D2R2’s 2026 180K route is about 115 miles with 13,000 feet of climbing, roughly 60% of it unpaved. The route rises and falls through western Massachusetts, with grades reaching 20%.
This is a twelve-week plan for D2R2’s long, climbing-heavy route, with more recovery built in for riders over fifty. It develops endurance and repeated-climb strength with more space between demanding sessions.
115 MI · 13,000 FT CLIMBING · ABOUT 60% UNPAVED ON MIXED-SURFACE BACK ROADS THROUGH WESTERN · 12 WEEKS · 7–11 HR/WK · MASTERS 50+
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 and a mid-plan retest, so the plan runs on your real numbers
- The full D2R2 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