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 an eight-week plan for that day, built around four to six hours a week. Eight weeks on limited hours cannot replace a season of base — the plan works within that, aiming every session at climbing repeatability and the durability rough forest roads demand.
82 MI · N/A FT CLIMBING · WV MOUNTAIN GRAVEL, RUTTED FOREST ROADS · 8 WEEKS · 4–6 HR/WK · TIME-CRUNCHED
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Every session earns its place — real graphs on your calendar
- Strength built in with video demos, sized for a working week
- Weekly notes from me + the Gravel Grit mental program
- A testing week so eight tight weeks are aimed at the fitness you have now
- The full GRUSK race guide — pacing, gearing, fueling, mountain weather
WHAT YOU'LL GET
The most race-ready version of four to six hours a week.
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