After finishing with my main goal of 2023 by running the Grand Canyon from Rim to Rim to Rim, I needed a break from trail running and spent quite a bit more time on my bike. I always viewed cycling as a recovery activity for running, but as I logged more miles, I starting feeling like I really wanted try my hand at a gravel race for 2024. Like many, I’ve sat in awe by riders at Unbound, Belgian Waffle Ride, SBT Gravel, and many other top tier races. That interest had me searching for local races I could do without the expense of travel and the logistics of bike transport. The week I began my research, I found that there was a gravel race in my own backyard called Hardman, and if I wanted to enter, I’d have two weeks to prepare!

My fitness was pretty good two weeks out from Hardman, but I had been solely focused on running for 2023. That’s all fine and well, but Hardman is considered one of the hardest gravel races in Southern California, with a total distance of 77 miles and 8300ft of climbing. Fortunately for me, they also offer a shorter loop of the Hardman called the Workingman that covers 56 miles and 5000ft of climbing. I decided to sign up for the Workingman on short notice, threw caution to the wind, and hoped for the best.

With only two weeks of preparation, I knew I couldn’t improve my fitness in any meaningful way. Instead of burning out my legs, I focused on riding as much gravel as I could to ground myself in handling steep descents on rocky terrain. I also worked to dial in my hydration and nutrition, which was quite easy, since it is close to my trail running consumption.

For the actual course of the Hardman Classic, the first stretch of the race cuts through the city of Anaheim on streets and side paths with a few short bits of gravel. Once in Corona, racers head up the steep Skyline trail.  I have run Skyline a few times, but this race would be my first time on bike. After ascending via Skyline, racers hit the antennas of Sierra Peak before racing down the rocky, rutted, and super steep Coal Canyon. From the base of Coal Canyon, the race joins the Santa Ana River Trail for a super fast sprint to the finish.

I knew racing Hardman would be a massive physical and mental challenge, but as luck would have it, Mother Nature made things even more difficult with Santa Ana winds. When I arrived at the starting corral, I could feel the westerly winds pressing firm, and knew from the forecast that gusts of up to 60mph were expected. Looking around, we all knew what we were getting into and had a shared respect that we’d all get through it together.

The race started at a fairly quick pace but slowed considerably as we were all under the forceful push of a headwind. I tried to stick with the lead pack for a few miles, but dropped off early to save my legs for the climb. It was amazing to see how fast and efficient the lead cyclists were. I found a nice group of guys rolling through at a similar pace and we all stuck together, taking turns at the head to draft in equal measure.

At mile 25, I reached the dirt fire road for the Skyline trail and slowed my climbing to take in some extra fluids and nutrition. Now on the east side of the hills, the wind had stopped and it was a getting hot. My legs were feeling zapped from the early headwind and heat, and I had a 2500ft climb over the next 7 miles. The group I was riding with for the first stretch of the race had spread out, and I was mostly riding solo.

As we started getting closer to Sierra Peak, the winds began to whip with a fury. The 50mph gusts that were in the forecast could really be felt, and a few cyclist started going down from the force. This is one of the few times being 180+ lbs is an advantage on a bike.

Reaching the summit of Sierra Peak should have felt like a relief, but there was no time to enjoy it with the winds whipping like crazy. After a quick shot of GU gel, I began my descent of Coal Canyon, and was lucky to be with two other cyclists for the rocky downhill blaster of a trail. We dropped 2600ft of elevation in 5.5 miles! As much as I love running my 38mm Pathfinder tires for varied terrain, a 45c-47c tire with lower PSI would have made things a little more comfortable on the Coal Canyon descent. A lesson learned for next year.

After reaching the base of Coal Canyon, there was a perfectly placed aid station near the Santa Ana River Trail that I stopped at to refill my bottles. The final 18 miles flew by in a flash, as I had a tailwind pushing me all the way to the finish line. I got to share the final 15-miles with a really cool cyclist from Tijuana that drove up that morning to compete in Hardman. Despite the crazy headwinds and steep terrain, my first gravel race was a huge success and a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to signing up for Hardman again next year, and hope to find a few more local races to spin the wheels at for 2024.