This plan is made for the highly motivated and experienced gravel rider focusing on gravel racing distances around 100-150 km. The plan will help you to develop as a gravel rider, and become faster, stronger and a more complete rider. The training will not only focus on improving your physical performance, but also your riding efficiency in the terrain, technical skills, and how you combine these aspects to perform well!
Gravel racing is a very versatile cycling discipline, when you look at the physical, mental and technical demands. In order to learn these aspects, you need to train them individually and together. Thus improving the single aspects in training and combining them! The plan will not only train you, it will also teach you to become a more complete gravel rider.
The training plan has a duration of 9 weeks with three ‘3 week cycles’. Typically 16 days of focused training followed by 5 easy days to ensure recovery. In some periods this 21 day cycle may change, if something is considered more optimal in relation to recovery, testing and competition.
The weekly training schedule is built around 4 key sessions on the bike and 2 strength training sessions. The session on the bike will focus on developing endurance, anaerobic threshold, aerobic capacity (VO2max), neuromuscular power and riding skills. Some sessions will be very gravel specific focusing on improving your capacities in specific gravel terrain. Other sessions will be more straightforward sessions, with steady effort intervals or continuous rides. The latter can be done on a road bike as well.
On average you will train around 12-14 hours weekly on the bike and 1-2 hours of functional strength training. If you are time constricted in some periods, you can always train less hours, and focus on quality in the intervals (quick warm up, high quality intervals and short cool down). But try to keep the prescribed hours on the longer endurance rides. Thus, overall still reaping most of the benefits.
Sessions on the bike are structured workouts based on power, and can be transferred to any device. You will do a FTP test in the first week, to get a benchmark of your current level of fitness and set your training zones. After the 9 weeks you will do another test, to get a new performance benchmark. Workouts are also outlined in writing, to clarify the purpose of the workout and important details on how and where to perform the workout.
Make sure to read the ‘Training Plan Guide’ thoroughly before starting on the plan. This contains valuable information that will make sure you get the most out of the training plan.
The strength sessions are based on years of experience coaching gravel riders. Programs are designed to make you stronger and more functional on the bike, thus improving strength, power and functionality. Workouts are programmed with the Training Peaks strength workout builder. There will be instructional videos to show you the different exercises. You do not need to go to a gym to do these workouts, but you need some weights. The programs are made simple, so that they are easy to follow. Further the load will be adjusted from week to week, so it does not compromise the training on the bike.
It is recommended that you have done 2-4 weeks of ‘Pre Base’ training (see our ‘Gravel Racing - Advanced - Pre Base - 4 weeks’ training plan) before starting on this plan. So basically a period where you have prepared the body for the base training, primarily doing some easy endurance rides (1-2 hour rides 2-3 times a week) and some functional strength training, easy running or the like. In other words, make sure to start on this plan feeling ready to take on a bit more load and put in some specificity in your training!
After completing the plan, you can continue on the ‘Gravel Racing 100-150 km - Advanced - Build/Prep/Race - 9 Weeks’ training plan. This plan will make you ready for racing.
Jacob is an exercise physiologist with more than 13 years of experience working in the professional training and coaching industry. He is highly skilled in coaching and training within endurance sports, with a strong background as a road cycling, cyclocross and mountainbike coach. Jacob is coaching athletes of all levels and all ages, paying great attention to the coach-athlete relation, the personal needs of an athlete and combining this with a highly scientific training approach.