I don’t even feel that ill, but this stupid sore throat has kept me off the bike all week. I felt the first hints of a cold Monday night, and promptly binged on bleu cheese, zinc, vitamin C, and tea. I wanted to make sure that I was well the next day, as I had two errands to run; both along my bike commute route. I even had spousal encouragement to ride (vs. drive) as the 2nd errand was to pick up her new handbag. She even voiced her dissapointment when I slept in late and started getting dressed for the drive in that morning. I assured her I would brave the downtown streets by car to get her bag.

That evening, she quized me about my laziness. “Missed your alarm again?” she asked. Nope, I replied, and explained that I felt a cold coming on and didn’t want to push myself. “Wow, I’m impressed,” she replied, sincerely, “I didn’t realize you’d put your wellness above a chance to ride.”  At that point, I was fairly content with my decision. But now, three days into a self-imposed biking-ban, I wonder if I’m over-reacting. 

I own and drive a car, but I often consider how’d I’d manage with a car-free lifestyle. This week would’ve been a challenge. Even my mixed-mode commute requires 12 miles of cycling (And 8 on the train), and to take the bus would require over 2 hours each way. A car-free lifestyle would trigger a much lower “call in sick/working from home” threshold than I currently have. Maybe this would be a good thing; maybe I shouldn’t be here potentially sharing cold germs with coworkers. But I fear it’d also promote the perception that “car-free” is sub-par, unprofessional.

Alternatively, I could’ve biked through the symptoms and hoped for the best. My fear is I’d prolong my recovery from this cold, and probably worsen it’s severity. Maybe next time I’ll try this approach, just to validate my theory. Oh well, until I recover, you’ll just have to deal with one more car on the road.