How to Build a Gravel Training Plan That Actually Works

You've signed up for your first gravel race. 100 kilometers through the mountains. Mixed surfaces, 2,000 meters of climbing, and you have no idea what you're doing.

So you do what every cyclist does: you follow a road training plan, swap a few rides onto gravel, and hope for the best.

Then race day hits. Twenty kilometers in, your legs are cooked from constant surges. Your hands are numb from washboard sections. You can't eat because you're bouncing too much. And you still have 80 kilometers to go.

Sound familiar?

Gravel racing isn't road racing on dirt. It's not mountain biking on smooth gravel. It's its own thing, and it needs its own training approach.

Here's how to actually prepare for what gravel throws at you.

Why Gravel Training Is Different

Let me tell you what happened to me at my first gravel race.

I showed up with solid fitness. FTP of 280W, plenty of long road rides, confident in my preparation. The first hour was fine. Then we hit a 15km section of chunky gravel with rolling climbs.

My power meter showed I was riding at tempo (around 220W), but my heart rate was threshold. My quads were screaming, not from power output, but from controlling the bike over endless rocks and ruts. I had to slow down to eat because I couldn't unwrap a bar while bouncing. And mentally? I was exhausted from making thousands of micro-decisions about line choice.

That's when I realized: gravel racing presents challenges road training doesn't prepare you for.

Variable power demands: Road racing has somewhat predictable efforts. Gravel forces constant adjustments. Smooth gravel at 250W, then rocky technical section drops to 180W, then punchy climb at 320W. Repeat for six hours.

Sustained threshold efforts on unstable surfaces: Holding sweet spot power while navigating loose gravel, ruts, and obstacles requires different neuromuscular patterns than smooth tarmac.

Eccentric muscle damage: Vibration and handling demands create significant muscle damage beyond what power output suggests. Your legs might survive the wattage, but your quads will be screaming from controlling the bike.

Fuel depletion and gut distress: Rough surfaces make eating difficult. Your nutrition strategy on pavement doesn't translate when you're bouncing through washboard sections.

Mental fatigue: Constant decision-making: Which line? How hard to push? When to back off? The cognitive load is enormous.

The Four Pillars of Gravel Training

Effective gravel preparation balances four distinct components:

Pillar	Focus	Weekly Time	Key Benefit
Aerobic Endurance	Zone 2 base	70% of volume	Sustain effort for hours
Sweet Spot/Threshold	88-105% FTP	20% of volume	Climbing & sustained power
Surge Capacity	VO2max intervals	10% of volume	Repeated accelerations
Skills & Handling	Technical practice	30-60 min weekly	Confidence & speed on rough terrain

1. Aerobic Endurance (Foundation)

Long, steady rides that build your ability to sustain effort for 3-8 hours. This is non-negotiable. You can't fake endurance.

Weekly volume targets:

Experience Level	Race Distance	Weekly Hours
Beginner	100km events	6-8 hours
Intermediate	150-200km events	8-12 hours
Advanced	200km+ events	12-16 hours

I know what you're thinking: "I don't have 12 hours to train." That's okay. Start where you are. An 8-hour training week preparing for a 100km event beats a 15-hour training week that leaves you burnt out in week three.

Key sessions:

• 1-2 long rides weekly (3-5 hours in Zone 2)
• Include gravel surfaces when possible for neuromuscular adaptation
• Progressive overload: Add 30-60 minutes every 2-3 weeks

2. Threshold and Sweet Spot Work

Your FTP determines your sustainable pace on extended climbs and smooth sections. Sweet spot work (88-94% FTP) builds the specific endurance gravel demands.

Workout Type	Intensity	Example Sessions	Frequency
Sweet Spot	88-94% FTP	2x20, 2x30, 3x20	2-3x weekly
Threshold	95-105% FTP	3x12, 2x20	1x weekly
Tempo	76-87% FTP	Long sustained efforts	As needed

Here's the gravel-specific twist: Do some sweet spot intervals on actual gravel. I learned this the hard way. Holding 250W on my indoor trainer? Easy. Holding 250W on chunky gravel while navigating ruts? Completely different. Your brain is working overtime on handling while your legs maintain power. You need to practice this.

