-- Michael Eglinski (meglin@juno.com), December 17, 1999

Answers

Part of my strategy for the Trot was to take it easy in the beginning. I planned to let Mikell, Mook, Dan, Rich, and anyone else go away. I was worried about my endurance. I haven't done much training this year.

So, I was surprised that I was leading the way out of the start triangle. I think I was able to pick out the start triangle and the first control faster than others because, having run at Blue and Gray before, it didn't take any time to look at the right part of the map.

After I passed the pond, I walked part of the hill toward one. As I walked I took a quick look at the rest of the map. Another part of my strategy was to quickly decide if there were two controls in a row that I should skip. If I didn't see two together to skip, I planned to try to save a skip for the later part of the course. I also figured I wanted to use my skips for controls that were physically (or technically or both) tough.

As I walked the hill, I didn't see two controls in a row that looked like obvious skips. I also decided that I wouldn't skip three -- skipping three would save a lot of distance, but it was "easy" distance. By "easy" I mean it was a flat leg with a lot of running in an open field (I didn't -- yet -- realize the fields would be so muddy and tough to run through).

I punched at number one in fourth postion.

I was at the back of a little pack (Mikell, Mook, and Dan) on the way to two. I had a smile on my face as I just sat at the back and kept an eye on the leaders. I also took a chance to look at how nice the forest looked with the snow on the trees. Beautiful. Whoops, I was thinking about something other than the map and finding two.

Suddenly we were at a trail and Mikell and Dan started running off as if they knew where they were going. But, it seemed to me that they had turned around and were heading the wrong way. I took a few steps in the same direction telling myself, "this doesn't feel right." So, I stopped. I looked at the map and saw a trail that was partially obscured by the control circle for the second control. I realized we must have been on that trail. So, I went back to the trail. I ran on the trail a few steps and looked in the direction I expected the control to be. I saw the marker. Cool. I was in the lead. As I got to the marker I saw Mook heading my way. Mikell and Dan were no where to be seen. I punched just as Mook arrived.

-- Spike (meglin@juno.com), December 17, 1999.

It is always the early controls in a mass start that are the most fun. Everyone is feeling pretty fresh and ready to get underway, and some people can get a bit jumpy. There is the enevitable jockeying for position (not positions which lead to faster splits necessarily, but mostly positions for prestige). There is sometimes nervous smalltalk among members of the pack and everyone is checking everyone else out... Is Dan dressed right for the weather? ... Do I detect a small hitch in Swampfox's stride? So he's an ultrarunner, but can he read a map? ... Spike hasn't done much training this year so his endurance is suspect, but perhaps he's still one to keep an eye on when we're looking for that control in the green. People are taking long looks at the map deciding on their skips. They are feeling out the woods and the map. These are the moments I like best!

The 1st two controls didn't go that great. I followed Spike and Dan along the trails, then we headed up the hill and I think came out about 50m N of the control (to the right on the image above). Spike seemed to be closer to his straight line I guess. Anyway a bunch punched together at #1. We spread out a bit climbing to #2. I couldn't tell what was going on with the trails, but Dan and Swampfox headed over the other side of the hill. I thought I saw the top of the hill and decided I wasn't too far from the control. I headed generally in the direction I thought it should be and came up on Spike. I had decided to skip #3 afterwards. It was a bit sad to me that the "pack" was doomed to break up so early in the race. It was fun while it lasted.

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), December 19, 1999.