More Riding and Health Tips for You

Our last two days have been totally excellent.  Yesterday we went back out to the Irvington trail system (I'm calling that for lack of a better name).  We took the Camaro trail to the Sunset Pass trail.  Sunset Pass turns up and becomes very rocky; at this point we decided we would stop and put the knee and elbow pads on.  It's amazing how much courage is provided by some padding.  I rode very well, and cleaned a bunch of stuff I would not normally try.  So that was a definite win.

 

We then took the Cascabel trail out towards Irvington road to see what the trailhead looked like.  This is it.  No sign, no markings, no nothing!  If nothing else, the lack of signage should keep usage down.

 

The beginning of the trail, a pile of rocks marks the spot.

 

Today we rode Gates Pass.  It was slow, but it was accomplished.  We came back and sat on the patio and finished the coffee.  It was a perfect moment.  Perfect temperature, two good ride days, pretty clouds and being with my BFF.

 

In other news, our new driver's side neighbors had their white pickup truck stolen, as did our neighbors last year.  So, we decided to buy and use a Club.  We're hoping it will make us less desirable to the casual car thief.  It's a pain, but if the truck is taken, there go the road bikes and our pneumatic braking system that plugs in to the motorhome.  Recovering from that would be difficult and time consuming,  Apparently pickup trucks are widely sought after by vehicle thieves in the Old Pueblo.

 

Here is my new learning which I will share with you.  One morning when we were in Oregon, Jim woke up looking like a hamster with a pouch full of food.  One of his salivary glands had plugged up and it was just massive.  The way you treat it is with hot compresses, massage and the eating of really sour stuff.  We ate sour Skittles all the way to Tucson.  We were talking to my ENT about what causes it, and it's in large part due to age.  Yes, another age related issue.  As we grow older, our saliva thickens and decreases in volume.  This can lead to plugging up the glands.  The two best ways to combat this are drinking enough water, and consuming sour items.  The ENT suggested sucking on limes or lemons.  These are Meyer limes, and I can attest to the fact that half a lime will indeed get the juices flowing.  So that is my health tip for you today.

 

Tomorrow is the Tour de Tucson.  As part of the ride, there is a bike expo.  We went this afternoon, and I found a new jersey that is largely white.  So that was good.  We were somewhat underwhelmed by the number of vendors, the Seattle Expo is bigger. 
Other than this, maties, I have nothing to report.