Mountain Biking Marin is holding the last all Women’s cross country mountain bike clinic of the season on August 28th! They’re keeping this clinic small so if you are interested please fill out the assessment form here and contact Celia at Mountain Biking Marin for more information!

This clinic is Women Only – All Levels and LOTS of FUN!

Read about one of their past all women’s mountain bike clinics here: http://mountainbikingmarin.blogspot.com/2010/06/hot-mama-mountain-bike-clinic-was.html

So what are you waiting for? Go for it!

The other day I walked on the Mill Valley bike path and realized the mushrooms were missing.
I looked down in to the creek and saw them crumpled and wet on the ground.

]]> http://sallyaroundthebay.com/2010/08/in-memory-of-the-mill-valley-mushrooms/feed/ 0 http://sallyaroundthebay.com/2010/08/do-you-prefer-to-exercise-alone-or-with-your-partner/ http://sallyaroundthebay.com/2010/08/do-you-prefer-to-exercise-alone-or-with-your-partner/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:18:30 +0000 Sally_K http://sallyaroundthebay.com/?p=3094

Dr. Michelle Gannon (aka @DrMichelleXO) is another Twitter friend turned real friend. She’s great! Michelle is very active on Twitter and Facebook, I love meeting professionals that “get” how social media works (ie. tools to build relationships, not just to broadcast yourself). Besides being a successful Psychologist, a wonderful mom & wife, and a super fun person, Michelle is a fitness freak inspiration.

Because of her expertise in relationships and exercise I asked her to share some fun fitness things to do around the Bay Area (with or without your partner). ~Sally

Dr. Michelle Gannon is a Psychologist in private practice in San Francisco working with individuals and couples for the past 20 years. She is also a founder of Marriage Prep 101, Award Winning Couples Workshops for Engaged, Newlywed and Seriously Dating Couples that she has led with her husband, Dr Patrick Gannon for the past ten years. The Gannon’s recently won the SF Bay Guardian Best of the Bay Award for Best Couples Counselor for the 6th year, and are often featured in local and national media. Michelle loves what she does, and she tries to practice what she teaches…

Below Michelle shares some fun ways to exercise in the Bay Area.

Hi Sally, It has been such a treat to meet you. As you know, I am a big believer that all of our relationships benefit from us taking good care of ourselves. For many of us, physical exercise makes a significant difference in our mood, and emotional and physical well being. For those of us who live in the San Francisco Bay Area or Marin, we have some great options for exercise. I am happy to recommend some of my current favorites.

Also, I wonder: If you are in a relationship, are you someone who likes to exercise with your partner? Or would you prefer to exercise on your own? I have tried both options. Since my husband and I both like to be fit, I thought it would be fun to exercise together. However, our different personality styles come up when we exercise. When we run or bike together, he actually wants us to be completely quiet. He likes his exercise routine to be meditative and introspective. No surprise to you that I like to chat if we are together. What’s the point of exercising together if I have to be quiet? Ha! So over the past sixteen years together, we have decided to do our regular exercise independently, and then come together for the occasional hike or bike ride. Also, since we have children, it has worked out well for me to get up early and exercise without him! When I spoke with the coaches at my current favorite gym, Tamalpais Cross Fit, they reported, “Exercise builds camaraderie with their spouses. Working out together gives new dimension to their conversations and how they spend their free time. They even felt closer after they exercised together”.

What about you Sally? Do you and Celia like to mountain bike together?  Um, no.

Or do you have better times hiking?  Exercise together or apart? I prefer to hike with my dog. She prefers to bike without the dog. We occasionally come together for a hike or a mellow bike ride along the bike path of Mill Valley & Sausalito. ~Sally

What are your favorite running, hiking or biking routes?

I live in Marin, and like to hike with my golden retriever, Max. The loop around Phoenix Lake in Greenbrae is one of our favorites.  It only takes an hour to walk around the lake so you can easily squeeze it in no matter how busy you are. You can also make the hike longer by following any of the uphill trails. My office is located in Presidio Heights in San Francisco. One of my favorite running routes starts with a jump over the Presidio Wall, then a twisty run through the Presidio and along the Marina Green and Chrissy Fields. I enjoy passing by the Palace of Fine Arts, beautiful Pacific Height homes, and finishing by running up the Lyon Street Steps. It is indeed a challenging San Francisco route rewarded by breathtaking views of the city.

