joecrunner wrote:
I enjoy hiking, but you do have to factor it into training. 10 miles in 4 hours is 4 hours of exercise, even if easy/moderate. If you ran later, you probably would be more tired.
I am focusing on the 5k (well, technically, I am focused on my injuries, so that first...) so if I am on trails, I am running. I too live in the Seattle area, and there are plenty of good trail systems.
I like Tiger Mountain and Cougar Mountain. Some of the trails are too steep or technical for 5k training, but there are some flatter/smooth trails too.
Personally, I like to ski more than hike, otherwise, I'll just do a trail run, even if I have to hike the steep parts.
Cool.
You might also like Rattlesnake Ledge near North Bend. I ran that once and day-hiked it several times. Best to do it during the week because it can get crowded.
Just looked it up and apparently it is closed, from their website: "Note: As of October 2020, this trail is still closed due to COVID-19. "
I've run a bunch of trails around Cougar Mountain, though it was mostly flat from what i remember. As for Tiger Mountain, I mountain biked it a lot and ran the loop of trails around the base a few times as well. The trails at the base were excellent for trail running.
Hey, there is also a trail across the street from Duthie, called something like Grand Ridge. It is fairly flat and I ran and mountain biked it a few time, as it is really nice, too.
Bet most of these trails are closed now due to covid, though.
Good luck with your 5K, and happy trails!