2003 HalfMax Bike Course Review

A half-iron distance bike course throws at its riders many considerations.  First, it's 56 miles is long enough to put a serious dent in glycogen stores, making calorie intake critical.  Also, it's farther than the typical triathlete's average training ride, and while not the extreme of a 112 mile IM ride, it still poses the challenge of three hours of race-pace effort.  If the course itself is unforgiving, it can make for a long day.  These may have been some of the thoughts cycling through the minds of HalfMax course designers as they mapped out a route for their event.

Before setting out on two wheels, I completed a couple of circuits of the bike loop on four, just to familiarize myself with the turns and to size up the challenge at hand.  Any pre-existing  expectations I may have had about a massively hilly course were thrown out the power windows.  Make no mistake, there are some climbs but most can be surmounted standing on your big ring, even if you're not a power rider.  Only a couple of  rises prompted me to switch to my small ring, but more on that later.

As you exit Innsbrook property and start north on the rural highway system, the course affords you an opportunity to find your bike legs before the it displays any serious demands.  Early on, the altitude gains are gradual risers.  If your cadence is high enough these should present no real problem.  Overall, the first half of the course lends itself to just hammering away.

The ride forms a mildly distorted rectangle around the resort.  There are a fair number of turns to negotiate and here as with any race, course familiarization can be an important factor.

One interesting phenomenon you'll encounter on Hwy N is a topographical mirage that will appear as you crest a small roller.  Waiting below and looking for all practical purposes like a spectacularly long, tough climb, is actually a gradual incline tilting up steeply only at the tail end.  You won't miss this one when it looms into view, its sight will take your breath.

After negotiating that stretch, you'll soon turn right onto the non-descript Morrison Road which  you could easily blow past without volunteers manning the intersection.  In fact, I advise you drive the course and make a couple of mental notes about the locations of three such turns at which point you'll be cooking pretty good when you'll need to hit the retro rockets.

The "exact mileage making" out and back spur might be problematic if you can't perform a 180 degree turn on a somewhat narrow Schnarre road.  Unsnap your left foot if necessary, take it easy and you should be fine.

The next spot of any consequence is a right-left zigzag as you cross Hwy T for the second time. From Foristell Road it's only a matter of pedaling 200 yards down Hwy T but the terrain will propel you forward.  The impending left at Hwy M is wide enough to lean into at 20+ mph.  Just anticipate it.

One observation I made from the car was that It seemed the pavement was going to be very rough.  That actually wasn't the case.  While not as manicured as some more heavily trafficked roads, and there are some rough patches, they are by no means bone-jarring.  By and large the road surface is good.  I passed one pothole of blowout magnitude but it will certainly be filled by race day.

As you negotiate the last half of the loop, there is an opportunity to blast down a hill on South Strack Church Road.  As soon you get up to speed the road bends right but you needn't tap the brakes if you hold an inside line.  As you approach the bottom, you'll need to be aware of a right turn onto a narrow Hwy F.  If you stay sharp, it won't be a problem.  Again, volunteers should be there to slow you down.

At this point the lactate session begins with a steady climb up Hwy F.  This bit of gain gets rewarded with a smooth, fast descent and then its back up to the Innsbrook gate by way of a devilishly placed climb near the end of the loop.  Once you reach the main entrance you get to double your pleasure and do it again.

Looking at he course from an overall perspective, it certainly isn't the roller coaster that UltraMax offered last year and it is by no means the absolute billiard table of the Monday night St Charles training rides.  It lies comfortably somewhere in between, with adequate flats to build average, enough climbs to mix it up, ample descents for the thrill seekers, and just enough technical  for the complete ride.  Assuming adequate training, two loops shouldn't be enough to toast your legs for the half-marathon.  The scenery doesn't offer the splendor of Ultramax but then again not many will be taking the sight-seeing tour.  As alluded to earlier, the roads are of good to average consistency and nothing about which to complain.  The course is a well-balanced mix that should produce some fast times as well as challenge.  Two thumbs up.