In terms of biking, we like to bike out to China Camp along San Pedro Road in San Rafael. In San Francisco, one of our favorite routes is to bike from the city, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and up the Marin Headlands. Of course, biking in Sonoma or Napa from winery to winery is another good way to spend an afternoon.

What is your favorite yoga studio?

I have a Sunday morning ritual of yoga and coffee date with girlfriends. We really like the classes taught at Yoga Works. Originally, I went to The Yoga Studio, and was hesitant about the change in ownership. The Yoga Works studios in Larkspur and Mill Valley have both kept their commitment to offer excellent yoga instruction in an inviting setting for all levels.

Any other exercise recommendations?

Every couples of years, I like to try something new for fitness. Two months ago, I began the most challenging workout program ever: CrossFit. Coaches Michael, Corey and Meshelle at Tamalpais Cross Fit encourage, motivate and support us in small group classes. They deliver an hour long high intense, constantly varied workout utilizing weights, gymnastics, plyometrics, running, rowing, kettlebells, pull up bars, and more. My fellow cross-fitters are the kindest, most encouraging fellow exercisers I have ever met. The coaches are also available for personal training, but I like the group support. We can moan and complain out loud here, and not get in trouble for talking!

Please consider making time to exercise as an intentional way to become more physically and emotionally fit. As an intentional way to work on your relationships, please consider Marriage Prep 101 or call Michelle at 415 905- 8830 for therapy, workshop or reading recommendations. You can also follow her at Twitter.com/DrMichellexo,  Facebook.com/MarriagePrep101 or read her blog at DrMichelleGannon.com.

Thanks Michelle!

I have big plans to get my FourSquare swarm badge today! I’m going to my old neighborhood in San Francisco (yes I was a city girl at one point) to Pacific Catch on 9th Avenue.

This Pacific Catch is located right by Golden Gate Park. I plan to get there early and take a stroll through the park like I used to. I love Golden Gate Park! It has a little bit of everything: a museum, botanical gardens, the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers, trails, soccer, frisbee & football fields, picnic areas, play structures, the Japanese Tea Garden, a lake with boat rentals, and so much more. On Sundays they even close the streets for pedestrians, bikes and roller blades. I used to love roller blading in the park! Wish I still had my roller blades.

I remember roller blading on a Sunday in 1995 when there was a memorial going on for Jerry Garcia. Right as the memorial was ending I skated by quietly. Since I was distracted looking at all the deadheads, I was not paying attention to the ground and rolled in to a pothole and did a face plant! Yep, there I was face first on the asphalt right in front of Jerry Garcia’s memorial. People looked at me and said, “dude face plant” but nobody asked if I was okay. 

Of course I was okay except a few scratches on my face and my very bruised ego.

I’m off to San Francisco now to get my FourSquare swarm badge! Hopefully I won’t do a face plant this time.

Photo taken by flickr user battyward

I wonder what Jerry Garcia would think of FourSquare?

Happy FourSquare Day!

]]> http://sallyaroundthebay.com/2010/04/happy-foursquare-day/feed/ 0 http://sallyaroundthebay.com/2010/04/farm-animals-in-marin/ http://sallyaroundthebay.com/2010/04/farm-animals-in-marin/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:49:41 +0000 Sally_K http://sallyaroundthebay.com/?p=2450

Did you know right over the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County you can find all sorts of farm animals?

You can happen upon them in Tennessee Valley. See yesterday’s post about the Turkeys.

Or you can go to Slide Ranch right off of Hwy 1 on the way to Stinson Beach where you can visit goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks.

Happy (almost) Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday
Mill Valley

As you may or may not know my neighbor Amy and I are pretty dedicated hikers. We go out every morning (6-7 days a week) with our dogs for a hike. However on super rainy days we do not go. This is problem because hiking is what we do for exercise. I decided instead of being a wimp on rainy days I’d go out and buy some rain gear so at least we could still get out when it is pouring rain, even if we didn’t go on the trails we could walk up and down the winding hilly streets of our neighborhood.

