JJ: Race Recap: Hillsboro, IL Biathlon
I joined 113 other competitors and about twenty 2-person teams to compete in the Independence Day Hillsboro Biathlon consisting of a 5-mile run and 20-mile bike. This was my 3rd time racing in the small Illinois town about 75 miles east of St. Louis.
The course is very straightforward. Start on the cobblestones, down the hill, out and back, ditto on the bike. Wind is usually a factor.
The run was humid and uneventful. As we circled the city hall to get on our bikes, I estimated I was in 12-15th place.
Unlike triathlons where I usually find myself trying to come from behind after the swim, I was now going to try and hold off as many bikers behind me and see if I could move past some of the faster runners ahead.
Feeling good with a tailwind, I was holding onto 11th at the bike turnaround. With 3 miles to go, there were four of us jockeying for the uphill/cobblestone finish. One guy was blatantly sitting on my wheel. No one took charge at the base of the hill, so I went first but did not attack. Montani attacked, followed by the guy in green riding illegally in the middle of the road. Before I knew it, we were on the cobbles and a rider came from nowhere blowing past all of us (the Cat 4 Missouri State time trial champion). There was no time to react or recover and the race was over. What just happened?
In the end I finished 12th with a course PR, and a bike PR. For the first time, I believe, my bike split ranked ahead of my run. Interesting that it comes on the verge of acquiring a new triathlon-specific bike. Bad move?
Despite being unprepared and un-aggressive enough in the final sprint, I felt solid on the bike and enjoyed the day.
-Jan
The course is very straightforward. Start on the cobblestones, down the hill, out and back, ditto on the bike. Wind is usually a factor.
The run was humid and uneventful. As we circled the city hall to get on our bikes, I estimated I was in 12-15th place.
Unlike triathlons where I usually find myself trying to come from behind after the swim, I was now going to try and hold off as many bikers behind me and see if I could move past some of the faster runners ahead.
Feeling good with a tailwind, I was holding onto 11th at the bike turnaround. With 3 miles to go, there were four of us jockeying for the uphill/cobblestone finish. One guy was blatantly sitting on my wheel. No one took charge at the base of the hill, so I went first but did not attack. Montani attacked, followed by the guy in green riding illegally in the middle of the road. Before I knew it, we were on the cobbles and a rider came from nowhere blowing past all of us (the Cat 4 Missouri State time trial champion). There was no time to react or recover and the race was over. What just happened?
In the end I finished 12th with a course PR, and a bike PR. For the first time, I believe, my bike split ranked ahead of my run. Interesting that it comes on the verge of acquiring a new triathlon-specific bike. Bad move?
Despite being unprepared and un-aggressive enough in the final sprint, I felt solid on the bike and enjoyed the day.
-Jan
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