Run With the Kokanee and 2015 Wrap-up

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kokanee-run-2015-artworkSaturday was my last trail run of the regular season for 2015, the Run With the Kokanee 10k sponsored by the Bellevue/Issaquah chapter of Trout Unlimited and Northwest Trail Runs.   I walked this event last fall, it was the first even I’d been to in several years after being sick so it was good to be able to go back and actually run it this time.   This is a “trail” run in that it is all on trails but about 2 miles of the 3 mile loop is paved bike trail and the last mile is packed grass trail plus it is dead flat which all adds up to a perfect PR course.

I ran with my Luna Sandals again on this event as I have at all events this year but forgot about the pavement and I kind of hate using Lunas on pavement.  After doing reg and sitting around for 2 hours then taking off at a good clip at the start my left calf cramped up about one mile in and I wasn’t really sure I was going to do the second lap but luckily by the time I got to the end of the lap @ 25:12 (my fastest 5k time by far), I was feeling better so went for it.  The second lap was much easier though I slowed a bit and ended up crossing the finish at 51:18.  This beat my previous best 10k time by 9 whole minutes.

IMG_9374In fact, this season was all about PRs being broken.  I ran 6 events during the regular season and in 5 of them hit a new PR for the distance run.  I now have new times for 5k, 10k, 5-mile and 10-mile.   Here are my new PRs:

 

  • 5k – Cougar Mountain 26:59, previous was 30:06
  • 5 mile – Rattlesnake Ridge 37:44, previous was 42:05
  • 10k – Run With the Kokanee 51:18, previous was Lord Hill this year too at 1:00:31
  • 10 mile – Redmond Watershed 1:23:12, previous was 1:28:29

I think loss of weight was the big factor in all these PRs this year, I’m not in nearly as good a shape as I was back in 2011 and 2012 but I’m at least 10 lbs lighter now.

The Winter Trail Run season starts in a few weeks but I’ll be out of town for the first event at Carkeek but plan on volunteering and running most of these, doing the longer distance at most events.  Hopefully I can be in shape for a spring 25k in 2016, I’d really like to do Sun Mountain for real and also am thinking of the Hawkeye 25k back in Iowa City.

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