Tag: Biking

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 9, 2021

  1. One month ago I had my best run since I started running again. I didn’t run far, and I didn’t run fast, but the combination of my distance and my pace showed progress from when I first restarted back in March. I was riding a high my entire drive home, and I was excited for the runs to come.

  

  2. Just a few short hours after this run, I was helping my mom clean out her garage. I was feeling amazing, and I was very motivated to get a lot done, so my movements were quick and I wasn’t being very mindful. I attempted to lift a bag of concrete, immediately causing me to keel over from a twinge I felt in my back.

  One slipped disc, endless days of sciatic pain, a week off of work, lots of dark moments alone with my thoughts, and 4 weeks later I am finally able to walk without pain.

  I’d be lying if I said taking a month off of running (or anything physical) didn’t make me incredibly sad, and the thought of having to “start over” again is overwhelming, but I know if I did it once I can do it again. Don’t forget to lift with your knees kids, and don’t ever attempt to lift a bag of concrete.

  3. About a week before my back injury I went for my first solo hike in a looonnggg time. It was a trail I had done many times, and it wasn’t anything crazy, but I had forgotten how therapeutic it is for me to walk in the woods alone.

  

  4. I’ve been home from my vacation for a month and a half now, and I already want to go on a another one. Sigh.

  5. Speaking of vacation, I spent so much time focusing on Glacier and the Sawtooth’s I never shared the very first hike I went on in Kalispell, MT. A cute little backyard hike with a cute little view.

  

  6. I think a couple of my coworkers dislike me, but I have reached the point where I genuinely don’t care.

  7. The master technician at my work has a liking for slugs the same way one would have a liking for cats, or dogs. Anyone who knows me knows I have a phobia of slugs, so you can understand my struggle each time I walk into the shop and am met with a slug calendar.

  Month after month I am forced to avoid eye contact with these grotesque creatures, all the while dodging laughs from my coworkers about my unique phobia.

  It’s all in good fun, and while I truly detest the calendar, I thought it would be funny to play a prank on my coworker. The last day of July I printed a photo of my face to put onto the slug body for the month of August, so that when he flipped the page to see what he considers to be “cute”, he would instead be met with my face. It was unbelievably difficult for me to actually touch the photo, but it was so worth it.

  

  8. Someone once told me putting bananas in the fridge helped to prolong their life. Makes sense, so I started doing it. I can now only eat bananas if they are fresh out of the fridge. The flavor change of a cold banana is unbelievably delicious. Cold bananas > room temp bananas.

  9. I went for my first bike ride in over a month last week after my back finally started feeling better, and I was honked at by an asshole driver. I was already having a rough week, so this hand to the horn gesture might have made me cry. I will neither confirm nor deny that…Either way it was great to get back on the saddle.

  Five days later I rode 22 miles. I’d say we’ve officially healed from the above mentioned chaos that was a back injury.

  

  10. I’m sick of summer. I am so ready for cooler weather, pumpkin patches, crunchy leaves, and sweater season. Fall please hurry up.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Biking, Early Morning Confessions, Hiking

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on April 5, 2021

  1. I shared my love of cemeteries in a previous EMC post, and the love is still alive and well. I visited an abandoned cemetery recently with graves of people who were born in the 1800’s and it was unbelievably cool. I’m convinced my pal who took me here thinks I’m crazy, but I assure you there is beauty almost everywhere.

  

  

  2. I had my first ever edible at the ripe old age of 32 (sorry mom and dad). It made me extremely sleepy after a few hours, but I have never been so in tune with the movement of walking in my life. I presume this is what The Buddha felt on his quest to enlightenment. 

  3. I recently took a trip to a town I used to adore. The town is no longer what it used to be, and while I am sad about it, I also appreciate change in every way, shape, or form. In typical Brittany fashion, I find this scenario to be like a metaphor for life. At least the lake still looks good, I spent many emotional days running around this lake.

  

  

  4. Last April I started journaling regularly to help me express my emotions better, and I have now been journaling for a full year. What an amazing outlet. I don’t journal daily, but oh boy there is some intense stuff written on those pages.

  5. On that note, I have become so in tune with my emotions lately, while sitting with my cat the other day I literally started crying while looking at him. I have so much love for him it sometimes physically pains me to imagine him not in my life. 94.591% of my anxiety revolves around him having another emergency. 

  

  6. I have been working reallllyy hard to live more of a “good enough” life rather than a “everything must be perfect” life. Life is TOO SHORT TO BE STRESSED OUT.

  7. I busted out my hybrid bike a couple times last week and had one of the best rides I’ve had in months. I had fleeting thoughts about selling it upon my return, but I am so thankful I didn’t. While riding it I had the biggest snot rocket fail of my entire life. It was awful. And messy.

  The more I learn about bikes and different quality features, the more I want to upgrade to the next level in the hybrid hierarchy, but I adore this Cannondale so much I cannot let her go just yet.

