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 that day, built around about 5–7¾ hours in each non-race week. It spends those hours on what the course actually demands — sustained climbing, the strength to handle rough roads on tired legs, and recovery placed where a working week allows.
82 MI · N/A FT CLIMBING · WV MOUNTAIN GRAVEL, RUTTED FOREST ROADS · 12 WEEKS · 5–7¾ HR/TRAINING WK · TIME-CRUNCHED
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Nothing filler — every session earns its place against a mountain course
- Strength built in with video demos, sized for a working week
- Weekly notes from me + the Gravel Grit mental program
- A testing week + mid-plan retest, so limited hours are aimed precisely
- The full GRUSK race guide — pacing, gearing, fueling, mountain weather
WHAT YOU'LL GET
Climbing fitness that matches the hours you actually spend.
For the rider with a real job and a real start line · 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