Control 22 through the finish:

http://www.geocities.com/okansas.geo/trot2000/part4.html

-- Spike (meglin@juno.com), December 03, 2000

Answers

I was just a bit too far right going into control 22. I saw the weird circular earth embankment and to this day still wonder what it was - a mound built by the Hopewell? The control was probably 30-40 meters from the reentrant to its east.

I headed down to the road - it seemed the only reasonable direction - and up the hill heading towards the control. I really wondered what the feature was and how I could get to it safely. I saw the control as I approached. I think this may have been some kind of target practice area? I didn't stick around to find out as I had number 24 on my mind.

I got a bit sloppy here. I was too far right and ended up taking a peek over the side of the E-W running cliffs before heading back uphill to the control.

A bit right of the line to 25 to stay in the white.

I headed towards the field, through the break in the fence and across the fields. It was easy running here because the stalks of whatever they were growing had been plowed down. I picked up my pace as I felt the race drawing to a close. For the first time I turned around and looked behind me. I didn't see anyone back there, not even the puppy!

To 27 I ran SW along the fence then across the fields to the intersection of the treelines then more or less straight to the control.

Control 28 had the nastiest vegetation on the course, I feel. I weaved back and forth around most of what I could then found the 3 little dark green areas before the control (3 trees from what I could tell). The feature was supposed to be a spring, and perhaps it was.

Right of the line to 29 I found some little paths that eased the way. Then I ran up to the field, along its edge to the last control. It was a good Trot this year and maybe even the best ever!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), December 05, 2000.

The only bad thing about this year's Trot was only having one punch at the first few controls.

-- Snorkel (danielmeenhan@aol.com), December 05, 2000.

With Rich not far behind me, I did my best to keep moving. I was not thinking about catching Mook, but was thinking about staying ahead of Rich. I wanted to be far enough ahead that I wouldn't be helping him find any controls.

I didn't have any trouble with 22. I saw the earthbank (like Mook I am curious about what it is). I was able to see the reentrant in the circle.

On the road to 23, someone (Dan and Grover?) yelled that I was 1:55 behind Mook. I'd lost almost 2 minutes in just over a kilometer!

I ran the rest of the course without any problems. I was a bit worried about 25. It looked like it might be in a vague area. But, I matched up the streams and ditches. Around 26, I got a thorn in my foot and stopped to pull it out. I was feeling worn out on these last few legs. The yellow areas made for some tough running. Some of the yellow was deep grass on lumpy ground.

In the last part of the race (from about 20 to the finish) I made an effort to keep a steady effort. I was tired enough that it was tempting to ease off and take it easy. But, I didn't know how far back Rich was and I was close enough to Mook that a boom on his part could give me a shot at winning.

I finished about 7 minutes behind Mook. He must have been moving a good bit faster than me from about 21 to the finish. I'm not in shape to run that fast at the end of a two hour race. Not yet.

Throughout the race, I kept a steady effort. I ran the race with a heart rate monitor. It shows a steady h.r. throughout the race. Sometimes (typically when I'm in lousy condition and/or go out to hard) the h.r. gradually rises throughout the run. But, for this race, the h.r. stayed right around 169. The graph of the h.r. data is at:

http://www.geocities.com/okansas.geo/trot2000/trothr.html

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), December 05, 2000.

We took the road to 21 and then split as I went straight at 22 while Gary and Dave went back to the road. Orlyn, still recovering from his foot injury, had dropped back on the road run. Coming over the top of the hill I saw Gary coming up the other side and realized that he must have overrun the control. I turned left and got there just after Dave punched. Dave and I went left to take the road around the marsh, but Gary decided to gamble and cut straight across. Although his route was nearly as fast, the difference was enough that Dave and I were clear of him after hitting 23 cleanly.

