We were all at the starting line and they told the spectators to the left to move over to the other side. This and looking through the back of the map, I knew we were heading to the left. Everybody grabbed their maps and headed straight for a few steps, I went left right away. I entered the woods and almost immediately pinched a nerve in my lower back. I stopped for a moment and was passed by about 10 people. I continued to run just following the pack because it hurt so bad I could only concentrate on running. We ended up in a reentrant next to a big clearing too far up the hill from the first control. I realized our mistake, ran down the reentrant and punched in first at the first control. Control 2: The pack was back and past me within 50 meters. I think climbing a little and contouring in would have been a better choice on this leg but there was a rocky reentrant just before the control that I was a little leary about so I went low and started the pack in that direction. I was moving slow and it was painful and lost quite a few place to the pack. Easy control to find on a rockface. Control 3: An easy control on a stone wall through a clearing barely 100 m from the last control Control 4: A straight shot, just follow the pack straight east to the side of a knoll, still losing ground on the pack. Control 5: Slightly up hill to a rock field, no problem Control 6: Two routes to take down to the creek on the left or to the right and avoid the green on the straight line, most of pack has gone to the left, I try to go to the right but go to low and go right through most of the green. This leg has taken most of the adrenaline rush out of me and I fight slowly through the green. I emerge from the green and see Pam James about 150m in front of me climbing the knoll to number 6. I run across a rocky creek bed and up the knoll to the control. By now I am probably in the place I will finish in and there is a long leg to number 7. Control 7: This is a long leg and I am really tired, have no fight left, and am hurting. I basically go straight and don't see anybody along the way. I feel I am moving very slowly and am pushing myself but not making good progress. There was a route out along the road that would have been easier physically and maybe even faster. Control 8: Last leg up a big hill to the final control. I could have been 2 1/2 minutes faster if I had been in decent shape and not hurt. Next year is our year!!!

-- Snorkel (daniel.meenehan@umb.com), May 11, 2000

Answers

The weekend of the relays -- April 15/16 -- could not be a worse choice for someone, like Dan, who works with tax accounting.

Look for Dan to be back at his normal spot next. Fighting it out to win the first leg.

-- Spike (meglin@juno.com), May 12, 2000.

Some say Snorkel's best days are behind him. I for one tend to disagree. I think Snorkel is on the verge of a breakthrough. The best is yet to come!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), May 12, 2000.