The Eternal Question
When it comes to working out, my biggest question remains: how long does it take to get out the door? I don't care whether it's the door to the house, the car or the office. What I want to know is how soon can I be off and skating, breathing in fresh air and propelling myself through space?

Time to Enjoy
In-lines allow me to get out the door in seconds flat. These days, with self-locking laces and ratchet buckles, it takes less time to put on a pair of skates than a pair of shoes. And furthermore, there's never any need to run back for that dab of Vaseline or the oft-forgotten patch kit. Unfettered enjoyment is just outside.

Seasonal Armistice
As days grow longer, the race to fit in a skate before dark is called off. The pleasure of exercise returns to limbs which need no cover, no frantic motions to stay warm. Whizzing along, endorphins stream like hormones, giving rise to different goosebumps altogether.

Sowing Soul
Far away from the city on skates, I explore memory's uncharted lanes. There, turned earth, cut grass and manure sing sweet, fecund notes. I labor, but do not suffer, as bucolic vistas of patterned land spread fan-like before me. I harvest often the sight of my fleeting shadow from passing fields, where as the day waxes and wanes, its length changes from long to short to long again. Skating is my viewfinder to the outside world. I use it to soften the edges of my life.

The Query Comes Back
In time, cold slabs of civilization return, rising around me and crowding out the outdoor consciousness. Out of the gridlock, I revive myself with memories of past frolicking. Reveries transport me away from my enclosed artificiality, filling me with incandescent wanting. Deep down, the big question begins to form again: How long does it take to get out the door?

Fast Tracks To Enjoying The Outdoors:

Wear a 3-pocket jersey.
Better than backpacks or fanny packs for ease of accessibility, three-pocket jerseys allow you to carry life's essentials close to your body while out on the road. Made of synthetic material that stretches but won't sag, three-pocket jerseys allow you to balance the heavier water bottle in the middle pocket, while distributing food, keys, money, and sunscreen evenly on either side.

Skate at off-peak hours.
It's easier to take in more of your surroundings when you don't have to share the road with cars. If you are a morning person who has no trouble shaking out cobwebs, you will own the day if you fit in your workout before the commuting masses hit the road.

Use products with reflective material.
Without advocating skating in the dark outright, most companies tacitly support the night skate movement by incorporating reflective material into their products. Choose skates, helmets, protective gear and backpacks with built-in reflectivity to augment existing saftety features like headlamps and blinking tail lights. You'll feel more confident extending your skate into the dusk or beginning it in the wee hours when you've increased your visibility!

Be prepared for dipping mercury.
The day may start out cold but turn into an inferno. An interior valley may be scorching hot while the coastal area is socked in. Afternoons may be temperate but the evening downright glacial. In these instances, arm coverage is more than welcome. Arm warmers - lycra tubes with elastic on each end, are light and functional and can help fend off the shivers. I begin most workouts with arm warmers in place. Later, they can be rolled down like a convertible top or removed altogether and stowed away.

Carry a disposable camera.
These little jobbies are compact and light enough to slide in your pocket without being a hassle. My buddy Joe Prescott carries one with him every time he races, and his shots are remarkably vivid. Viewing them takes you right back into the middle of the action. Perhaps the best thing about a disposable camera is that it's not a great loss if you drop it - and it might even save you if land on it!

Gradually increase your base.
Enjoying the outdoors is partially a function of your level of fitness. If you can put in longer, sustained efforts once or twice a week, then what started out as a drag will soon feel like a warm-up. As your miles go up, so will your pleasure. If back roads aren't an option, you can still get out, whether it's a Sunday skate in the park, a noontime streak across the waterfront, a Friday night roll through the city, or a midday tousle with taxis.

Don't delay, but go prepared. The skate outdoors awaits!

Eddy Matzger gets out the door on Salomon skates outfitted with self-locking laces, non-slip tongues, and ratcheting buckles. He boosts his speed on TWINCAM bearings and Explore wheels. Eddy's travel luggage is provided by Transpack. Skate on over to http://www.skatecentral.com for a pictoral tour of the outdoors on skates.