Switching gears.... literally!!

I've been talking for a few months about my aching feet. (I have Plantar Fasciitis and now some nerve issues in my arch) They've continued to get worse and now I am at the point where I really know I have to make some changes or they will never get better. Even worse, I won't be able to do my marathon in March!

So, I've decided to get back to cycling. I used to ride when I was young, very young, so I'm essentially a beginner. However, I have a great cardio base to use so I can tackle some pretty decent stuff right away.

My husband, son and I recently visited our local bike store and purchased 3 mountain bikes. We are hoping to make this some great family time and do some off-road riding when it's not so muddy outside.

I got a Giant Talon 29'er. I'm pretty tall (5'10") so the size Large fit me best. It's about a 20" frame size.

Then, I got to thinking.... I'm not going to go mountain biking on my own! I want to be outside, but riding on mountain trails by myself isn't something I'm planning on doing. I really know that I'll be needing to do some road cycling. So, I need ANOTHER bike. 2 days later.... I bought myself a road bike. I LOVE IT!

I went back and forth between brands and aluminum vs. carbon and on and on and finally decided on this one.

I got a Felt Z85 - 56cm size frame with Shimano components.

I'm really happy with it. Been out for two different rides. Today's ride was tough. I live in a very hilly area and didn't realize the area I was riding in was so hilly until I was on a bike! I have driven these many times, but didn't even realize the hills are huge!

Needless to say, I didn't make it up all the hills. I had to stop part way up a couple of times and walk. The worst part is that when I was stopping, I could not get my feet out of the clips fast enough and I toppled over, TWICE!! It just made me so mad! Good thing there were no little ears around because I'm sure I said some not-so-nice words...

So, I have to do some practicing with those clips!

Now, I just need to figure out how far I need to ride to make it comparable to my run. I am planning on using the bike to replace my shorter runs and still running the long runs. I'll just have to see how this plan works and how my feet respond.

I also have to work on fuel. I rode for 90 minutes today and didn't even think about fuel until I got home and realized I hadn't even had any water. I have to figure out when is a good time to stop and drink water and when to take any supplements, etc.

Have you ever had to switch activities because of injury? What did you go to/from?

If you cycle, when do you fuel?