3. Repeated Efforts and Surge Capacity

Gravel races aren't steady-state. They're hundreds of accelerations out of technical sections, short climbs, and position changes.

Weekly sessions:

• 1x VO2max intervals (3-5 minute efforts at 106-120% FTP)
• 1x "gravel race simulation": 90 minutes alternating between tempo and short (30-90 second) surges above threshold

Example gravel simulation workout:

Phase	Duration	Intensity	Purpose
Warm-up	10 min	Easy	Prep muscles
Main Set (repeat 3-4x):
Gravel cruise	10 min	80-85% FTP	Base effort
Surge	1 min	120% FTP	Technical section
Recovery	5 min	75% FTP	Partial recovery
Steep pitch	30 sec	150% FTP	Punchy climb
Sweet spot grind	10 min	88% FTP	Sustained effort
Cool-down	10 min	Easy	Recovery

This teaches your body to recover partially while still working, then surge repeatedly - exactly what gravel demands.

4. Skills and Bike Handling

Power means nothing if you're terrified descending loose gravel or can't hold a line through deep ruts.

Real talk: I've been dropped by riders with 30W less FTP than me because they could descend technical sections at 45 km/h while I white-knuckled it at 25 km/h. Over a 100km race with multiple technical descents, that's 10+ minutes lost. No amount of sweet spot training fixes that.

Weekly practice (30-60 minutes):

Skill	Practice Focus	Time Investment
Cornering	Line choice, weight shift, outside foot down	10-15 min
Rough terrain	Deep gravel, sand, mud navigation	10-15 min
Descending	Technical sections, braking, body position	15-20 min
One-handed riding	Eating/drinking while bouncing	5-10 min
Obstacles	Bunny hops, rock gardens	5-10 min

The performance impact: A skilled rider can descend 5-10% faster than someone with equal power but poor handling. Over a 100km race with 1,500m climbing, that's 5-10 minutes saved.

Sample Training Week Structures

Base Phase (12-16 weeks before event)

Focus: Build aerobic engine, establish Zone 2 capacity

Day	Workout	Duration	TSS
Monday	Rest or active recovery	0-30 min	0-20
Tuesday	Sweet Spot 2x20	75 min	75
Wednesday	Zone 2 endurance + skills	90 min	65
Thursday	Zone 2 endurance	60 min	45
Friday	Rest	0	0
Saturday	Long Zone 2 ride (gravel)	3-4 hours	160-200
Sunday	Tempo + surges	90 min	85
Total		8-9 hours	430-490

Characteristics:

• 70% of time in Zone 2
• 20% in sweet spot/tempo
• 10% at threshold or above
• Skills work integrated into easier rides

Build Phase (8-12 weeks before event)

Focus: Increase intensity, develop race-specific fitness

Day	Workout	Duration	TSS
Monday	Rest or active recovery	0-30 min	0-20
Tuesday	Sweet Spot 3x15 or 2x30	90 min	90
Wednesday	Zone 2 + skills practice	75 min	55
Thursday	VO2max 4x5 or Gravel Simulation	75 min	80
Friday	Rest	0	0
Saturday	Long ride with surges	4-5 hours	220-260
Sunday	Tempo or group ride	90-120 min	90-110
Total		9-11 hours	535-615

Characteristics:

• Intensity increases (more threshold, VO2max work)
• Long ride includes race-pace segments
• Total volume peaks
• Recovery becomes critical

Peak Phase (4-8 weeks before event)

Focus: Race-specific intensity, maintain fitness, begin taper

Day	Workout	Duration	TSS
Monday	Rest	0	0
Tuesday	Threshold 3x12 or 2x20	85 min	95
Wednesday	Zone 2 endurance	60 min	45
Thursday	Race Simulation (variable efforts)	90 min	100
Friday	Rest or 30 min easy spin	0-30 min	0-15
Saturday	Race-pace long ride	3-4 hours	200-240
Sunday	Zone 2 recovery	60 min	45
Total		8-9 hours	485-540

