2014 Berryman 50 mile

The Berryman races were this weekend. I have worked aid station #1 at this race almost every year (didn't this year because my Sister in Law was in town). In 2014, I didn't because I was going after the EMUS series.

Run May 17, 2014

As I'm running the EMUS (Eastern Missouri Ultra Series) this year, I actually entered the Berryman rather than manning my usual post at aid station #1. I don't completely abandon my contribution; I bring Yaya along to work the start/finish aid station while I run. We camp out the night before just a hundred feet from the line.

As usual, when camping right at the start, the main pre-race challenge is figuring out what to do; even with the 6:30AM gun, I've got well over an hour to kill. After a breakfast of coffee and oatmeal, I mill about catching up with a few friends I haven't seen recently. One such individual is Paul Schoenlaub, who insists that he is not going to run fast. He's the current course record holder in my age group, so I'll believe that when I see it.

There's less than 30 seconds of running from the start line to the trail head but, the marathoners start 90 minutes after the 50-milers, so there's no significant congestion on the trail. Paul slots in behind me and we chat for a few miles before he makes good on his promise and drops back. I get to aid station #1 where Paul's wife greets me with the expected barb about taking a holiday rather than helping her hand out water. She's surprised I'm not even in the top 10. I remind her of our many conversations of how different people look on lap 2 of this course. It's very comfortable now, but in the dozen or so times I've worked this race, conditions have always punished those who go out too fast.

About halfway through the lap, I decide it's time to up the effort a bit. The increased pace feels good. I pass several runners and cruise into the start/finish at 10:44AM (4:14 lap time). Another lap like that and I'll be taking the age group record from Paul.

Yaya is working the aid station and quickly fills my bottles while I stuff some gu's into my pockets. The leg to aid station #1 (about 5 miles) is the longest distance between stations and I don't want to get depleted now. The stop is quick and I'm back on the singletrack in under a minute.

Everything still feels like it's working well, but the watch tells a different story. I had arrived at #1 in just under 45 minutes on lap 1, and that was taking it easy. Now the pace is feeling forced and it still takes 48 minutes. It's time to get tough as the heat is filling in and my body is obviously in worse shape than I realized. I stay on the gas as best I can for the next leg which is quite short. The seven miles that follow are the fastest running on the course as the trail does a lot more contouring rather than bouncing straight over the steep ridges. I'm able to hold a decent pace but, as I hit the big climb out of Brazil Creek at mile 39, it's obvious that I'm not going to be able to keep this up.

I take a few short walk breaks, then they start getting longer. It's not that hot; probably low 80's, but it's very humid and the hills are relentless. Coming into the last aid station with 3 miles to go, I'm caught by Andy Emerson. He's in his 40's, so it's not a place I need to stress over, but I still hate getting passed in the late going. There's not much I can do about it, though. He's still running well and I'm not.

I stagger into the finish at 3:24PM (total time 9:54) for 8th overall, winning 50+. The second lap was a full minute per mile slower than the first. Not my proudest day of pacing, to be sure. Still, I had the 7th fastest time on both laps, so I didn't fade any worse than most others. And, in the context of EMUS, it's pretty much a perfect day: maximum points for both distance (you get a point for every mile covered) and age group placing.

So, it's all good, but I have to concede that this race is much harder than it appears when you're watching it from the sidelines. The hills are just short enough that you feel compelled to run them all on lap 1 when it's cool. As I found out, you pay dearly for that strategy when things heat up on lap 2. While I never thought that breaking Paul's mark of 8:36 would be easy; I have newfound respect for just what a stellar time that is.