Gunni Grinder has 9,785 feet of climbing on a route that is about 83 percent gravel and dirt roads, including remote roads that receive little to no maintenance. The route starts near 7,700 feet and averages about 8,750 feet above sea level, so the full distance and climbing unfold in thin air.
This is an eight-week plan for Gunni’s distance and climbing on four to six hours a week, starting from the fitness you already have. The limited hours go toward endurance, climbing, and riding well when you are already tired.
120 MI · 9,785 FT CLIMBING · ~8.8K FT ALTITUDE · 8 WEEKS · 4–6 HR/WK · TIME-CRUNCHED
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Structured workouts on your calendar, with real power and heart-rate graphs
- Strength work built in, with video walkthroughs
- Weekly notes from me, plus the Gravel Grit mental program
- A testing week, so the plan runs on your real numbers
- The full Gunni Grinder guide — terrain, gearing, fueling
Hey, I'm Matti. I spent 11 years at TrainingPeaks, where they trusted me to teach coaches how to coach at TrainingPeaks University. I raced Amateur Elite with Rio Grande Cycling Team and podiumed my age group at Unbound 200 in 2026. I have a degree in biology and exercise physiology from St. Olaf. I'm also a middle-aged dad of three, so I know training doesn't happen in a vacuum. I help gravel riders get stupidly fast without becoming the person who brings a food scale to a party