For you outdoor pool swimmers

I trained indoors my entire age group (Maryland/Virginia) and collegiate careers (Texas). Back then, I wanted nothing more than to be able to train outdoors. Now, I train outdoors pretty much all year round between my home in Arizona and (much of my) business travel to California. While outdoor training can be awesome, I could use A LOT less sun exposure all year round, A LOT more warmth in the winter (e.g., morning lows in the 30s and 40s are not pleasant) and A LOT more cool in the summer. My dream pool would be one with a retractable roof, but, failing that, if I could only train in one pool for the rest of my life, though, it would be a close call between the IUPUI Natatorium and the Texas Swim Center: www.iunat.iupui.edu/.../Nat.jpg I'm with you on the sun exposure concern. I also like the consistency indoor swimming provides. That said, I do get in a couple outdoor workouts a week in during the summer, just for some variety. I was in Indy for a business meeting in May, staying walking distance from IUPUI. Went to the Natatorium for lap swim one morning, but it was closed for renovations :(. I was able to get a workout in at the basement pool, but it wasn't nearly the same. (FWIW, even the basement pool is 50M!)

With rare exceptions (water too warm, pool too irregularly shaped), swimming outdoors is always better than indoors.

The pool in my development is saline, and almost 25 yards, but had indentations along the sides and stairs that go into the pool. If there was some kind of marker on the bottom or a rope, I could stay straight, but I have a hard time staying the course. forget about backstroke -- there is nothing (no buildings or trees) to serve as a guide. Maybe I'm just not a good enough swimmer, but I feel like my workout suffers, because I'm expending too much energy trying not to bump into walls, stairs, and abutments in the pool. I have another outdoor 25 meter pool to swim in and get a much better workout there, but they closed the last week of the summer due to lack of guards!

I like swimming outdoors, but my experience doing so as a Masters swimmer has been pretty terrible. For my age group career, it was indoors 25y in the fall/spring, and outdoors during the summer, 50m in the mornings, 25m in the evenings. My Masters team does indoor 25y in the fall/spring, and outdoors 25m in the summer. Unfortunately, most of the outdoor pools are rather rundown neighborhood pools. Not only do you have to contend with frequent evening thunder storms, but you also get to deal with bad pool lighting, narrow lanes, no backstroke flags, and no pace clock. We swim at 4 pools during the summer--the two evening pools are pretty awful. The two morning pools have decent sized lanes and have flags, but one of them *always* has chemical problems. Not sure if the guards during the daytime are just godawful at their jobs in terms of controlling the chemicals, or if there is something flawed with the pump system, but the chemicals are almost always out of order at our early morning practices. The other morning pool is just fine. If we had accessible quality outdoor pools around here, I'd love to swim outdoors during the summer. As it stands, with how terrible half our pools are, I end up swimming on my own indoors during the summer, so I know I'll at least have adequate lighting, flags, and a clock.

I grew up swimming outdoors all the way up to college and 3 years past college. That was 30 years ago and now started back swimming back in August, and it is all indoors. Call me spoiled but the indoor pools that I am using have much better air quality than what I experienced many years ago, and I prefer indoors for the moment. :banana:

I like swimming outdoors, but my experience....frequent evening thunder storms, but you also get to deal with bad pool lighting, narrow lanes, no backstroke flags, and no pace clock. We swim at 4 pools during the summer--the two evening pools are pretty awful. The two morning pools have decent sized lanes and have flags, but one of them *always* has chemical problems. Think outside the Tardis. You should look at this positively. You are able to swim in so many variable conditions that nothing should stop you from swimming and winning your heat.

Outside is much more inviting, even if the water is cold or hot (Sunscreen and dark lens goggles are required in the sun). The warm summer evening swims are the best!

Outdoor for sure! It is a wonderful feeling to have the sun shining while swimming. Seeing the water glistening on your arms. Fresh air. I live in northern Illinois, so my outdoor swimming season is very short. Maybe that's why I prefer to be outside.