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is way, way too detailed and complex for actual use, in my opinion.
I think it has been suggested on here once or twice as a decent guide for those of us who struggle to ride and get as good on the bike as we would like, so I asked for it for Christmas.
Well, I got it, tried to read it then, and in the excitement of the holiday period, put it down and have only just picked it up again.
All I can think is: what the hell? I don’t want to have to become a sports scientist or professional coach in order to get better. This ‘time-crunched cyclist’ has been so time crunched that he doesn’t want to become a bloody expert in a new-to-him scientific discipline. I want the distilled information that I can easily appropriate and use.
Is there any source like that? Mrs SR has a copy of the Haynes Running Manual, which is more along the lines of what I’m thinking. Is there anything similar for people on two wheels?
Sadly too many, including the good ones, like the sound of their own voice so whereas you really want a couple of pages you get half a book of waffle. Most seem to be American, hmm.
I do have a copy of TTCC, but I can't remember much about it - I ought to read it again though these days I'm not exactly "time crunched" more "ability crunched" 😂
Ultimately there isn't much to training: you stress the body in an area that you wish to improve and over time it adapts. All the plans, schedules, etc. are just ways to achieve that and the approach they take is either science based, old fashioned do it until you puke or something dreamt up to make money/reinforce belief.
Work on cycles of increasing stress then a recovery period, usually but not always three weeks of stress then a recovery week but age can make that 2:1 or even 1:1. Within workouts you also have stress/recovery with warm up, cool down at either end.
Might be worth looking at the blogs of the various authors, I know Joe Friel does one, and see if you get on with their style. I'll have a look through my limited selection and see what might be suitable.
I used it a few years ago and saw a good increase in fitness and speed. Just cut to the test which is simple, then work out your percentages, I used to have my different zones written out next to the turbo and just noted the workout before, I found the steady state and over under intervals made a big difference in to me