Half-Fast - Now With 50% More Cross Training!

As you know if you've been reading this blog for any length of time I've been using the FIRST half marathon training plan. This plan calls for 3 runs a week and 2 or 3 cross training days. Until now, I've been using soccer as one of my cross training days and doing strength training for the other. I'll now by adding a third cross training day by riding my brand new bike! My lovely wife got it for me on my birthday, it was a total surprise. Almost. (More on that story here, if you're so inclined.)

No, unfortunately mine does not have cool spinners like this one.

I'm so excited. I haven't owned a bike since I was 15, because I figured once I could drive what was the point of a bike? Remember those days? When you were too cool to be seen riding a bike because you drove a car. I remember driving around during the summer months with Will Smith's Summertime blasting on the speakers, wearing my mirrored sunglasses and rockin' a hyper-color T-shirt. How cool was I? (That's rhetorical, please don't answer it.)

Anyway, here's a list of things that I know about bike's:

• They have 2 wheels.
• You have to pedal them to make them go.
• They have gears.
• The seat is not comfortable - I learned this from my first ride this past week.

And that pretty much sums up my knowledge on the subject. So if you know of any helpful websites or have any helpful advice for a newbie cyclist like "don't ride on the street against oncoming traffic like a runner," or "don't stretch cold muscles before you cycle" (where were you guys on that one?) then please feel free to leave it in the comments or shoot me an e-mail.

I don't plan on becoming a serious cyclist or even competing in triathlons, I'm just a runner who doesn't want to have to run every freakin' day, so this is something that will help me to maintain fitness on days that I'm not running.