Heading into the weekend it had been sunny and in the 60’s for three days, and my planned ski trip with my daughter was derailed by a birthday parry and a youth activity. As a result I was looking forward to sneaking some time in the saddle, until either a touch of the flu or food poisoning sidelined me to the couch nearest the bathroom. I know this happens to everybody from time to time, so here are some ideas to help preserve your sanity and hopefully keep you fromannoying the crap out of your family or roommates.
Stay Hydrated
This is the most important thing you can do, and it turns out thoseelectrolyte drinks we enjoy on the trail are just the thing when you’re under the weather. Depending on how much of astandoff you’re at with your stomach, you can sip them at room temperature, pour one into a tall glass over ice or, if you’re up to the task, drag out the blender and incorporate it into a slushy or smoothie. Whatever the delivery method, keep it coming and hydrate!
Reading
I’ll bet you a pint of Fat Tire* that there are sections of Singletracks.com that you haven’t fully explored. If you only ever read the blog, head over to the forums for some entertaining and informative conversations. The gear reviewsection has a wealth of information, and of course you can add some reviews for the stuff you own. New videos and photos are added every day, and you could finally take the time to edit and upload all the pics and helmet cam footage accumulating on your hard drive. Take a look at your trail wishlist. There are bound to be new videos and pics since you tagged them, and you can tick off any you have ridden. Finally, open up your calendar and the trail locator page and start planning that next bike trip. Maybe instead of going to an obvious destination like Moab, pick a semi-random locale and look for trails within a set mileage radius from there. Get creative and see what you can put together.
As another option, Barnes and Noble offers their Nook app for PC and most smartphones and tablets. The app is free and most books have a generous preview sample, so you only have to buy it if you’re really into it and want to finish. (I’m currently reading 11/23/63 by Stephen King and it is AWESOME)
They also have a huge selection of eMagazine subscriptions. (eMagazines + tablet or iPad = bathroom reading for the 21st century!)
Movies
Here are some great MTB movies for some vicarious mountain biking:
- 24 Solo
- Life Cycles
- Anything by ‘The Collective‘
- Klunkerz
Most of these should be available electronically, otherwise you’ll need to guilt your significant other into running out to Blockbuster for you. (Hey, you need more Powerade anyway, right?)
Video Games
If you have the energy, and a Wii, Wii Sports Resort has a bike racing game that’s a hoot. You ‘pedal’ with your hands via a Wiimote and Nunchuk. Some clever manipulation of the remotes will let you pull wheelies and jump stuff, and you can even huck a 10′ drop on one course. You can also draft off other riders and throw some elbows to gain track position. It supports 1-4 players so you can get the family into your virtual mountain bike stage racing career.
Writing
If you are good at story telling or technical presentation, and you have an idea bouncing around in your head, try writing a blog post for Singletracks.com. Seriously, send trek7k a PM and pitch your idea, submit a sample paragraph or even a complete post. You may become a published guest author!
The bottom line is, if you’re sick, I mean really sick, get some rest, let your body recover, and you’ll get back on the trails that much sooner.
*For your free pint of Fat Tire, you’ll need to prove you’ve browsed the entire site, and come out to Colorado and complete a ride with me!
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