Crooked Gravel is 67 miles of mountain gravel with about 5,600 feet of climbing, starting near 8,700 feet and averaging around 9,600 feet, with a high point of 10,500 feet. The air is thin the whole way, and afternoon thunderstorms are possible.

This is a twelve-week plan for riders working with four to six hours a week, where the limited hours go toward building the endurance and repeated climbing this course asks for. The thin air is the race’s demand, not something a plan can hand you, so most of the work is aimed at the fitness you can build in the time you have.

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 Crooked Gravel guide — terrain, gearing, fueling