Biathlon: A Sport for Your Body and Mind

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Biathlon:
A Sport for Your Body and Mind

By Laura Clark

Curt Schreiner competing at the World Cup Biathlon Competition in Canada.

Perhaps you're a mountain biker, runner, or skier, and although you hate to admit it, even to yourself, you've become a bit bored with your usual routine. Still, whenever you follow the advice of experts and attempt to add a bit of variety by cross training, you are left feeling vaguely dissatisfied. Happily, a cure is waiting right around the corner in Day, about twenty miles northwest of Saratoga Springs, at Jim Schreiner's Saratoga Biathlon Club.

Thanks to the recent Olympic Triathlon, we all have a pretty good idea what a triathlon involves. But what is biathlon? Is it any two of the above three, or any two of anything? The answer is up for grabs. Purists insist that a biathlon is a cross-country skiing and shooting event, period. They insist that two of anything else be called a duathlon. Most would agree, however, that a proper biathlon should contain some display of firepower. And this is pretty much Jim Schreiner's position. While his club's main focus is on skiing and shooting, other possibilities are encouraged. In the summer, they substitute trail running for skiing. The extremely dedicated take to the roads on roller skis. Another recent variation involves mountain biking and target shooting — talk about Wild West! And this winter, there are plans to add a snowshoe and shooting competition.

Although the biathlon is an old, established event, it has yet to enjoy mainstream status here in the States. It originated in Europe, not as a sport, but as a means of winter survival with hunters stalking their prey on skis. As civilization advanced, the military was quick to apply the basic principles. Flash back to a raiding party of Scandinavian soldiers on skis, or simply turn ahead to the fictional present with a good James Bond video. Even as late as the 1930's the small Finnish army, outnumbered ten to one, repelled the Russians from their borders. The switch to competition was a natural; military leaders promoted these events to keep their armies in shape. The first recorded competition was in 1767 between ski companies guarding the Swedish-Norwegian border. A Military Patrol event was introduced at the 1924 Winter Olympics. In 1960 a men's biathlon was part of the Squaw Valley Olympics, women were finally allowed to compete in the 1992 Albertville Games.

At the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, the Schreiners became hooked. Jim's sons, who already knew how to ski and shoot, were fascinated with the idea of combining the two sports. Being a good Dad, Jim tried to find a local biathlon club but there was none. Undaunted, he had a lot of unused land so he decided to construct his own course. He hooked up with a friend whose sons were interested, and more importantly, owned a bulldozer. The result is a wonderfully designed course containing a 5K and a two-mile loop. Because of his desire to leave the natural beauty of his woods intact, he refused to cut down the trees surrounding the open target field. Serendipitously, this afforded his club with some of the best shooting conditions in New York since the large trees provide a natural wind block with less possibility of a bullet being blown off-course. Needless to say, this is a good thing.

To add to its uniqueness, the course lies in one of those magical areas that attract snow, even when the rest of the state is depressingly brown. Twice so far, the Saratoga Biathlon Club has rescued the Empire State Games when lack of snow threatened to cancel the Nordic events.

So what does it take to get started? Not surprisingly, the sport is much more than the sum of its parts. An athlete must have the individual skills down, and also know how to combine them. The biathlete must make an instant transition from speed to hardly-dare-to-breathe stillness, from total energy output to intense concentration. More than merely putting one foot ahead of the other, the biathlon is truly a thinking person's sport. Patrick Clancy, a club member, mentioned that he was becoming a bit bored with plain skiing and took it up as a means of adding yet another dimension to his favorite sport.

In literature, there are books on skiing and books on shooting, but none on biathlon. You are, as the running guru George Sheehan would say, "an experiment of one." You join together with other athletes to have fun and test your limits.

This meshes perfectly with the friendly, family atmosphere at the Saratoga Biathlon Club. While you are expected to furnish all the equipment for your main sport, the club does have loaner guns available. Most skiers now prefer the faster skate skis and use a .22 caliber bolt-action gun with non-optical sites. Teens 14 and over may use the .22's; children from 8 to 14 use air rifles. Expert skiers strap a harness to their backs and ski with their guns; novices ski without their guns, which is definitely a good thing.

To add variety, the most common events are 5K and 10K sprints. These races are termed a sprint because the athletes do not race the full distance at one clip. The event is broken up into segments. During the breaks in skiing, you get to shoot. Depending upon the race length, you shoot a certain number of targets from a prone position, resume aerobic activity, shoot from a standing position and go aerobic again. But don't forget to read the fine print for the penalty clause — for each target you miss, you add a 150-meter handicap loop. So it's worth the extra time it takes to slow down your breathing and aim properly. To avoid congestion at the targets, races take place in waves, with experts going first.

If you are participating in your first biathlon, arrive at least an hour early to take the mandatory rifle safety course. You'll have plenty of company, as seasoned athletes typically arrive early in order to prepare. This is one sport where pulling up at the curb at the last minute just doesn't work.

If you're still hesitant, view a competition first. My husband and I stumbled upon our first biathlon at Lake Placid, where we were hanging around killing time (figuratively) waiting to line up for the Half Marathon road race. To our astonishment, club members made us feel welcome, explaining what was going on, and even insisting we join the warm up and fire a few shots. You'll feel similarly welcomed. Plus, you could be drafted to volunteer. Chances are you'll be invited up to the Schreiner's afterwards for lunch or for a picnic by the lake. Should you decide to join, family membership is a mere $35, or $15 for an individual, and for that you can stop by anytime to use the trails. Family members who are not interested in competing are still welcome to enjoy the woods.

For Jim Schreiner, being a good Dad definitely paid off. Not only did he enjoy priceless time with his kids, but he also gained a community of new friends. After all, how many other Dads can boast that they've been to the Olympics three times? And he hopes to add a fourth at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City where son, Curt, and daughter-in-law, Debbie, hope to compete.

For more information on the Saratoga Biathlon Club, call Jim Schreiner (518) 696-3961, Curt Schreiner (518) 696-5495, email schreiner@global2000.net, or visit www.saratogabiathlon.20m.com. To the north, the ORDA/Lake Placid Biathlon Club contact is Tracy Lamb at (518) 523-2600. To the west, the Syracuse Biathlon Club contact is Cindy Daly at (315) 834-9354.

Laura Clark is an avid trail runner, snowshoer and cross-country skier, and a Children's and Young Adult Librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.