nobody that desires efficiency.

I’m with you, but impossible for me since it snows and cold where I live.

If I lived in Alabama then I probably wouldn't. Not much snow down there.

Cycling outside is dangerous. Auckland drivers are mental. My power intervals are on the trainer, with one long weekend ride on the two trails we can conceivably use to ride long yet avoid traffic. Also the indoor trainer is a better use of my time.

I can stand the trainer with Zwift or youtube to distract me, but nothing can save me from the drudgery of a treadmill. Luckily we can run outside year-round,

Swimming in the pool saves time vs going to a beach. It's nothing like the treadmil.

Really I only have issues with treadmills.

I do 98% (or so) of my training outdoors.

In doors -
I often run intervals in summer on a treadmill (I live in Tucson).
I occasionally swim in am in door pool.

I used to be there with you and prefer being outside. When I was single I'd say in the summer 100% of my training was outside and in the winter probably 75% outside.

Now I'm married, have a baby and less time than I ever have. What I do have though, is a work from home job and a boss who allows flexible office hours as long as I get my work done and we've worked together over the years and he knows that I have his back. All my rides in the week right now are indoors. It's just way easier for me to go downstairs at lunch or if I need a break from my desk and to ride for an hour the come back up. It's one of those things where I know if I do the inside time, it will set me up to ride long on the days that I do want to be outside.

I also found a used vasa ERG about a month ago I have in my basement where I can swim if I have 10-15 mins to do before my family wakes or to go downstairs and do 30 mins after the toddler is asleep.

We want to have another baby this year and I'm planning on buying a treadmill so I'll still be able to run without leaving the house.

It's not that I want to train indoors, but I've realized I need these tools a necessity if I want to be able to maximize my time outside when I have the time for it vs no swim/bike run at all.

I’m in southeastern Georgia and this fall and winter I’ve done most all of my training indoors. I used to hate it. I’d do anything not to train inside. Now, it’s different. I basically have two full time jobs so I grab training time when it’s available. That means riding at weird hours and when it comes to running, I need to be close to my home in case I’m needed. So I do lots of treadmill running. The treadmill is a real struggle but it’s either that or don’t run at all.

RP

I’m in Florida. I swim, bike and run outdoors every single day of the year. NEVER swam, biked or ran indoors. EVER.

I use an outdoor pool throughout the year. Do all running outdoor, but pilates is a key part of my training and so that of course is indoors. Last year I was working away from home and so did all my bike training outside, but that has led to my FTP dropping 10% (due to way less load/consistency of training/hours trained). So structured training via zwift is a fundamental part of my training for efficiency and safety. Just cannot get the benefit from outside riding in the dark on roads with icy patches as I can in my bike room on zwift where I don't even need to think about the resistance or being able to keep enough energy for steering /balance.

Due to scheduling I even ride my omnium portable indoor trainer in a small office rather than riding outside - so much more efficient

Bike - entirely indoors (and no zwift as it is all structured, just YouTube). A few rides outdoors at summer, mostly prior races. Swimming- the same. Running - 2-3 times a year on treadmill as usually no snow (but I lived before that in a snowy area, 3 months a year on treadmill)

Does it count if my trainer and treadmill are outdoors and poolside? 😀

Living in socal I could very feasibly work out outside 100% of the time, but I have kids so there's no reality where that could actually happen.

Living in the NE USA, I ride inside only if winter temps. and road conditions prevent me from outdoor riding. I swim in an indoor pool.

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member CupCake Cartel

Unfortunately, in winter months at least, weekly outdoor training is limited to 3 runs and 1 ride; the rest (swim, gym and trainer) is done indoor. If I lived in a place like the Canary Islands, I would be training outside all the time

Fairhope Alabama is a GREAT area to train!! It’s awesome that you live in a place with year round training weather good roads and convenient open water swimming. Training/racing is meant to be fun and you appear to be having fun.

If I were you I’d consider doing some swims at the Fairhope Municipal Pool. You can do sessions focused on technique that would be difficult to replicate in open water plus you could do some swimming for all 12 months of the year. Their pool only passes are reasonably priced. I live in Mobile, but back when I was going to Fairhope regularly, I got a pool only pass for only $200 for 12 months which is a phenomenal value. They have 3 and 6 month passes as well. It’s a nice facility for you to have in your community.

I detest indoor training. I'll train outside in almost any weather both bike and run.

I commend you for doing all three disciplines everyday, indoors or out. That’s some serious training.

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"The more you suffer, the more it shows you really care.”

I'm halfway between Philly & AC, and I think that until last week, it had only snowed enough to use a shovel just once in three Winters - we went nearly 2 years without any snowfall above 1/2"

What precip we do get is usually a semi-frozen/semi-corrosive slurry, covering rocks and sand and gravel and shoes and needles and underwear and little bottles of Fireball and hubcaps and roadkill and all sorts of other shit laying in the roadside. When that all dries out, the slush is gone, but all that other crap is still out there, usually migrating onto the part of the street that I'm using [we don't have sidewalks, mostly], and collecting in any number of brand new potholes

Still, I'll bundle up & run outside when I can, just because I'm a little weird that way (I've been that guy on the TV news, running or biking in a blizzard, when I lived in Philly; I've also "Run The Temperature," doing 4 miles when it was 4*F)

I'll go indoors to run on the TM at my gym if I'm also planning to use the Weights that day, if I'm craving Squats, or if I'm starving for human interaction of some sort

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I just went swimming. 60 degree water temp, 40 minute swim was cold but totally doable. Gulf Shores, AL, same water as IM FL.
I noticed the use of the word "efficient" and less mention of "enjoyable" for inside. I just can't bring myself to sacrifice fun for efficiency.
I honestly was just curious how many other people who take triathlon seriously (ie , Slowtwitch forum) have a similar approach.

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NO

Me (98% anyway).

I've not been in an indoor pool since 2019. But have access to a beautiful spring fed outdoor pool that's a suitable temp year round. And lakes when it's warm enough.

Rarely I'll use a dreadmill or turbo, if its icy or a howling gale out. Mtb and gravel bike in the wet / muddy / winter months.

The dog is 100% outdoors exercise no matter what, and he doesn't take 'no' for an answer.

Not that I train so much these days, but my cycling and running has always been 100% outdoors.

I did swim in an indoor 25 metre pool with a squad for a couple of years (early '90s), before the coach moved to an outdoor 50 metre, just two suburbs away. Except for occasional swims, an outdoor 50 has usually been the most common and convenient regular option for me in Aus. I've never lived more than 5km from a publicly accessible, outdoor 50 metre pool, open all year round.

For the last 7 years, nearly all of my swim training has been in the ocean. I haven't been to my local pool in over 5 years.

I can't imagine still enjoying the training if I'd spent the last 40 years training indoors.

I'm in Taiwan so the weather is actually quite suitable for outside most of the year, plus the roads are pretty safe. I never run inside but biking is about half-and-half, sometimes for weather but more often than not its because I ran outside in the morning and want to spend some time with the family afterwork on the trainer. Plus as others have said its really efficient and I can listen to podcasts, etc.

For swimming I usually swim outside, at an outdoor pool. We have a huge number of 50m pools in Taipei which is really nice. Most of them are indoors but there are a few outdoor 50m pools around my home as well.

I do most of my training indoors to save time around raising young kids. I love outdoors and will do it as much as I can in the warmer months but it’s hard to beat the efficiency of indoor training between specificity, lack of traffic disruptions, and availability of nutrition/toilets.

Crazy to hear that LCB only rode her bike outside twice last year. Not gonna become a good bike handler that way but apparently the Ivan Drago method of training can work!