Howdy, I'm Matti!

Normally, here is where I’d provide an enormous list of acronyms denoting my certifications as well as my race results and functional threshold power.

Whelp, I'm not going to do that

Because, frankly, everyone does that, and even if I did, that’s not a great reason to listen to what I have to say.

So, instead, here’s what I’ll do:  I’ll TL;DR my life below and you can decide for yourself about me by reading my content and hearing from my athletes.

TL:DR - Life Story

I found endurance sports relatively late in life (17 yo) through cross country skiing (which, BTW, is WAY harder than racing bikes). I raced for St. Olaf College and got my teeth kicked in but I loved it anyway.

I moved to Colorado after snagging my bachelor’s degree in biology and exercise physiology and became a cross country ski instructor at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, helping wealthy Texans not fall over on skis. Soon, I found bikes and started racing on the Road. I didn’t suck, but let’s just say I was never on the short-list for a Tour De France Team.

After 6 long years, I finally got my upgrade to CAT 1 and joined a semi-pro Team, Team Rio Grande cycling.

The best part of the journey? Helping others get fast faster by sharing insights from my failures.

Why should I listen to you??!

Because I’m ordinary, just like most people who race bikes.

In my experience, most athletes take advice or coaching from:

  1. Really fast people.
  2. Really nerdy people

So what’s wrong with that?  Let’s start with Really Fast People.

Really Fast People

Here’s a little secret about Really Fast People – most of them have no idea why they’re fast.  Remember that kid in school in gym class that was about half a lap in front of everyone else when your gym teacher made you run the mile?  Yeah, I hate those people also.

Guess what – they weren’t half a lap ahead because they were training for it or had a superior pain threshold – they’re ahead because talent is real.  Welcome to life.

While their talent is neat, it doesn’t mean they have any more idea why they’re fast than a bird knows why it can fly.  They just do it.

So why would you take advice from somebody that has no idea why they’re fast?

Moving on – Really Nerdy People.

Really Nerdy People

Really Nerdy People have read all the books, attended all the webinars, bought all the fancy gear, and may have even earned a fancy degree or two learning how people move and breathe.

They’re indispensable. They build the body of knowledge that underpins all applied exercise theory.

But…they’re Nerds. They can tell you that your real limiter in gravel racing isn’t your raw cardiovascular power but your metabolic fitness because the competitive edge in events over eight hours depends on fat oxidation.

Meanwhile, you’ve fallen asleep halfway through that last sentence and are wondering what workout you should do tomorrow and if it’s OK if you have a beer.

Training and racing don’t happen in a lab, it happens in real life, and 99% of people don’t have time to moon over graphs and exercise theory, they want to know how to get as fast as possible while balancing training in racing with other aspects of their life, like, you know, family, a job, and having fun.

Bottom Line

Here’s what most people actually need:

  • You need guidance from someone who can read the studies but  isn’t going to overwhelm you with training jargon and theory – you’ll get straightforward workouts instead.
  • You need someone to give you a program that will work best for your life in practice, not in theory.
  • You need the help of someone with two kids, two jobs, a dog, a mortgage, and a training load to mind, not the theoretical advice from someone who read a textbook in college with no real-life responsibilities who has all day to train. In other words, you need someone real. 

If that’s what you’re looking for, you need a Matti in your corner.

Is your name really Matti?

Legally, it’s ‘Matthew’. I got the nickname ‘Matti’ 10 years ago while working at Devil’s Thumb Ranch because I was in charge of giving the daily snow report and I my pseudonym was ‘Matti Snowstorm’. My boss used to call in to the hotline and listen to my ditties if he was having a bad day. The name stuck, just not with my mother.

K, So what's the point of this site?

My mission is to democratize endurance training because I believe your best life is training and racing on a bike.

Why 'Gravel God Cycling'?

Because alliteration.

Do you have social media?

Sort of. My main ‘thing’ is long-form writing, not filtered glory shots of muddied calves, so if you want to see my stuff you’d best sign up for the newsletter.

I have a question can I contact you?

Hell yeah!  Why do you think I’m here?  I respond to everyone.

K, I'm sold. What's next?

Right on! Thanks for your anonymous acceptance.  Now, the entire point of this site is for me to help you.  Choose your adventure below:

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