Explain to me why it's important to have a training plan (Page 2)

When cooking, do you just throw whatever's handy into the pan, cook for whatever time feels right, and enjoy the results? 

No...or you may end up with saurkraut spiced with cayanne pepper and dusted with powdered sugar...you follow a recipe...if it's the first time, you follow the recipe pretty closely...after you've done it a few times, you'll be comfortable not pulling out the cookbook. 

Training is kinda the same way.  Most people wouldn't tackle an Ironman race with a catch-as-catch-can fitness regime, and it'd be foolish to attempt it if you're only working out 15-minutes twice a week ('cause...you know...there are important shows on TV and all...)  The plan is your recipe. 

Also, as others have said, following a training plan provides some structure and direction.  A well-designed plan helps avoid overuse injury, and there are plenty of triathletes who came to the sport via overtraining (for marathons primarily). 

Part of this depends on how seriously you take triathlon.  I feel I am fairly serious, but my perspective is that it is also just for fun.  And my wife and child come first.  Working out to a regamented plan would be hard for me.  Also, I did work in fitness for 10 years and have a degree in Kinesiology, so I feel I can set my own plans.

As for Rick's statement that someone with a plan will beat me on race day...  Well even if I had a coach someone with a plan would probably still beat me. I'm o.k. with that.  And someone who doesn't have  plan may beat you as well.

As a previous poster mentioned, the plan has done one HUGE thing for me that I had trouble doing on my own.  I need someone or something to keep my going, just ask my wife.  Before I started my plan if I felt I didn't have time or didn't feel like doing anything I would say oh well.  Now I find time to get in my workouts and am having fun doing it.

My $.02.

Your first impression is WRONG, as first impressions usually are.  A plan is simply a method of training "smart".  The objective is to get you physically in shape to do a specific triathlon in an approximate amount of time.  Training as hard as you can without thought to staminina or speed seems counterproductive.  What's the use of training to swim or run or bike all day if your speed is so slow that it would take you all day to finish a sprint tri?  Or, conversely, what is the use of swimming, running and cycling very fast if you haven't the stamina to do all three at the same time for a triathlon?  My first thought is that with your present method of training you would swim your heart out, jump on the bike and puke your guts out?!?  PLUS, if you do train as hard as you can up until your first triathlon, you will not have the reserve energy to do well at it. 

 Train smart, no hard!

a training plan is important, just like having a plan/goals for other things that are important to you.  But to what level you want to go differs for everyone.  I've been running and doing tris off an on for 20+ years.  My approach has always been to train to a point where I am peaking about 3-weeks before the event.  My peak exercise is usually about 80% of the total event distance (sometimes with the bike or swim I might go a little longer...but never with running).  Not real complicated but it has worked for me.  I'm a pretty disciplined person so I have never used a coach, or paid for a training plan.  Sure, I might shave a little bit of time if I used a more specific plan or consulted a coach.  But even on my best day I could never pay my bills as an athlete.  Not to mention, the more seriously I take the sport the less fun I have with it. 

My advice would be like some others have mentioned, find one of the free - generic plans and go with that to start.  If you have trouble keeping yourself motivated, or just don't see the results you want, maybe pay someone for a specific plan.  Oh something else.  You mentioned "You just train as hard as you can in the time you have".  Well, this will surely lead to burnout and/or injury.  You need to have some easy days in there.  For me a good rule a thumb has been for every hard day take at least 3-easy days...you need to let your body recover.  Good luck to you.