KISS: A footnote about training plans

In my quest to find a training plan I can build on, as I mentioned, I found quite an array of options that were all very different variations of the same basic elements.  What originally drew me to Matt Fitzgerald's plan was the title: SUPER SIMPLE IRONMAN TRAINING PLAN.  He says:

Simplicity is a virtue in Ironman training (and in triathlon training generally) because it minimizes the 
mental stress of the training process and makes it easy to chart and track progress....Naturally, there must be some variation in your Ironman training, but not as much as many athletes might believe.

See, a lot of plans look something like this:

Wednesday

SWIM 1:00

WARM UP

300 Swim, 100 Kick, 200 Pull

Intermediate set:

9 x 50 w/15 sec rest after each -- descend 1-3, 4-6, & 7-9 
(#1, 4, & 7 easy, #2, 5, & 8 medium, #3, 6, & 9 hard)

(ALTERNATE SET: 6 x 50)

MAIN SET -- BIG TARGET!

12 x 100 @race pace (85+%) w/10 sec rest between each

-- keep track of your total time (add up the time for each of the 100's) and record the average pace per 100 in your log book for future reference.

(ALTERNATE SET: 10 x 100)

500 Swim @75% intensity -- this will extend the aerobic activity

(ALTERNATE SET: 200 Swim)

COOL DOWN

4 x 75 easy (60%) w/15 sec recovery after each

BIKE 0:50

12:00 controlled spinning, gradually bringing your HR above 60%, to 70% by the end

3 x 3:00 ILT Set w/30 sec rest

- each repeat should be 6 x (20 sec one leg / 10 sec transition)

(20:00 / 6.2 mi / 10 km) @75% -- continuous aerobic effort

- record your time & average pulse for future reference

continue spinning @70-75%, gradually bringing your HR under 60% by the end

DAILY TOTAL: 1:50

(See those underlined links in blue?  Those are terms you have to look up in a training glossary!!)

Ummm...yeah...I don't think so!  Isn't it enough to get out there and run or bike or swim or lift weights for 2 or more hours every day without also spending an hour just trying to figure out what the hell your training schedule means?!  I would have to amend the above DAILY TOTAL to: 

DAILY TOTAL:

TRAINING: 1:50

LOOKING THINGS UP IN TRAINING GLOSSARY: 0:45

Matt Fitzgerald's schedule looks more like this:

Tempo Bike: 45 min. w/ 

last 15 min. comfortably hard

Interval Swim: MS: 10 x 

50m (1,500m total)

Which one would you choose??  I will stick with the KISS (Keep It Simple Slowpoke) method, thank you very much!  It is easy to increase the speed, number of intervals, or total duration of workouts without getting complicated.  Someone following the first plan may be faster come race day, but more likely they will just be more confused and stressed out for the 20 weeks before race day!