marcia, cardio coach is easier to do indoors where you have control over the speed and resistance, etc. I use mine for spinning, elliptical, and treadmill. But, I dont see why I wouldnt use it for a run outside, as it is very motivating. So even if your not doing a climb, but coach is telling you about it, it can still motivate you to push harder. Also, the cds or mp3s come with instrumental only versions, which could easily be used for any workout. hope this helps _tina