This past Saturday my mom and I ran the AutoFair NH 10 Miler in Auburn, NH. It was our test run to see how well our training has been for the half marathon on October 6th. Despite not doing the time I was hoping to do, I think we’re in a good spot.
On Friday night, my mom and I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manchester. I had no idea when I made the reservation that it was right up against a baseball field! It was for the AA team of the Blue Jays: the Fisher Cats. We were able to catch a couple of innings while we had dinner at the bar (a couple of beers, margarita pizza and Caesar salad).
We were in bed by around 8:30PM/9PM because it was an early wake up (5:45AM). Thankfully we both got a good night’s sleep. We took an hour to get ourselves dressed, relaxed (even though we’ve been running for years, the nervous jitters are still there, ha-ha) and had a Nature Valley almond butter bar for some energy.
It was a 15-minute drive, and we were able to park less than half a mile from the start. While the humidity was high, the temps were in the high 50s, low 60s so it was a very pleasant morning. We waited around for about 45 minutes and then we were off!
I was not prepared for how many hills there were and I think this course could rival the Stowe 10 Miler! The first two, we were able to run, but the remaining few we ended up walking them. About halfway through I started to feel a bit lightheaded, but never enough to stop. And thankfully the negative thoughts that usually creep in were nowhere to be found! At the 5-mile mark, I got some water and Gatorade and I felt like I got a second wind! Even though I continued to walk the uphills, I felt like my legs were on autopilot on the flat and downhill surfaces. Around mile 8, someone came up next to me and it was my husband’s former army sergeant! I didn’t actually think that I would run into someone that I knew (literally).
The last mile was flat and we coasted over the finish line. My final 10-mile time (on my Garmin – the course was a bit long) was at a pace of 10:58 which I am very happy with given the hills. 
And it’s a PB from the Stowe race!
There are still 6 more weeks until the half and I think that we’re in a good place to keep getting better at the distance (and I heard that course is flat!).
Have you run any 10 mile races?
What’s your favorite distance to race?
Made With Bliss 