The Crusher is 69 miles with about 10,000 feet of climbing packed into them, from a 5,900-foot start in Beaver up to a finish at 10,500 feet on Eagle Point. It climbs both paved grades and rough dirt, and the final drag to the line is the highest, thinnest air of the day.

This is an eight-week plan for the Crusher’s climbing and altitude, built around the hours you have — and it assumes you’re already riding with a base, not starting from zero. Eight weeks is enough to sharpen sustained climbing and get used to going hard on tired legs; it isn’t enough to build that fitness from scratch.

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 Crusher in the Tushar guide — terrain, gearing, fueling