Outdoor gifts have you thinking ’smart’
SMART MEDIA: Getting a book for Christmas often ranks up there with Grandma’s annual gift of thin black socks and a mis-monogrammed handkerchief. But when the outdoors are too, well, outdoors for the day, a good book or movie is a blessing. To keep your pulse thumping while you’re indoors, pop open Sean Burch’s Hyperfitness (Avery, $24.95) and prepare for your own solo ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.
Burch keeps up a steady schedule of unusual exercises that range from speed-skater drills to indoor mogul jumping. If that’s more energy than you have to burn, sit back and enjoy Ski the 14ers (Wolverine Publishing, $49.95) by renowned high-altitude skier Chris Davenport. The big book is a visual feat that chronicles Davenport’s quest to ski all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks in a single season. Halfway through the chill-inducing collection of photographs, you may need supplemental oxygen.
If you have some strength to spare, pop 24 Solo ($24.95, mtbmovies.com) in your DVD player and follow ultra-endurance mountain biker Chris Eatough as he pursues a seventh consecutive world championship in the grueling sport of 24-hour solo racing. If your pulse needs racing, check out the 2008 Cyclepassion ($49.99, worldcycling.com) photo calendar.
Past editions have placed glamorous models in historic cycling locations, but this year the twist is using real world-class cyclists as models in glamorous situations. No nudity, but some R-rated situations.