I wanted good quality rain gear but I didn’t want to spend the money I would have to if I went to REI. Instead, I went to the Sports Basement in San Francisco. The Sports Basement is an awesome place for getting great deals on quality brand name athletic clothing. A few years ago I bought a big puffy down Northface jacket from the Sports Basement. I called REI first to compare prices and it was $50 cheaper at the Sports Basement.

The Sports Basement in the Presidio is located in one of the most beautiful spots in San Francisco.  It’s right across the street from the Crissy Field Beach located below the Golden Gate Bridge. The views are breathtaking.  You can see the bridge, Alcatraz and the city skyline. We were lucky because when we got to the store it was not raining so we took a walk on the beach before doing our shopping. The boardwalk was full of happy people walking, jogging, rollerblading, biking and playing with their dogs.

It’s fun to shop at Sports Basement. It has a very casual friendly feel. There are couches throughout the store and they encourage you to hang out and chat. There is even a play area for kids. Lot’s of community stuff going on there. I found a great rain jacket and a pair of convertible pants I love! We’re back to walking or hiking everyday and it feels great!

For the ultimate bike adventure, ride the trails where the sport was founded and join Mountain Biking Marin on a guided tour of the area from May 27-31. This vacation includes airport pickup, transportation, deluxe accommodations, daily breakfast, daily light gourmet lunch for the rides and more in addition to the best daily bike rides around scenic Marin County and beyond.

Mountain bike enthusiasts around the world are invited to hit the trails in and around the birthplace of the sport for a four-day cross-country mountain bike tour of Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mountain Biking Marin has organized an unforgettable tour taking place from May 27-31, combining daily bike rides with the exploration of popular local tourist attractions.

Founder and CEO of Mountain Biking Marin, Celia Graterol, warns this event is not intended for beginners. She states, “To enjoy this tour, riders should have an intermediate to advanced technical level and the ability to handle a moderate to strenuous climbing level.”

Graterol and her team of fun experienced guides will expertly lead riders through the Redwood forests, lakes, rock gardens and rolling hills of trails through Marin County, Mt. Tamalpais, the Marin Headlands and West Marin. Bikers will enjoy panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay and the mountains of Marin.

After a tough day on the trails (lots of singletracks!!!), enjoy the optional excursions including world-class wine tasting in the Napa Valley and exploring the world famous streets of San Francisco.

This is an all-inclusive mountain biking adventure that includes airport pickup, deluxe accommodations, transportation, breakfast and lunch daily (dinner not provided) and the professional guiding services of 2006 Downhill US National Champion, Celia Graterol.

For this ultimate bike adventure, much care went into the choosing of the hotel. Guest are sure to enjoy their stay at the new remodeled Larkspur Hotel Mill Valley with a core focus on health, sustainability and getting people outside to connect with nature. Each morning of the tour, they’ll be serving healthy, sustainable breakfasts such as whole grains, healthy proteins and good carbs.

“We knew this was the right hotel to choose because they even provide bike parking,” remarks Graterol.

This mountain biking adventure is limited to only 15 participants so anyone interested is strongly encouraged to register early. Early Bird Prices are in effect until April 15 with the cost of this inclusive mountain biking vacation at $1,150 per person ($1,350 if adding a bike rental). After April 15 the price will be $1,300 ($1,500 if bike is needed).

For more information, visit MountainBikingMarin.com

About Mountain Biking Marin
Owned and operated by 2006 Downhill US National Champion, Celia Graterol, Mountain Biking Marin offers fun, guided tours and clinics on the best mountain bike trails in the San Francisco Bay area. Celia’s experience and training give her the skills needed to lead and teach all levels of bike tours and clinics (cross country, freeride and downhill racing).

Contact: Celia Graterol
www.mountainbikingmarin.com
P 415-717-2263
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View from our hike today.

Beautiful views from our hike today! This is what I woke up to after the big storm last night. Amazing! I love the Bay Area!

My favorite rock.
Wordless Wednesday (almost)