How to Cross-Train for Imogene in 25 Easy Steps:

1. Hop on your bike and pedal down to the elementary school where your child is attending summer camp.
2. Sign child out and watch him take his sweet time moseying down the longest school corridor known to man and wonder if he'll make it to the end before you start going gray.
3. Place bicycle helmet on child.
4. Place your 50+ pound child on the back of your xtracycle:

5. Realize you must start the whole ordeal home by pedaling up hill. With 50+ pounds of wiggliness on the back of your bike.
6. Start pedaling.
7. Realize there is much uphill between school and your home.
8. Give a very sincere "thanks!" to the mom getting out of her car to pick up her kid who said to you "you're my hero!"
9. Realize you are only about 25% of the way up the first hill and have not even passed the school grounds yet.
10. Hope the mom with the compliment is already inside so she does not see you collapse.
11. Make to top of hill! Huzzah!
12. Realize top of hill is immediately followed by another hill (that is just so Flagstaff).
13. Get off and walk and make child walk too (it's good for him, builds character).
14. Resume riding when the hill is not so steep.
15. Realize that "not so steep uphill" is still uphill.
16. Wonder if you are too young for an exercise-induced heart attack.
17. Wonder if you are burning enough calories to work off all that ice cream.
18. In light of potential calorie consumption, keep going.
19. Despite a severe lack of oxygen, try to hold up your end of your child's conversation about..........something. Realize grunting will placate child and give up on conversation.
20. Confront the steep hill leading to your home and wonder who's dumb idea it was to buy a house at the top of a hill.
21. Get off bike and walk up the hill and make child walk too (it's good for him--builds character).
22. At child's urging, get back on bike to ride the last 100 ft of flat road at the top of the hill to your home.
23. Get off of bike.
24. Die a little.
25. Go make dinner.