I did that, but I wound up over exerting myself, so I looked for an organized way to advance towards my goal, and I was recommended a website... and now I'm getting snarky and unhelpful feedback about it, and not just here, but 2 other forums, and the official help section of the website... I'm about to just say **** all of this, I can't get a straight answer from anyone about anything to do with fitness. Not from fitness coaches, other cyclists, local cycling shops, doctors, anyone. All I want is a simple "follow this plan" so I can go back to having fun riding.

When I was in the army my fitness plan was simple. "Fall in. Right Face. Forward March. Double time."