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@jen_omeara
Raving since 2021 Active 1 year, 2 months agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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(Marathon or Ultra) + Half
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Future Races
Personal Bests (4)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon | Marathon | Houston, TX | Jan 16, 2022 | 3:58:50 |
| Lake Washington Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Kirkland, WA | Nov 6, 2021 | 1:44:28 |
| 12K’s of Christmas (WA) | 12K | Redmond, WA | 2020 | 58:19 |
| Snohomish Women’s Run | 10K | Everett, WA | May 1, 2022 | 44:33 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|
Past Races (8)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Lake Triathlon | Other triathlon distance | Sammamish, WA | Aug 27, 2023 |
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| Snohomish Women’s Run | 10K | Everett, WA | May 1, 2022 | 44:33 |
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| Tenacious Ten | 10K | Seattle, WA | Apr 9, 2022 | 45:07 |
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| Lake Sammamish Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Redmond, WA | Mar 5, 2022 | 1:45:36 |
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| Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon | Marathon | Houston, TX | Jan 16, 2022 | 3:58:50 |
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| Lake Washington Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Kirkland, WA | Nov 6, 2021 | 1:44:28 |
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| Orca Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Seattle, WA | Sep 19, 2021 | 1:54:47 |
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| 12K’s of Christmas (WA) | 12K | Redmond, WA | 2020 | 58:19 |
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Beaver Lake Triathlon
Good local race
Beaver Lake Triathlon
This is a low-key local triathlon. Organization was a bit weak. Bib pickup was meant to be the day before the race, and the organizers were 90 minutes late. No … MORE
This is a low-key local triathlon. Organization was a bit weak. Bib pickup was meant to be the day before the race, and the organizers were 90 minutes late. No major harm done, as they distributed bibs on race morning.
Parking was easy at Beaver Lake Park. Since there were few participants, it was easy to rack bikes. The race started about 15 minutes late, which in my experience, is not bad for a triathlon. There were two waves separated by two minutes. I think the race would be improved by sending four waves rather than two, or by separating the waves by age / gender rather than signup time. The swim was a bit crowded and I had trouble passing people late in the race, despite the field being quite small.
The water temperature was about 80 degrees, and most people didn’t wear wetsuits. The lake was like glass that morning and remained very calm throughout the swim. I think I saw only one kayak on the course, which I thought was a bit light.
The bike course is only 13.5 miles, but I found it very difficult. Bike is my weakest discipline; strong cyclists won’t be troubled, but weak cyclists will struggle. Be prepared to take your time on the one major hill. I though the course was well-marked, though I did meet one guy who took a wrong turn. The race does go on some busyish roads, but since it was a Sunday morning, there was minimal traffic. I felt very comfortable and safe throughout the bike portion – just tired!
The run is 4.3 miles and is described as “flat.” With dead legs from the hilly cycle, I’d call it more rolling hills or undulating than flat, but it really wasn’t bad. It goes through quiet neighborhood roads with a brief section on a trail. Overall, a pleasant run, and it was early enough in the morning to be shaded.
This is a nice low-key local race with a challenging course (for such a short event). Organization is a little weak, but I recognize putting on an event like this isn’t for the faint of heart, and I appreciate all the work the organizers put in.
Snohomish Women’s Run
A Must-Run
Snohomish Women’s Run
If you are a woman, you must run this race. Women's races are rare in the Seattle area, but this one is an absolute gem. As usual, Snohomish Running Company … MORE
If you are a woman, you must run this race. Women’s races are rare in the Seattle area, but this one is an absolute gem. As usual, Snohomish Running Company does a superb job organizing the race. The course is dead flat and weather at the beginning of May is likely to be ideal for PR chasing. I was hoping for a PR so I went ahead and purchased the VIP parking package. What’s awesome is that it’s an out-and-back on the roads of Snohomish and you have literally hundreds of people cheering for you as you run back. It’s an amazing feeling.
Please women only – men can register, but there are so few women’s races, don’t bring your husband or boyfriend along. Let women have one race.
In 2022, I believe the course was a hair short, which was disappointing.
Tenacious Ten
Great PR race on the streets of Seattle
Tenacious Ten
There really aren't many races on the streets of Seattle. This one goes around Lake Union. It's a mostly flat course, scenic at times, and very well organized by Snohomish … MORE
There really aren’t many races on the streets of Seattle. This one goes around Lake Union. It’s a mostly flat course, scenic at times, and very well organized by Snohomish Running Club. A large field usually shows up with lots of runners fast, slow and in-between. It’s a must-do if you’re in the Seattle area.
A couple of small complaints:
1.) The course measured short both times I ran it, both on my watch and on others on Strava
2.) In 2022, the times were off by 20s for all runners. I observed this on my own watch and confirmed checking other runners on Strava. (The times were reported fast; I wish I’d run as fast as they said I did.) I’m not sure if they ever fixed this, but it’s a pretty fundamental thing to record times correctly.
