salt-n-sugar: starting the day off right

it was bound to happen sometime, and this morning it did: i got up, made coffee while still bleary-eyed�and instead of putting a spoonful of sugar in it�i added SALT! i didn't realize my mistake until i took a sip. ack! remind me not to keep salt and sugar in such similar jars. lest you think my day got off to a bad start, let me reassure you that it wasn't ruined. after dumping out the sodium-laced starbucks brew, i fixed a new cup of coffee w/ soymilk & *sugar*, and was off to pick up my special daily disposable contact lenses. they'll no doubt be a lifesaver during my next open water swim, my tri and pool workouts in general.

i'm also pleased to report that i have new regular contact lenses as well. i've long struggled w/ dry eyes (possibly autoimmune/arthritis-related), but it had gotten to the point i was unable to wear my contacts at all. i've spent the past year bespectacled, which isn't bad, but it's nice to have the option of wearing glasses OR lenses on any given day. i'm also happy to know i don't have sjogren's syndrome, which causes dry eyes and often accompanies other autoimmune conditions.

i biked the rivanna trail late this afternoon/early evening, and snapped a couple of photos of the rivanna river along the way. [click images for larger view]. it was warm & muggy out muggy outside, and the trail was fairly crowded (with both dogs & people), but it was still an enjoyable, solid workout. what a lovely way to unwind after work!

speaking of biking, here's a 7th item to add to the list in last weekend's entry: "drinking while riding a bike is trickier than you might think". (well, so might riding a bike while drinking! ha)! seriously, i'm talking about water or sports drinks. damn, it must take good eye-hand coordination or something. i haven't tried it, since i'm not a "look, no hands!" kind of gal. i'm a "stop and gulp" girl. apparently our governor had trouble with this feat earlier in the week: poor guy! so george w. bush isn�t the only politician to make headlines by taking a tumble from a bicycle! on a more serious note, i am kind of worried about my ability to sip & ride w/o falling off during the tri. if i gulp down fluid during the 1st transition & BEFORE starting to bike, perhaps that can sustain me through 12 miles. (that's assuming it's not a hot day where i sweat buckets during the 1st mile alone. that's also assuming it doesn�t reach my bladder 1st)! perhaps there'll be an oasis�i.e.water station--during the bike segment, where i can slow/stop for a cup. let me sleep on it for now. i'll share the rest of my fears later. meanwhile, there are still two weeks to map out a hydration plan.

and once again, it's bedtime, so i'll stop here. next topic: sunscreen.