Bummer!
The biggest secret and biggest surprise was "discovering" the oh, so, minor fact that
max heart rate = 220 - Age (or somewhere in that range)
and the implications (collateral damage) that minor, tiny, inconsequential "fact" has!
I noticed and knew that, as a person gets a bit older, they seem to "slow down". Everyone knows this, it is a fact of life, old fogies just can't run/ride/climb/work/... as fast as young sprouts. Just look at professional and amateur athletics as well as personal experience. A 20 year old just do more than a 60 year old (except when it comes to "smarts").
I had known about the "slow down" and did some casual research, but until I started riding more than 1 or 2 hours at a time, I was just plain clueless! Let me tell you that it is far, far worse than they let on! The young coaches, completely clueless. Even the older trainers (like Larry) seem to know some of the 'bits" but not the whole picture.
It is worse than my evilest dreams, but, once I understood the parameters, I am able, within physical reality, to ride long distances: maybe not tremendously fast, but at least successfully.
So the biggest way to !!FAIL!! on STP, is: forget about MHR!
In this book, I'll look at:
In the books that follow this one, I'll then look at the implications of these issues as they impact fueling and hydration.