Rollin’…(rollin’!)…rollin’…(rollin’!)…rollin’ on the river

(The post title’s for you, Dad–you sing it better than them all!)

Hello and happy Labor Day, one and all! I realize that I took a brief one-week blogging hiatus, but I am back and ready to write! Things have been pretty busy out here in (sometimes) sunny San Francisco, and I’m glad I have some time to report on the past few weeks of fun and adventures.

First things first: my triathlon is officially six days away! Things have really started to fall into place with my training over the past two weeks, and I am incredibly excited for the big day. Since I last wrote, I have gone swimming not once but twice in the San Francisco Bay! I recently ran into an old friend of mine who is an avid Bay swimmer. When I told her about my upcoming triathlon and some of my anxieties about open-water swimming, she invited me to come swimming with her, and I happily accepted! Two weeks ago, I squeezed into my rented wetsuit, tugged on my swimming booties (more on those bad boys later!), tucked my hair under two different caps, shoved some ear plugs into my ears, strapped my goggles onto my eyes, and waded out into the Bay for my first ever “serious” open-water swim.

The verdict? I loved it! I was initially nervous about the cold, but all of the Bay veterans were right–I didn’t really notice it after a few minutes. In fact, I felt quite overdressed during my first swim, and I ended up ditching the swimming booties, double caps, and ear plugs during my second swim a week later. Open-water swimming is pretty challenging and very different from pool swimming. During my first two swims, I learned how to “sight”, or glance up and take in a view of my surroundings every 6-8 strokes, which will be especially important on race day. I figured out how to breathe in a way so that I didn’t inhale a mouthful of water when the waves hit me in the face. I also learned that it is absolutely possible to get seasick while you’re swimming! Best of all, I took in some incredible views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge–from the middle of the Bay! I’m not sure that I will ever be a serious open-water swimmer, but I definitely feel more confident and excited about this leg of my race next weekend.

This has been quite the busy, active weekend! On Saturday night, J and I welcomed our friend Natanya over for dinner at our apartment. She recently returned from a trip to Japan and Russia, and we were dying to hear about her travels. On the menu for the night: roasted corn chowder (a Deborah Madison recipe); curried lentils with onions and carrots; roasted vegetables; and fresh fruit salad. Everything turned out beautifully, and we enjoyed a wonderful evening of great stories and laughs.

J chopping away

Thyme, mint and a tomato from J's garden!

The table is set!

Labor Day this year also happened to be my parents’ 28th wedding anniversary! My parents tend to be extremely generous and kind about sharing their anniversary. Last year, they took me and J out on their special day! It was our first time eating at Eos , which has since become one of J and my favorite local restaurants (you can read about our recent visit there here ). This year, they rented a condo up in the Russian River Valley for a few nights and invited us to come along! J and I happily accepted their invitation, and we took off yesterday around midday. Of course, no Sunday is complete without a trip to our Farmers Market, and we took home a pretty nice loot yesterday before we left including honeydew melon, grapes, tomatoes, eggplant, and apples. We also bought some flowers for the happy couple!

In true GaviGetsGoing! fashion, we stopped along the way to the Russian River for a hike. We actually ended up doing the same hike that J and I did two weeks ago , and I even wore the same thing! It is one of my all-time favorite hikes, and it was great to share it with J, both of my parents, and Chip, our family dog!

Happy Anniversary!

Look familiar?

After our hike, we enjoyed lunch at a little coffee shop and then headed up to the Russian River Valley. As we drove, the temperature climbed into the 90s! We made it up to the adorable town of Rio Nido in the late afternoon and checked out our condo. It was a beautiful place with two balconies and a grill. J and I decided that a celebratory meal was in order for my parents, and we decided to grill for them. We ended up walking two miles to the nearest grocery store to pick up chicken, vegetables (corn, peppers, onion, and cauliflower), and fruit (pineapple and peaches) for grilling. We all love grilling, so this was such a treat for us! We enjoyed a late dinner of delicious grilled food and chilled white wine, and then called it a night.

This morning, we woke up bright and early and ate breakfast together. We then all got suited up for our Russian River Valley bike ride! My parents are also big cyclists, and J and I love biking with them. I was most excited for the ride because I had the pleasure of trying out the road bike that I will be using for my race! For riding around the city, I use a bike that my mom gave me about six months ago. It’s a wonderful commuter bike, but it’s pretty big and heavy, and I figured that I should use something lighter and quicker for my race. One of my friends offered to let me use her road bike, and this weekend I happily took “White Lightning” for a spin! The four of us enjoyed a beautiful 20-mile ride through the Russian River Valley. There were lots of cars on the road, but it was a gorgeous day and we tried our best to enjoy the sights. I felt like a new person riding on a road bike, too! It is amazing how much quicker I was able to go with the same amount of effort. I definitely see a road bike in my future (although perhaps not in my wallet/savings account’s near future!)!

After our ride, J and I packed up the car, enjoyed lunch with my parents, and then began our (sad) journey back to San Francisco. We had a blast up in the Russian River, but it is also nice to be back in our apartment in the city. I know this week is going to fly by, and soon it will be time to head back to Pacific Grove on Saturday for my first ever triathlon! I can’t wait to report back next Sunday with my triathlon recap. Until then, enjoy your week!

Thanks so much for a great weekend, Mom and Dad! Happy Anniversary to my #1 parents!