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Yankee Homecoming 10 Miler 2014 Race Report

Posted by Sarah Hardy
Sarah Hardy
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on Thursday, July 31, 2014
in Road Races

On Tuesday, July 29th I ran one of my favorite road races, The Yankee Homecoming 10 Miler in Newburyport, MA.  It was the 8th time I've run the race and while not my fastest 10 miler, I was happy with my 1:19:09.  Because this event is run in the evening and it's held in the middle of the summer it's often a very warm night.  However, 2014 was a beautiful summer night to race with temps in the mid-70s and a nice cloud cover. 

One reason I love this event is because of the varied terrain over the 10 miles, and the course gives you great views of the Merrimack River and Maudslay State Park. I always start out fast as the first two miles are flat or downhill, and this year was no different with my fastest two miles coming right away.   The course stays pretty flat down Water St. which then turns into Merrimack St.  As you run through downtown Newburyport both sides of the street are lined with cheering spectators.  I love this part of the course because of the crowd support and the beautiful views of the river to the right. 

Shortly after mile 4, the course starts to get interesting.  You head into the woods and the rolling hills start.  At this point I put in my headphones and tried to concentrate on keeping a steady pace.  In longer events I usually run pretty consistent splits, but at Yankee I'm never able to do that. The flats and the hills really mess with my pace.  There were volunteers at each mile marker calling out the time, but I tried not to hear them.  I don't like to know if I've had a slow mile.  I prefer to run based on how I feel and look at my splits later.  For this race my fastest mile was 7:30 (mile 1) and my slowest was 8:14 (mile 5). 

Miles 5-8 are scenic and rolling.  I was happy with how I felt during these miles.  I tried to keep a steady pace going up the hills without red lining.  Running around and through Maudslay State Park is great!  I always try to distract myself by taking in the view.  I probably mystify most runners whose eyes are locked straight ahead as I swivel my head around and notice what I'm running by.  

The last two miles of this race were tough for me.  Getting over the I-95 overpass is challenging.  It felt like the longest hill on the course, but it might be because it falls just before mile 8.  After the overpass the course is mostly flat, but the road is straight and wide and you can see very far ahead.  I tried to increase my pace after passing mile 8 but the open view made me feel like I wasn't making much forward progress.   I ended up tucking in behind another runner and just staring at his back instead of the looking into the distance.  That helped, and I ran 7:53 and 7:45 for the last two miles.

According to my Garmin, I ended up running 10.09 miles.  I'll have to work on cutting the tangents better next time.  But otherwise I'm very happy with my race.  It was a great crowd to run with, good spectator support and lots of water stops (but could we have Gatorade too next year???).  Yankee Homecoming 10 mile is a great summer race, and I hope to be back next year.

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My First Ten Mile Race

Posted by Meg Tang
Meg Tang
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on Saturday, August 25, 2012
in Road Races

Cross-training

I recently ran the Moose on the Loose 10 Mile Trail Run in Nashua, New Hampshire.  This was the longest race I've run to date, and I chose to run it in preparation for a 1/2 marathon I've been training for in September. Going into the race, I set a goal of stopping at every water station and taking a drink while walking a couple of steps. In the past I have only run 5k races and never saw the need to stop at the water stations.  When I first started running longer distances for a workout, I was feeling really tired during and after.  I couldn't figure out why I was so tired the day after a long run. I finally realized I wasn't properly hydrating.  For my short runs I never had to worry about staying hydrated.  What I drank over the course of a normal day was enough, plus a little extra when I got back from a run. 

When running longer distances, I found out, you have to take care to hydrate before, during, and after.  So I set the goal to stop and drink during the 10 mile race to make sure hydration wouldn't be an issue. The day after the race I was a little sore, but not at all tired from the long distance.  I think taking the extra steps to stop and drink during the race has helped me in my recovery time. When running longer distances, I found out, you have to take care to hydrate before, during, and after. I would recommend this course to anyone looking for a good Sunday long run. It takes place on trails in Mine Falls Park in Nashua, New Hampshire.  There are no major hills and some down hills to build up speed.  The course is four two and 1/2 mile loops.  You come out of the woods at the end of each loop and run on a short paved circle with a water stop, then back onto the trail. As each loop passes you become more familiar with the path and can get a feel for what is coming. My only complaint with the race is that since it's a small event you will spend some time on the path without anyone in the race close to you. Also, this is a busy location for people working out and taking their families out for a hike in the woods.  At some points it got busy on the trail and non-runners got in the way of the racers.  Besides that, I think it is a great course, and I am planning on running it again next year.

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