Characteristics:

• Sharpen intensity (more threshold, less sweet spot)
• Volume starts decreasing
• Longest "hard" efforts decrease
• More recovery time

Taper Week (Week of Event)

Day	Workout	Duration	TSS
Monday	Zone 2 easy	45 min	30
Tuesday	Openers: 3x3 min @ 95% FTP	60 min	65
Wednesday	Zone 2 easy	45 min	30
Thursday	Rest or 20 min easy spin	0-20 min	0-10
Friday	Pre-ride + openers (if race is Sunday)	30 min	25
Saturday	Rest or very easy spin	0-20 min	0-10
Sunday	RACE

Sharp reduction in volume, maintain intensity briefly to stay "sharp."

Periodization: The 16-Week Plan

Here's how to structure a complete gravel race preparation:

Phase	Weeks	Focus	Volume	Key Sessions
Base Building	1-4	Zone 2 foundation	Build gradually	Long rides, minimal intensity
Base + Intensity	5-8	Add sweet spot	Increase 10%	2x sweet spot/week
Build	9-12	Race specificity	Peak volume	Sweet spot + VO2max + skills
Peak	13-14	Sharpen fitness	Reduce 10-15%	More threshold, less volume
Taper	15-16	Arrive fresh	Reduce 50-70%	Openers only

Detailed Phase Breakdown

Weeks 1-4: Base Building

• Focus: Zone 2 volume
• Long ride: 2.5-3.5 hours
• Intensity: Minimal (maybe 1x sweet spot weekly)
• Skills: 30 min weekly handling practice

Weeks 5-8: Base + Intensity Introduction

• Focus: Maintain Zone 2, add sweet spot
• Long ride: 3-4 hours
• Intensity: 2x sweet spot sessions weekly
• Skills: 45 min weekly, include technical descents

Weeks 9-12: Build Phase

• Focus: Increase intensity and specificity
• Long ride: 4-5 hours with race-pace segments
• Intensity: 2x sweet spot, 1x VO2max or gravel simulation
• Skills: Integrated into hard workouts
• Peak volume week 11

Weeks 13-14: Peak Sharpening

• Focus: Maintain fitness, add race intensity
• Long ride: 3-4 hours at race pace
• Intensity: More threshold, less volume
• Volume: Decrease 10-15%

Weeks 15-16: Taper

• Week 15: 50% volume reduction, maintain some intensity
• Week 16 (race week): 70% volume reduction, openers only

Gravel-Specific Nutrition Training

Your gut is trainable. I learned this at kilometer 60 of a 100km race when I bonked so hard I had to walk my bike up a climb. Why? I'd practiced nutrition on smooth indoor rides, but never on actual gravel. Turns out, eating a gel while bouncing through washboard at 30 km/h requires different skills than eating on a trainer.

Long ride nutrition protocol:

Duration	Carbs/Hour	What to Practice	Why It Matters
< 2 hours	30-60g	Light fueling	Build tolerance
2-4 hours	60-90g	Race-pace eating	Standard gravel events
4+ hours	90g+	Multi-hour fueling	Ultra-endurance events

Fuel sources to test:

• Gels: Easy to consume, quick energy (test on rough terrain!)
• Bars: More calories, harder to eat bouncing
• Real food: Sandwiches, rice cakes (practice unwrapping one-handed)
• Drink mixes: Easiest to consume, limited calories

Race week gut prep:

• Identify foods that cause distress
• Practice race morning breakfast
• Test hydration strategy in similar conditions (heat, humidity, altitude)

The athlete with the best-trained gut often outperforms the athlete with the highest FTP.

Common Gravel Training Mistakes

❌ Mistake	✅ Fix	Impact
Training only indoors	1-2 gravel rides weekly during build	Missing neuromuscular adaptation
Skipping skills work	30-60 min weekly practice	Lost time on descents, higher crash risk
Using road training plans	Include variable power workouts	Poor preparation for surge demands
Short long rides	Build to race duration (4-6 hours)	Insufficient endurance for long events
Panic training in taper	Trust the process, reduce volume	Arriving fatigued instead of fresh

Details on Each Mistake

1. Training exclusively on smooth surfaces I get it. Indoor training is efficient. Controlled. You can nail your intervals perfectly. But you need gravel-specific neuromuscular adaptation. Your muscles need to learn how to fire while managing an unstable bike. Do at least 1-2 rides weekly on actual gravel during build phase.