Dave and I ran together through 24 and 25, with Dave taking a small lead through the field on the way to 26. I decided to go left of the stream and found it quick going. Dave, who followed the other side of the stream system, drifted too far right and I met him coming back as I was leaving the control. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to toss him a taunt as we passed. He responded by sprinting hard enough to catch me before we got to 27.

I led into 28, but misread the vegetation and wound up 50 meters to the north. As I turned around, I saw Dave moving quickly towards me. I asked if he had found it and he tried to look puzzled, but couldn’t contain his laughter. I knew he was on his way out so I ran back to get the control.

Dave had chosen to cut through the thick woods to the field to the west and then have clear running to the finish. I decided that my only chance lay with taking the shorter line through the eastern field and hoping to find a quick route through the medium green vegetation halfway to 29. As I left the field, I lucked out in finding a deer track that offered easy going through the first 50 meters. I then ran down the streambed and with one final push crashed through to the field on the other side.

As I climbed over the east-west fence just before the parking lot, I spotted Dave off to my left. We both tried to pick up the pace knowing that whoever punched 29 first would probably win. I was running too fast to read the map, but I gambled that there would be an opening in the fence. Dave hopped the four-foot fence quickly, but I found the gate and got to the control first. I didn’t even have time to drop the punch before Dave grabbed it out of my hand. I ran back out through the gate while Dave, who hadn’t noticed it, climbed the fence a second time. I knew better than to let up, though, as Dave has an excellent sprint. Indeed, he came within a few steps of catching me.

My fourth place finish was the best I’ve had in four attempts at the Possum Trot. Personally, this performance was one of my best and the first time I’ve put together two solid runs in one weekend (kudos to Orienteering Kansas for hosting a fun short course meet on Saturday).

I continue to be in awe of people like Mark Everett, Mike Eglinski, and Rich Ruid who can maintain sub 8:00/km for such a long event. The Possum Trot winners list is beginning to look like a “Who’s Who” of US Orienteering. I really get a thrill out of competing against such fine athletes and finding out that they are also such outstanding people. I’m already looking forward to next year.

-- Eric Buckley (ejbuckley@earthlink.net), December 06, 2000.

21 to 22

.345 km 10.185 km 5:04.89 1:51:36.15 14:43.74 min/km 10:57.45 cum min/km

Plan: straight, with rough compass, catching myself in the small reentrant the other side of the spur. No problems that I can recall, just tired going up the side of the spur and slowing down to catch the bit of fence. Started looking a bit early, so it was ahead and off to my left when I sighted it.

22 to 23

.3075 km 10.4925 km 4:02.75 1:55:38.90 13:09.43 min/km 11:01.32 cum min/km

Plan: Go to the road. Made up the rest along the way, but ended going ro the east end of the parking lot and climbing from there. Not quite sure what I would find, but thinking it's a man made object. Bumped into it without difficulties. Looking ahead to the next control and planning my route.

23 to 24

.360 km 10.8525 km 4:08.98 1:59:47.88 11:31.61 min/km 11:02.32 cum min/km

Plan: East, to the second reentrant and relocate. Passed the first reentrant and kept going. At the second reentrant, turned right and bumped into the steep cliffs. Ah ha. I know where I am. Turn around and head north. Wow. That's a little cliff. While I drifted downhill during my contouring, I still recall how pleased I was that I could quickly relocate. At almost two hours I was still having fun.

24 to 25

.555 km 11.4075 km 7:07.62 2:06:55.50 12:50.49 min/km 11:07.59 cum min/km

Plan: Sigh. Down those steep cliffs I'd relocated on and slightly to the right of the line, catching myself in the reentrant to follow it uphill. Clambered up through the boulder and cliffs on the south side of the east-west reentrant within 50 meters of the line. Staying above the cliffs, followed the contours into the reentrant. Must have entered the reentrant rather low, because it seemed forever to climb to the stream junction. From there, slowed down to the control.

