Hacks to enjoy the great outdoors this autumn.

Hack Number One – How to get out the door

I get it, really I do. Outside – good. Active – good. Mornings – great! But as the mornings get darker and the chill descends my inside & cosy brain starts thinking, ‘Duvet good. Toast good too.’ If you want to be a contender getting to the start-line is where all the hard work happens. So here’s my guide for your heroic journey from duvet to door.

Tip one – stop thinking. You are a wild thing now.

Forget everything you have ever learnt - your brain is not your friend. Your brain is wired to protect you. Outside is where the wild things live. Your brain would have you run from them. You on the other hand need to run to them.

Tip two – deny the existence of those you love.

Embrace the darkness. Under no circumstances should you turn on the lights. Lights wake up pets, children, partners and they will wag, distract and delay. They are designed cute and that is a serious problem at this crucial stage of your mission.

Tip three – find your foundations.

Pull on clothes. Any clothes. You are getting dressed in the dark after-all. If your outside adventure requires it, leave your kit scattered like a trail of breadcrumbs to the door. At this time of year I favour big pants (you have to tuck your vest in somewhere); and big pants have the bonus of fitting, no matter which way round you happen to pull them on. Foundation is everything. Build your layers from there.

Tip four – reach beyond your extremities.

We need hats and boots to protect our extremities, right? Wrong. You are nearly at the door. So yes, do pull on a bobble hat and lace up your boots or winter trainers. This is not to protect your extremities but to release them. Can you think if anything that makes you feel more gloriously, child-like than sloshing through puddles in waterproof boots? Or the comfort of a hat tugged down over your ears on a windy day? Reach deep into that joy.

Tip five – don’t look back, look up

Ready? Open the door. Look up. Breath deep. Fill your lungs, your heart, your soul.

You made it. Run wild.

Image by Cynthia Magana

Words by Contributing Editor, Catherine Considine

Catherine is outside and active everyday – dragged by the household beasts: a deerhound puppy/dinosaur cross, an elderly terrier, and a shaven-headed, sporty husband. She is a self-proclaimed athletic numpty but that doesn’t stop her running, cycling and and sea swimming all year round. Because it’s beautiful! Creatively, she is currently collaborating with shaven-headed-one on an image and word exhibition, Daily Creatures. Watch this space…