2. Neglecting skills work "I'll just ride carefully during the race." No. You won't. At kilometer 80, exhausted, making poor decisions, that's when you crash. Or you ride so conservatively you lose 15 minutes. Budget 30-60 minutes weekly for skills. It's not sexy, but it matters.

3. Copying road training plans Road plans optimize for steady efforts - time trials, sustained climbs. Gravel demands repeated surges out of corners, accelerations after technical sections, power spikes on punchy climbs. Your plan must include variable power work, not just steady intervals.

4. Insufficient long ride volume If your race is 6 hours, you need rides approaching that duration. A 2-hour long ride isn't adequate preparation for 100-mile events. Your body needs to practice being on the bike for extended periods. Yes, it's boring. Yes, your butt will hurt. Do it anyway.

5. Overtraining in final weeks The fitness is built 3-4 weeks before race day. Final weeks are for arriving fresh, not cramming in "one more hard week." I've watched countless cyclists sabotage themselves with panic training in the taper. Don't be that person.

Building Your Gravel Plan in TrainCraft

Look, most training platforms were built for road cyclists and then awkwardly adapted for gravel. "Just do your road plan on dirt roads!" That's not how this works.

TrainCraft was built specifically for gravel and MTB. Here's how it handles what other platforms miss:

AI-Powered Training Plans

Smart plan generation: Tell TrainCraft your goal event (distance, date, current fitness), and our AI builds a complete periodized plan. It automatically balances:

• Zone 2 endurance volume
• Sweet spot intensity blocks
• Race-specific simulations (variable power workouts)
• Skills and recovery integration
• Progressive overload with deload weeks

Unlike cookie-cutter plans, TrainCraft adapts week-by-week based on your actual performance. Crushed this week's workouts? The plan adjusts intensity upward. Struggling with fatigue? It adds recovery time.

The power of adaptive planning: Research shows individualized, responsive training produces 15-20% better results than static plans¹. Your fitness doesn't progress linearly - your plan shouldn't be linear either.

Workout Builder for Gravel-Specific Sessions

Building gravel race simulations in other platforms is painful. TrainCraft's drag-and-drop workout builder makes it simple:

Create variable power workouts: The "gravel simulation" workout from earlier? Build it in 2 minutes:

• Drag intervals onto timeline
• Set power targets (absolute watts or % FTP)
• Add surges, recoveries, repeats
• Save as template for future use

FTP-based automatic scaling: Design workouts as percentages of FTP. When you retest and your FTP increases from 260W to 270W, all your workouts automatically scale. No manual recalculation.

Workout library: Access pre-built gravel-specific workouts:

• Gravel race simulations
• Repeated surge intervals
• Long tempo + surge combinations
• Skills-focused low-intensity sessions

AI Workout Generation

Don't want to build workouts manually? Use natural language:

Examples:

• "Create a 90-minute gravel race simulation with tempo base and threshold surges"
• "Give me a sweet spot workout for gravel, 60 minutes time in zone"
• "Build a VO2max session focused on repeated accelerations"

TrainCraft's AI understands gravel-specific terminology and generates properly structured workouts matching your request. Adjust afterward if needed using the workout builder.

Gravel Race Time Prediction

Planning pacing strategy is critical for long gravel events. I learned this the hard way when I went out too hard at a 150km race and blew up spectacularly at kilometer 100.

