GRUSK climbs to Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia — 82 miles of mountain gravel.
The grades are long and steady rather than steep, on forest roads that run from smooth dirt to rutted, washed-out double track — and the climbing does not end at the summit. This is a twelve-week plan for riding it fast, built around the higher volume that racing takes. It sharpens repeatable climbing and the durability to still handle rough roads well in the final hour, when a long mountain day is decided.
82 MI · N/A FT CLIMBING · WV MOUNTAIN GRAVEL, RUTTED FOREST ROADS · 12 WEEKS · 9–13 HR/WK · COMPETE
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Structured rides with real graphs on your calendar
- Strength built in with video walkthroughs — late-day handling gets built off the bike too
- Weekly notes from me + the Gravel Grit mental program
- A testing week + mid-plan retest, so the hard work is measured to you
- The full GRUSK race guide — pacing, gearing, fueling, mountain weather
WHAT YOU'LL GET
Still climbing well when the day gets long — a ride that reflects the training.
For the rider chasing a fast day, not just a finish · plans@gravelgodcoaching.com
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