Lake Sammamish Half Marathon
Used to be the fastest half in Seattle
Lake Sammamish Half Marathon
The Lake Sammamish Half Marathon used to be the fastest half marathon in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, two major changes have occurred that make it a far inferior race to … MORE
The Lake Sammamish Half Marathon used to be the fastest half marathon in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, two major changes have occurred that make it a far inferior race to what it used to be.
First, the Lake Sammamish Trail is under construction and is likely to remain so for at least another two years, if not three or more. What this means is that the course has to detour around the construction, adding significant elevation gain. In addition, this means it’s not USATF certified, and in 2022, the course was significantly short.
Second, Orca Running took over the race in 2021, and since Orca doesn’t provide cups, you’re going to lose around two minutes either carrying water (2s / lb / mile) or stopping at the aid stations to fill your cup. Decelerating and accelerating even from 7:30 or 8:00 pace is brutal.
Given the above concerns, Lake Sammamish is not a bad training run or fun run half. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just disappointing that this has happened to formerly by far the fastest best half in the Seattle area.
Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon
Amazing marathon - perfect PR race
Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon
This is a perfect PR race: Typically cool weather Flat course Absolutely superb organization Wonderful pacers The loop course makes this relatively convenient from a logistics standpoint, and there are … MORE
This is a perfect PR race:
Typically cool weather
Flat course
Absolutely superb organization
Wonderful pacers
The loop course makes this relatively convenient from a logistics standpoint, and there are lots of accommodation options in Houston.
This was my first marathon, and I’m glad I chose this race.
Lake Washington Half Marathon
Good race, bad weather
Lake Washington Half Marathon
This is one of the roughest races I've ever run, maybe the toughest half marathon. A race that takes place in November in Seattle is always going to be dodgy, … MORE
This is one of the roughest races I’ve ever run, maybe the toughest half marathon. A race that takes place in November in Seattle is always going to be dodgy, and in 2021, half the race took place in absolute pouring, driving rain. For this reason, I can’t give it more than 3 stars, despite the fact that it was very well organized and run and I’ll probably run it again this year as a training run.
This is not a PR race. Even if the weather cooperates, there are enough hills on the course – 500+ ft of elevation gain per my GPS – including one really rough one early on, that’s it’s not ideal for fast running. In addition, Orca Running doesn’t provide cups, so you either have to carry a hydration pack or come to a screeching halt at four or so aid stations. Either option will slow you down a couple minutes.
However, as an early winter hard training run, or just a casual half marathon, it’s not bad. There are some scenic spots in the lake. Orca is super well organized and always does a good job putting on their races. You get a pretty medal. I ordered my usual Women’s Medium shirt and it was skintight, so that was a little disappointing.
Orca Half Marathon
Great scenic Seattle race
Orca Half Marathon
Taking place in mid-September, you're likely to get decent weather for the Orca Half. Light rain is not unusual, but it's very unlikely you'll get poured on the whole time, … MORE
Taking place in mid-September, you’re likely to get decent weather for the Orca Half. Light rain is not unusual, but it’s very unlikely you’ll get poured on the whole time, and it’s also likely to be just right in terms of temperature – not too hot, not too cold.
The race has 300 feet of elevation gain, mostly round early on with a major hill from 1.5 mi to 2.5 mi. Also, there were no cups provided at the race, so it’s not a great PR option as you’ll lose a couple minutes either stopping at aid stations or carrying (heavy) water. However, it’s a great race to run just for fun or as a training run and generally comes with a nice medal.
The course is point-to-point and you take buses from W. Seattle to the start. The busing has been very well organized the two years I’ve run the race.
12K’s of Christmas (WA)
Great Christmas Race
12K’s of Christmas (WA)
This is a Christmas race in Seattle, so obviously the weather is going to be dodgy, but this one is a keeper. Just don't underdress and freeze! I like races … MORE
This is a Christmas race in Seattle, so obviously the weather is going to be dodgy, but this one is a keeper. Just don’t underdress and freeze!
I like races with “odd” distances, so it’s fun to give 12K a go. I’ve done this a few times, and the course moved around a bit recently with Covid, but usually the Kirkland course is quite nice and the race gets a great turnout. The atmosphere is usually very cheery and upbeat. I love the hat they give out every year. Snohomish Running Company has taken over this race and they do a great job with organization as with all their races.
Since the course has changed around a bit recently, I’m not sure how it’ll be going forward, but generally, you are looking at some significant gain as you go up from the water in Kirkland. There are faster courses out there. But it’s not terrible and you mostly get the elevation gain over with in the beginning.