you a deer?". Right out of Bambi.

Distance was 5.21 miles, time 1:12 (moving 1:03), elevation gain/loss 91 feet, avg. pace 13:50 (moving 12:12), and best pace about 8:30.