Outside is Free(dom)
The hashtag outsideisfree currently has over 6.3 million posts on Instagram.
The vast majority of images posted there (I admit I haven’t looked at all 6.4 million) show healthy, athletic usually very attractive looking cyclists or hikers nicely posed in the great outdoors with their expensive looking kit.
a typical sample of #outsideisfree on instagram
I personally have also used the hashtag in the past on some of my posts without really thinking about it, but I have recently been wondering whether it is the right thing to be saying.
Because this vision of “outside” as shown in most of these posts isn’t actually free.
I’ll use myself as an example. Listing out some of my cycling kit below …
· Road Bike CHF 5k
· Cycling shoes CHF 300
· Cycling kit approx. CHF 350
· Helmet CHF 350
· Sunglasses CHF 200
· Bike computer CHF 250
And all that is before you get into all the money spent on servicing, previous bikes, holidays, etc.
So, whilst it is “free” to pop out on my bike at lunchtime, to then take a photo of my ride and spread the message that this is all for “free” is a little disingenuous.
As are the vast majority of these posts using that hashtag.
I realise that this is not the most pressing problem facing us today, but it did lead me think a little more about what outside really is for me.
I’ve been ill for the past week or so and been stuck mainly indoors, in bed or on the sofa, coughing, sneezing and generally feeling pretty crappy.
I felt slightly better towards the end of last week and managed to lace up my trainers and go for a long walk.
The simple sensation of getting out of the house and moving, even along the city streets was really liberating after being stuck inside for so long.
The sun low in the sky first thing in the morning, birds singing in the parks, meeting other walkers, seeing squirrels run up trees, the feeling of sweat as my body warmed up, the stillness of the lake, hearing runners puffing up behind me, all these things that I hadn’t experienced for the past week were almost overwhelming.
The freedom to walk wherever I wanted was just amazing to me after that week spent indoors.
This is the freedom I think I’d been taking for granted when I was healthy. The freedom to jump on my bike and head wherever I wanted to go.
But I don’t think the freedom stops there.
Getting outside is also freedom for your mind.
On that walk, I noticed how my thoughts became easier, and how I could let my mind wander off and spend time processing things that had been bothering me, and while I didn’t have any eureka moments, it was so helpful to do something so simple and repetitive such as walking which allowed my mind to relax.
I think a lot of us who do exercise appreciate this freedom for the mind that we get doing our chosen sports.
I know that often I come back from a ride or hike with a fresh perspective on a problem that has been bothering me. Or perhaps I remember something that I’ve been meaning to do, something that had been trapped underneath a load of other more pressing or seemingly important thoughts.
Finally, I think getting outside is also a freedom to play.
Life can be pretty serious a lot of the time. And we don’t have many opportunities to let loose and really go a bit crazy.
In the winter I get a lot of this freedom on the mountain, with my skis or snowboard on, especially if there’s some fresh powder snow. Doing little jumps (I’m old), flatland tricks, or simply spraying snow around brings back that childlike joy of play.
Some outside freedom earlier this week
On the bike this can manifest as going to ride in the mud off-road, or going as hard you can against your riding buddies to try to make them crack on a climb, or gradually increasing the pressure on the chain-gang to try to drop people off the back.
All ways of cutting loose and blowing off some steam.
Getting back to the fun of just being outside.
So, while outside is not actually free, I came to the conclusion that for me outside is freedom.
Freedom for the body.
Freedom for the mind.
Freedom to play.
See you outside soon.
What I’ve been listening to whilst writing
The Cars - Just What I Needed
One of the only times cars and cycling mix well. I first remember really hearing this song on the soundtrack to an amazing snowboarding movie called afterbang from back in 2002. I’ve loved it ever since. Enjoy!