Given:The Possum Trot V will consist of 3 approximately 6-km loops (A,B, and C), with the option to drop 1 control per loop. There will be a mass start.

Question: Is it better to have everyone run all loops in the same order, i.e. A-B-C (Option 1), OR separate the field by having trotters run loops in different orders, i.e. Spike runs A-B-C, while Mook runs B-C-A, and Snorkel runs C-A-B (Option 2)?

Mike Shifman, course setter favors Option 2, but I favor Option 1. It seems to me that part of the fun is catching glimpses of your opponents or even trying to follow and keep up with them. After all, goat races specifically allow following.

There is still time to convince Mike Shifman if the majority want Option 1.

-- Dick Neuburger (rneuburger@att.net), November 07, 2001

Answers

I like option 1 (everyone runs the loops in the same order). I think part of the fun of the Trot is running with a bunch of people, some of them are just following without doing any map reading. I also like the head-to-head racing that happens nearer the end of the race. It can make for some interesting strategy (Should I take a different route to try to get away? Should I try to push the pace to drop someone who is hanging on me? Should I let someone chase after someone ahead of me and take it a bit easy, hoping they'll get tired and boom a control?)

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), November 07, 2001.

I think the whole idea of Spike running A-B-C is belied by his present injury. Why not just sit down Mook and Snorkel and have them eat Chocolate Rocks until one or the other has to say uncle? That way the weather doesn't much matter.

-- Lemon Moraine (lemonmoraine@yahoo.com), November 07, 2001.

The Hudson Highlander had four loops this year, mass start. The first loop was common (All ran A first). Then the second two loops were run by half the field each (Spike runs B and Snorkel runs C [both pretty funny thoughts...]). It ended with everyone on D. Kind of neat because you didn't really know where you stood until you started loop D. (Actually, each loop was on a different map, but that just confuses the issue here.) I don't know if this is something you could incorporate in the Trot, but I thought it was pretty fun. Especially since one of the loops was shorter/faster.

-- peggy (Pdickison@aol.com), November 07, 2001.

Oops, I should clarify that EVERYONE ran both B and C loops, just in different orders. So, when Spike finishes with B, he runs C, then D, while Snorkel runs C, then B, then D. Simple.

-- peggy (Pdickison@aol.com), November 07, 2001.

I would vote 50% of the field starts on loop A and then does loop B, 50% of the field starts on loop B and then does loop A and everyone does loop C last.

-- Snorkel (daniel_meenehan@rmsi.com), November 10, 2001.

An alteration to Snorkel's format: All start on A, then 50% get B, 50% get C. After 2 laps, if you're more than 50% behind the leader you get map A again (this should shorten the time on the 3rd leg getting to rerun a now-familiar course and lets the meet director go home earlier). ;)

-- mean gene (gmw@ku.edu), November 11, 2001.