25 to 26

.990 km 12.3975 km 9:15.63 2:16:11.13 9:21.24 min/km 10:59.09 cum min/km

Plan: to the clearing and figure the rest on the way. Headed southeast through the woods. Crossing the fence I tore my suit at the knee. Wow, that supplex really lets go when it tears! Vaguely recalling my experience with running across an unmown field from 2 to 3, I was prepared to stay towards the edge of the field. I think, however this field was shorter, so I took more of a straight line. After the treeline, however, the going got rough as the grass height increased, but I just aimed on towards the reentrant, noticing twinges of cramps in my hamstrings. The features I noticed on the run were the cliffs and the pond in the stream. I entered the woods north of the small reentrant and headed east. I bumped into the stream bend north of the control and follow the stream along this bend, thinking I was farther south (the mind is failing me now). At least I didn't cross the stream right away, but I recall looking at the map trying to figure out which side I needed to be on and deciding wrongly, even though the decision was best for my running route. Finally sight the cliffs and control. Quick dash across the stream now. Looking now, I see that using the reentrant that extended into the field would have lessened my time.

26 to 27

.930 km 13.3275 km 7:22.90 2:23:34.03 7:56.24 min/km 10:46.34 cum min/km

Plan: use the treeline intersection and the pond as checkpoints. From the flag, out of the woods to the southwest, coming out somewhere before the barn. Slowed down slightly passing the barn, looking for the symbol that I thought was a tower. Couldn't find the tower. Why am I looking? Even now, I'm not sure if I went by the building near the tower, or the building at the end of the road, but I went by a barn that had a flag on it. (I think it was the latter.) Needed to go across the field. Knee high grass and uneven footing. Yech. Get to it. Highstepped, getting tired, focusing on staying loose and not cramping, to what looked like the treeline intersection. (Still not learning my lesson about running through fields, but at least this stuff wasn't past my head.) From the treeline junction a whole new world opened up. Why, I could see the pond from there and there's the first reentrant with trees going into the pond so I need to go past that and... oh, yeah, looking for a, uh, copse? Whatever. It's green and in a ditch. Notice some others off to my right (father and kids?). Go right to the flag. Speed, miraculously, is still reasonable.

27 to 28

.435 km 13.7625 km 4:37.39 2:28:11.42 10:37.68 min/km 10:46.06 cum min/km

Plan: be careful. I'm tired and this looks like the stuff around 6 where I had trouble. Cross the first stream, go over the semi-open spur, keeping track of the treeline and... Think I crossed near the stream junction. Can't remember well. (They say you remember best when you are in the same state. Not interested in running for two and a half hours to jog the memory.) Recall going up the spurside and bumping into a trail of sorts that headed about the direction I wanted. Crossed the treeline and ... oh, my. I can count the three copses of green. Yeehaw. There's my attack point. Down to the stream, cross it and there's the flag! I love this map. This is still fun.

28 to 29

.6675 km 14.430 km 6:52.75 2:35:04.17 10:18.35 min/km 10:44.78 cum min/km

Plan: the field! It's a no brainer and I don't have to worry about lifting my legs so high. The question was how to get there. Decided to head south. Yeah, south. Out and around. Keeping up a quick pace and chanting to myself 'Don't cramp. Don't cramp. Don't cramp.' (I'm guessing food and water would have been a good plan earlier.) At the fenceline I hesitated. I have to lift my legs to cross the fence?? OK. Along the road bend, through the parking lot, through the bit of woods north of the parking lot. There's got to be a break in the fence. I'm not going to go over another... ah, there it is. And that hillock must be the... yeah, it is.

29 to finish

0.012 km 14.550 km 0:42.88 2:35:47.05 5:57.33 min/km 10:42.41 cum min/km

Plan: finish without cramping. Out through the fence opening (which had magically moved quite a bit to my left). A quick dash to the finish. Mary asked how it went and I replied (see 5 to 6) I felt like I did OK and had a fun time. And I didn't destroy my ankle. Thank you all.

-- Fritz (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), December 13, 2000.