Day 10 Rest day in Tucson

Today I took it easy and rested up and got some chores done. I needed more fuel for my stove, got some more food and I looked into doing something to alleviate the increasing pain I have been having in my knees, right under the kneecap. I went into a bike shop and they made a really good suggestion. They thought I should ditch the strap in pedals I am using and instead go to some big flat BMX pedals that will allow for a greater range of motion for my foot and a greater surface area to distribute my weight as I pedal. Also, these pedals are concave in the middle so they should allow my foot to rest in a natural position with my arch supported. My current pedals are very small and have straps that force my foot into a certain position, which may be causing the pain. The only downside to the BMX pedals is that they have no clip or strap to attach my foot to the pedal to allow me to pull up and they therefore decrease my efficiency on the road. However, I am not in the tour de france here and I will gladly sacrifice some efficiency for no pain.

I think this is a good idea and so I am going to have the pedals switched this morning. If it doesn't work I am only out $20. After that, I will start adjusting my seat daily until I get a position that spares my knees.

I stayed with a host from www.couchsurfing.com and I have to say it was an awesome experience. I didn't know what to expect, just coming to a strangers house and staying two nights with them, but it turned out to be really cool. Micah and Scott are two guys that i totally got along with and would have been friends with back home. Very chill guys that were nice and helped me find my way around town. Micah is going to be a firefighter, Scott is a gold miner! What cool jobs!

At any rate, my initial impression of couchsurfing is that it is not only a great way to save money but also a great way to meet cool people local to a place to hang out with and show you around. I will be using it a lot from here on out.

I am heading out to New Mexico today. I hope to be in Las Cruces by Sunday. I have heard that it just snowed in NM, hopefully I dont run into any of it!

Until next time!