More reading than writing recently

With the nights drawing in and the temperatures dropping, I have been managing the season change by trying to squeeze as much outside time as possible in shorts and a t-shirt while I can.

I feel I’m not the only one.

Not in t-shirt & shorts on this occasion, but long may the blue sky & mild weather continue.

Admittedly, my late summer has been less outdoor and active, and more at home finishing projects, doing jobs and planning for next year. My ‘outside’ time has been more like squeezing in a 5km around town or a walk up on the local hill instead of fitting in a big walk/run/camp/day out in the fells. Though I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I might want to do next, trying to be smart about using up what’s left of my annual leave, and mentally planning future trips…

All of this means I’ve been ‘offline’ for a while. Off Substack, off social media, generally spending less time online and more time doing real things in the real world, which is obviously a good thing. I find that if I put my phone down somewhere and can’t find it later, that’s probably a good thing.

Additionally, as a writer and creative, being offline is what helps feed ideas. Posting on apps every day does not fuel creativity; it stifles it. Substack is another social media, and now that it has become very popular — particularly with outdoor folk looking for like-minded people and an escape from Instagram and X — I’m always suspicious of those who are chronically online, posting multiple times daily about their outdoor & creative lives, and you should be too.

But in this strange internet-first world we live in, going ‘offline’ can leave you feeling like you’re being left behind and perhaps swimming against the tide — particularly if you own a growing newsletter, a business or a brand (people call it “business suicide”). It feels like you’re missing out on potential growth and not keeping up with a publishing or posting streak to keep those algorithms fed.

I don’t know how you can be creative, thrive outdoors and in sport AND be online (along with a job and normal life responsibilities). I don’t know how you can hit all those regular posts and engagement on multiple apps, and keep up with the constant updates and new features. I think it’s a game people play to make it seem like they’re spinning all the plates and succeeding.

So I try not to think about it too much and go back to mentally planning future trips and excursions in the real world for when I have time again, like hopefully over winter and next year... because even when things get busy and time is limited, the real world doesn’t change as fast as the online one does, and the lakes and mountains are not going anywhere.

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More reading than writing recently, so here’s a selection:

• Are ultra-marathons and extreme running linked to Colon cancer? - New York Times

• Climber shuns bottled oxygen in historic Everest mission with skis - The Times

• Why the ski tourism industry needs to change & the environmental impact of ski resorts - sam haddad

• Who decides to run a marathon in their 70s? These legends - Nat Geo

• Lucy Gossage claimed the female self-supported FKT for the South West Coast Path (630 miles in 11 days, 9 hours, 6 minutes) - Fastest Known Time

• “I was broke, depressed and disillusioned – Here’s how I cycled my way back to health and happiness” - Cycling Weekly

• There’s a lot of upheaval coming in the outdoor industry, find out more here in don’t start an outdoor brand by Kyle Frost.

• Also on this subject, NW Alpine founder explains why he closed the brand.

• Why swimming is better than running or the gym - The Times

• Why Rice Krispies Treats are upending the billion-dollar sports nutrition market - Front Office Sports

• Beetroot juice helps older adults lower blood pressure - study

• Kim Kardashian’s new range is designed for women to be ogled, not to excel in sport - The Observer

• Is UTMB ruining ultra-running? - Rowan Wood

• Recently, Jeannie Rice, 77, won her age group (and beat the equivalent men) at the Sydney Marathon in an incredible time - Canadian Running

• Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail aims to be the longest rail trail in Australia once completed. The 271km route runs through Queensland - The Guardian.

• Kilian Jornet talks mountain running in a time of climate change - Imagine5

• Also on Jornet, he finished his ‘States of Elevation’ challenge. 72 fourteeners (+4267m high) in 31 days, linked only by running and riding.