Subtitle : "Runner survives first bike race!"
For years my favorite recovery activity besides walking the family dog has been cycling. Immediately after a trail race or road marathon you just want to pass the finish line, high five friends and family then lay down with a beer in your hands. Your legs are normally toast and you just want to not move for awhile. Then there is the day after stiffness.
I found that if I walk the dog then go for a bike ride the day after and get all that blood pumping thought my body that I immediately feel much better and can start training again sooner. This foot race / bike recovery pattern has repeated itself over and over again till I started doing weekend hill work outs on the bike just for fun. Locally, my favorite ride in East Bay Area is the ~30 mile/~2200 ft Palomaras Loop (Strava Link).
Last year I did my first Duathlon (5k run, 20 mile bike ride, 5k run) and loved it. See Wolf Pack Events if interested. Started doing bike/run 'Brick' work outs to fine tune transition times and work on my cycling skills. One note is that per USAT rules you cannot draft other cyclists and have to leave a safe distance (7 meters x 2 meters). And, if you pass you have to pass within several seconds or give up. Otherwise you could earn a '5.1 Position Foul' and be penalized time or DQ'ed.
Last month I participated in my first Triathlon. Loved the bike and run, barely survived the open water swim in 55 deg F water (27 deg F ambient). I spent a far amount of time in the transition area checking out peoples tri bikes. Man I could have spent hours just looking at bike setups and asking questions. Follow this link to learn more about HITS Napa.