The organizer confirms Low Gap Grasshopper for Sunday, January 31, 2027. Its current long course covers 59 miles and 6,585 feet over five percent pavement and 95 percent dirt, including private Mendocino Redwood Company roads and a long opening climb.
This twelve-week Finisher plan builds the endurance and restraint to complete 59 miles, 6,585 feet, and a long winter opening climb. Progressive long rides make sustained-climb restraint and technical dirt-road control, steady fueling, tire choices, and repairs routine before race week while leaving enough recovery to absorb the work and arrive ready.
59 MI · 6,585 FT CLIMBING · 95% DIRT + 6,585 FT CLIMBING · 12 WEEKS · 7–11 HR/WK · FINISHER
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 Low Gap Grasshopper 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