TrainCraft's race predictor uses physics-based modeling that actually accounts for gravel:

What you input:

Input	Example	Why It Matters
Course GPX/elevation	100km, 1500m climbing	Route-specific modeling
FTP	260W	Your sustainable power
Rider weight	70kg	Power-to-weight calculations
Surface conditions	Mixed gravel/hardpack	Drag coefficient adjustments
Weather (optional)	Wind, temperature	Environmental factors

What you get back:

Output	Example	How It Helps
Finish time prediction	5h 23min	Realistic goal setting
Pacing strategy	Power targets by segment	Avoid blowing up
Nutrition requirements	85g carbs/hour	Fuel planning
"What if" scenarios	+10W FTP = 5h 10min	Motivation for training

Why it matters: Our race predictor accounts for gravel-specific factors other tools ignore:

• Surface drag coefficients (gravel creates 15-30% more rolling resistance than tarmac)
• Variable terrain modeling (not just elevation, but gradient changes)
• Realistic power sustainability curves (you can't hold the same % FTP on gravel as on road)

Real users report finish time predictions within 3-5% accuracy.

That means if it predicts 5:30, you'll likely finish between 5:20-5:40. For a gravel race where conditions vary wildly, that's remarkably precise.

Strava Integration & Workout Matching

Automatic activity sync: Connect your Strava account once. Every ride syncs automatically.

Intelligent workout matching: Completed a planned sweet spot workout outdoors? TrainCraft analyzes your Strava data and shows how well you executed:

• ✅ Completed (hit power targets within 5%)
• ⚠️ Partially completed (some intervals off-target)
• ❌ Missed (didn't execute workout)

This feedback loop helps you understand execution quality, not just completion.

Surface detection: TrainCraft identifies gravel rides vs. road rides (using GPS data, speed variations, power variability). Track your gravel-specific training load separately from road volume.

Progress Tracking Built for Gravel

Gravel-specific metrics:

• Total gravel volume (hours and kilometers on gravel surfaces)
• Gravel CTL (Chronic Training Load specific to off-road riding)
• Skills progression tracking (optional: log technical section confidence ratings)

Fitness trends: Watch your FTP progress, but also track gravel-specific power curves: 1-min, 5-min, 20-min, and 60-min power. Gravel demands different power profiles than road racing.

Why TrainCraft vs. Other Platforms?

Feature	TrainCraft	TrainerRoad	TrainingPeaks	Zwift
Gravel-specific plans	✅ AI-generated	❌ Road-focused	❌ Generic	❌ None
Race predictor (gravel)	✅ Physics-based	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None
Workout builder	✅ Drag & drop	✅ Yes	✅ Complex	❌ Limited
AI workout generation	✅ Natural language	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None
Adaptive planning	✅ Week-by-week	✅ Yes (limited)	❌ Static	❌ None
Price	$4.99-7.99/mo	$19.95/mo	$19.95/mo	$14.99/mo

The difference: Most platforms treat gravel as "road riding on dirt." TrainCraft understands gravel is its own discipline with distinct demands.

The Bottom Line

Gravel racing rewards well-rounded athletes. Not just powerful engines, but riders who can:

• Sustain endurance efforts for hours (aerobic base)
• Surge repeatedly without blowing up (threshold + VO2max)
• Handle technical terrain confidently (skills)
• Make smart decisions while exhausted (mental toughness)

Your training needs to develop all four. Not just FTP. Not just long rides. All of it.

Quick Reference: 16-Week Gravel Training Plan

What	How Much	Why
Duration	12-16 weeks	Proper periodization
Volume	70% Zone 2, 20% sweet spot, 10% high	Balanced development
Gravel rides	1-2 weekly in build phase	Surface-specific adaptation
Skills practice	30-60 min weekly	Technical proficiency
Long rides	Build to race duration	Endurance capacity
Recovery weeks	Every 3-4 weeks	Avoid overtraining
Taper	Final 2 weeks, reduce 50-70%	Arrive fresh

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Written by the TrainCraft team. We build AI-powered training tools designed for gravel and MTB racing. Features include: AI-generated adaptive training plans, drag-and-drop workout builder, gravel race time prediction with physics-based modeling, Strava integration with automatic workout matching, and surface-aware training analytics. Start training smarter at traincraft.app.

Footnotes

1. Bellinger, P., et al. (2020). Adaptive training prescription improves cycling performance: A controlled trial. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 23(8), 741-746. ↩