How to Use Outside Workouts with Adaptive Training – TrainerRoad

Outside Workouts that are part of your training plan are supported by Adaptive Training.

Adaptive Training considers outside ride files that have been associated with a planned TrainerRoad workout. This includes when the outside ride is automatically associated with the planned workout or any manual workout associations made after the ride.

Note: we only recommend associating outside rides with planned TrainerRoad workouts if you have completed the exact structure of the planned workout.

Unstructured Outside Rides and Adaptive Training

Unstructured Outside Rides don't currently affect your Progression Levels and won't be considered by Adaptive Training when it adjusts your scheduled workouts, but adding this functionality is one of our highest priorities for follow-on features to Adaptive Training.

Unstructured outside rides are incorporated into AI FTP Detection, TrainNow's daily "Recommended" workout label, and Red Light Green Light.

Associating an Outside Ride with a Planned TrainerRoad Workout

Automatically

Before completing the outside ride, ensure your TrainerRoad workout is scheduled on your Calendar for the day you plan to complete it. Then once the outside ride is uploaded to TrainerRoad - either via Activity Sync (Strava/Garmin) or uploaded manually - the ride will automatically associate with the planned workout.

Adaptive Training will still consider the workout even if you don’t complete the outside ride as a TrainerRoad Outside Workout on your head unit.

Manually

If you forget to switch your planned workout to “Outside” before completing the workout, your completed outside ride won’t automatically associate with the planned TrainerRoad Workout.

That said, you can still manually associate the completed outside ride with the planned TrainerRoad workout on your Calendar.

Read more about how to manually associate an outside ride with a TrainerRoad workout at our support page linked below:

TrainerRoad Help Centre - Match a Planned Workout with a Completed Workout/Ride

Outside Workout Survey

By default, Adaptive Training considers completed Outside Workouts to be successful and adjusts your Progression Levels afterwards to reflect this. But just as with indoor workouts, your response to the post-workout survey can add further nuance to how Adaptive Training responds to your performance.

Once your outside ride has been associated with the planned TrainerRoad workout, you can update your survey response on the app or website to rate how the workout felt, or select "I Did Not Pass" in case you struggled with the workout.

Read more about Survey Responses at our support page linked here:
TrainerRoad Help Centre - Post-Workout Surveys.

FAQs

Why did I get a survey for an unstructured, outside ride?

While unstructured outside rides are not being considered for potential adaptations (yet), you will still receive a survey for unstructured rides, so you can have consistent opportunities to record your subjective feedback for every ride.

What equipment do I need to use Adaptive Training if I train outside?

You’ll need a head unit to record your workouts and upload them to TrainerRoad. Then it’s simply a question of associating your completed outside ride with a planned TrainerRoad workout for it to be considered by Adaptive Training.

If your workout was scheduled as a planned Outside Workout on the Calendar, Adaptive Training will automatically update your training once the workout is imported into TR.

Do I need to push the Outside Workout to my head unit for it to be considered by Adaptive Training?

No, even if you don’t complete the outside ride as a TrainerRoad Outside Workout on your head unit, Adaptive Training will still consider it as long as it’s associated with a planned workout on your Calendar.

Once the ride is imported into TrainerRoad, manually associate it to the TrainerRoad workout to have the workout considered by Adaptive Training.

Does Adaptive Training work outside if you don’t have a power meter?

Yes. Even if you don’t have a power meter while training outside, by associating a completed outside ride with a planned TrainerRoad workout it’ll be considered by Adaptive Training.

Can I associate an outside ride with a planned indoor workout?

Yes, outside rides can be associated with planned indoor or outdoor workouts to be considered by Adaptive Training.

Will my outside ride be considered in Adaptive Training if I only mark it as “Completed”?

Not yet, but we're working on adding this. The outside ride must be recorded on a head unit, uploaded to TrainerRoad, and associated with a planned workout on your Calendar.

Why don't I see an Outside Workout available for my workout?

While we have an incredibly comprehensive workout library, there are a few workouts that may not have outside versions. We're actively working on building new workouts and Outside Workout versions.

If your planned workout doesn't have an Outside Workout version, you can always match it with the indoor version of the workout and it will still be considered by Adaptive Training. You can also reach out to TrainerRoad Support to report this issue here: support@trainerroad.com

Why don't I see ‘Alternates’ for Outside Workouts?

Currently, "Alternates" for Outside Workouts are not selectable in the desktop and mobile apps. However, you can select Outside Alternates on the TrainerRoad Website.
As a workaround to find an Alternate for an Outside Workout in the desktop or mobile app, switch the workout back to "inside", find the relevant Alternate and replace the workout. Then switch it back to "Outside"