This run is good for easing into the mileage, but you can also run it when you are tired. This is an out-and-back run, which means that if you are feeling exhausted during the run, you always have the option of turning around and going back (though you should always try to push yourself to go farther).
The classic. This one's great if you're new on the team or want a warm up before a workout. It's a 2-mile loop that goes through Ardmore park, where you will find some nice hills.
The Crossroads park loop is a nice and easy loop to do for just a few miles. You exit out the back of Interlake and head through a neighborhood trail, do a loop around Crossroads Park, and then head back to Interlake on 164th.
This run is probably the staple for most of the Interlake runs. You can branch off into other routes on the Microsoft campus from this route, but it is also a nice and relatively short route that you can start off with. The first mile or so is a trail that cuts through the woods behind the Microsoft buildings and you can really get rolling with some of the downhill gravel portions. There is a hill coming out of the trail, but it is not too long and the rest of the run is pretty much level. The hill coming out of the trail might be a little tough (extra challenge if you go up the "runners trail") and there might be a few annoying stoplights, but it shouldn't be too bad. Plus, there are plenty of stoplights in the last mile or so if you need to catch your breath.
For this run, you head east down the 24th hill towards the Tam O'Shanter neighborhood. The first mile and a half is going to be steep downhill all the way to the Tamo Shanter neighborhood, but you're going to have work your way up through some gradual and some steep hills to get back. It's a tough run, not going to lie, but if you get through it, that just means that you're a beast.
This run is literally an extended version of backwards Microsoft, minus the hills. It has a lot of stoplights, it's very flat, and it's an out and back run so you can control how far you want to run. If you want to spice things up, though, you can mix and match with other runs.
Blueberry is entirely downhill for the first 2 miles, but at some point, you have to run uphill to get back to Interlake. Coming out of the blueberry farm, there is a hill that passes through a residential neighborhood and another longer hill up to Crossroads, but honestly it is not too hard and it's relatively easy compared to the hills on some of the other routes. Another plus is that once you get past the hills, you are going through Crossroads, where there are a lot of stoplights.
Blueberry long is one of the most popular choices for an 8-miler, along with Bridle and an extended Microsoft Blue. Unlike regular Blueberry, after the Blueberry farm you turn left and cross 148th, passing by Sammamish High School. It might take a bit of time to memorize some of the turns, but it's overall a great run with just a bit more mileage and elevation than regular Blueberry.
Microsoft Blue has that hill from the Microsoft and Microsoft Red routes, and it's about 3 to 3.5 miles longer than those routes. There are stretches on Microsoft Blue where there aren't many stoplights or there are quick stoplights, and that can be tiring for someone trying a longer version of Microsoft for the first time. Microsoft Blue also has an uphill section if you go counterclockwise around the Microsoft Redwest campus and it has an uphill gravel section (yikes!) if you go the other way around the campus. If you are able to complete this run, then congratulations, you have graduated to higher mileage.
Microsoft Blue short is exactly the same as regular Blue, except you cut off the square around park of the Microsoft campus, so it's a bit shorter. Take a loop at both maps for a better idea.
Microsoft Koi is a fun one - you head deep into the Microsoft Campus and stop by Lake Bill - a small pond where you'll often find ducks and Koi fish swimming around. In the winter, it's often frozen over.
Microsoft Freeway is similar to Microsoft Red, except instead of heading into the Microsoft campus you cut through on the 520 train and then exit onto 31st street.
Tillicum is an out-and-back loop to Tillicum Middle School. It runs along the first 2.2 miles of Blueberry or Blueberry Long, so it's possible to run with some friends that are going a little longer if you aren't looking for the mileage.
This run is a sneaky way to get someone to run a half marathon when they only want to run 10 miles (sorry Ben). The first quarter of the run is just normal blueberry, but it extends out past Robinswood Park, where the real run begins. You'll cut through Bellevue College and pop out near Factoria, where you'll gradually have to start making up all the elevation loss you acculumated. "What goes down must come up" and the last few miles through Kelsey Creek and back through the last portion of Blueberry will really test your determination with the big hills.
Bridle is one of the hardest routes that you can do as a beginning-level runner and it never gets that easy, even for the most experienced runners. The first 2 miles of the run start off easy on the flat portion of Shrek (see: Shrek), but the hills get rolling once you hit the trails. There is even a hill with a warning sign that says "Caution: Steep Grade." The run does level off for a little bit while you go through the dirt trails of Bridle Trails (watch out for the horse poop!!), but you do have to run up 2 more big hills. The first hill is a long uphill along an underpass that you have to run with the heavy headwind slowing you down, and the second hill is a short but steep hill that tires you out after surviving the first hill.
Bridle Perimeter Loop is an extended version of Bridle that takes the Perimeter loop on the Coyote trail in the State Park. You probably don't want to do this one unless someone's with you that knows the area, because the park's 26 miles of trails can sometimes get you lost.
This route is essentially the same as the regular Bridle Perimeter Loop, except you run the perimeter clockwise instead of counterclockwise, adding on a bit more mileage.
The Cross Kirkland Corridor is an excellent running path, but it isn't that close to Interlake. You can still run on it, though. This loop takes you by Grass Lawn Park and then up on Old Redmond Rd to the CKC. You'll then run South on the trail until Northup, where you'll head back to Interlake.
Marymoor is a route we usually only do when we're going to do a workout on the race course. It's a little more than a 5K there, so if you're running the course you should expect to end up at 9-10 for your total for the day.
Shortle is a version of Bridle where you cut out most of the hills and head South on 148th or 140th instead of 132nd. It can be combined with Blue, too. Get creative!
Grass Lawn is an out-and-back along 148th over to Grass Lawn Park. You can run along a few trails around the park or play around on their rock climbing structures, and then head back either the way you came or on Microsoft Blue.