Pisgah Monster-Cross is about 69 miles with 8,777 feet of climbing on gravel and paved roads through Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.
This is an eight-week plan for Pisgah’s climbing on four to six hours a week, starting from the fitness you already have. The work stays focused on sustained climbing and endurance within those weekly hours.
69 MI · 8,777 FT CLIMBING · PISGAH AND NANTAHALA FOREST GRAVEL AND PAVED ROADS. · 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 Pisgah Monster Cross 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