Hart Hills = Sand, Wind and loads of fun!
The day is almost here, my first ever gravel race is around the corner. The weeks leading up to the event have been very exciting, I’ve spent a lot of hours researching trying to figure out the best race plan possible. Up to the days prior to the race I had a couple of 25-30-mile rides under my belt which I have done solo or with my local Flat River Cycling team group. I have tested several nutrition plans, but I found that a simple Hammer Nutrition Gel and a bottle of Heed was enough to keep me fueled for the 25-mile Hart Hills Race. My goal for this race was to gauge where I was in my fitness level, learn how to ride in a race environment with several other cyclists at higher speeds and mainly getting out there and have a good time!
Since this was my very first event, I wanted to get there very early to make sure I had enough time to get everything setup. It was exciting to see how quickly the Hart downtown became invaded by hundreds of cyclists ready to race and have fun. It was funny how I was approached by a couple of people that recognized the bike and congratulated me for winning the scholarship, thank you all very much for that.
Luis’ Bearclaw Bicycle Co. Thunderhawk with Velocity Blunt SS wheels and Panaracer Gravelking tires
Since it was a chilly morning, I decided to do a longer warm up than usual which worked out perfectly to feel ready at the start of the race. I heard and read so many comments about the sand and hills of this race which I experienced firsthand a couple of miles in. Wow! I said to myself after I hit the first sand pit and the bike bogged down into which took a little getting used to. I even bombed down a crazy sandy downhill section that forced some of the riders to step off and walk. The next unexpected challenge that day was the wind, according to the weather app we had 26 mile per hour winds with wind gusts up to 40 mph, some of the riders were literally knocked down or blown off course. Crazy!
Hart Hills short course takes you through some beautiful settings including orchards, farms, and some fun wooded sections. Couple of miles from the finish line I was starting to lose some steam but managed to keep a 13.8 mph pace which resulted in me completing the 25-mile race in 1hr and 44 minutes. I was very pleased with the results, especially knowing that the racecourse and conditions were tough this year.
The post-race setting was awesome, they had music going while the announce cheered all the riders that were rolling in. The finish line was conveniently located right in front of Hart Pizza which had some amazing pizza and a great selection of craft beers, obviously I had to try it out. As I was walking around in the crowd, I spotted Arlene Gavin (Former Scholar) I introduced myself and we chatted a bit about our experiences as scholars and discussed all the future races we planned on doing this year. I really enjoyed getting to meet her and hope our paths cross again in future events.
Overall Hart Hills is a must on your bucket list, shoutout to the organizers for doing a great job of putting together such a fantastic event.