  

  8. I go out of my way to ensure I spell someones name right when I am writing it in some form. I also find it somewhat impersonal when someone spells my name wrong. I literally have no idea why I care so much.

  9. I’ve been obsessed with German music lately – German rap, German pop, German folk. I still find comfort in hearing German, and it reminds me of every time I would leave Germany to visit another country. I felt like the odd man out anywhere else that didn’t speak English, yet upon my return to Germany I always felt safe. 

  I have very loose plans (I’ve paid a small deposit) to visit Scotland and Germany in summer of 2022, and I cannot wait to walk around Garmisch without the stress of having to work. 

  

  10. I used to loath the idea of getting older. Being in my 30’s felt like a death sentence, when in reality I am still so incredibly young. Being in my 30’s is like being in my 20’s, but caring so much less about what everyone around me thinks. This new decade of life is like obtaining a free super power, and only those who have hit this milestone truly know what I am talking about. 

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Biking, Early Morning Confessions, Olympia

• Things I’m Loving Lately

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on March 8, 2021

  Despite the fact I do not follow a Catholic faith, I decided to partake in Lent this year. I was raised Catholic, but I have moved towards more of a relaxed Christian faith that I am happy with. Still, I have participated in Lenten fasts in the past, but this year was different. This year I genuinely wanted to give up something to challenge myself on more of a mental and spiritual level, rather than a physical one.

  This year, I have given up social media.

  My blog has never been a space where I can escape from reality, so my presence here is “allowed” and encouraged. Instead I have given up Instagram and Facebook, one of which I can easily get lost on for hours looking at photos from strangers I will never meet. Initially I thought this would be difficult. I thought my addiction to the mindless escape of scrolling on Instagram would be a painful missing piece of my mental distraction repitour, but what I have found has been the complete opposite.

  Rather than curling up in a corner scratching at my face for the next fix, I am more present on here. I am more present with myself, I am writing more, and I feel calmer. My eating habits have been more balanced, my mood has been stable, and my sleep has been better. I’ve spent more time reflecting on deep thoughts as well as superficial “fun” thoughts.

  Thoughts that have inspired this post. Thoughts of random things I am enjoying lately. Let’s dive in, shall we?

  

  • I am enjoying wearing a Garmin watch without the obsession.

  I will forever have a soul tie to my OG Garmin Forerunner 110, but he is no longer with us. I bought that watch in 2011, and we made it through many, many runs together. What I loved most about the 110 was the fact that it didn’t have any bells and whistles. No calorie counts, no step counts, no heart rate counts, it was just a watch that turned into a GPS when you asked it to.

  I have avoided a new Garmin because of the bells and whistles. As someone who struggled with an exercise addiction and disordered eating it can be hard to separate from that extra data. If the day of movement wasn’t perfect it was bad news. So I stopped wearing anything, I stopped tracking movement, and I did the unthinkable – I intentionally gained weight and spent many days inactive. I truly believe this temporary hiatus helped me to have a more balanced approach to exercise.

  I now use a Forerunner 45, one of the more basic watches with just the right amount of bells and whistles. RIP to Gary my Forerunner 110 shown below.

  

  • I am enjoying new work skillz.

  I finally know how to change my own bike tire/tube. I’ll never forget the time I got a flat tire years ago. It was my rear tire aka the “entering Mordor tire” with regard to taking it on and off. I was successful in getting the tire off, took it into REI to fix, and everything was going great. Until I couldn’t get the tire back on.

  I accepted my failures and asked one of my neighbors for his help, a neighbor I had never spoken to in my life. I knew he rode bikes so I figured it was worth it to ask. He was most helpful, and as a thank you I baked him (and his family) cookies and gave them a pound of coffee (back when free coffee was up to my neck.) I left it on their porch and never heard anything.

  I hope his wife didn’t think I was hitting on him. Awkward.

  

  • I am enjoying spending money.

  Hear me out on this one…I am one of the most frugal people you will ever virtually meet. I hoard my money like I am preparing for some kind of apocalypse, and it’s honestly a bit ridiculous at times. I rarely if ever buy myself something, and it takes me a long time to justify a purchase unless I “need” it. Although “need” is such a relative term.

  I refuse to fall prey to consumerism, but I have been spending more money on myself lately. Buying nicer hiking gear, buying an extra pair of shoes, the aforementioned Garmin, etc.

  I will never forget something a small southern man I used to work with in Germany told me. We were talking about my frugality one day, and I was telling him about all the ways I tried to cut costs while traveling (like using a hostel pillowcase for a towel, perks of short hair), and he looked at me and said: “you cannot take your money to the grave.”

  Ever since then I’ve been more mindful about letting myself live a little. I can’t take it to the grave.

  

  • I am enjoying my obsession with “Happy Healthy Hippie – Go With The Flow Hormone Balance.“

  If you have been around these parts for a while, you will know I have a bit of a “crunchy granola” approach to most things in my life. I avoid pharmaceuticals, I rarely wash my hair, I spent an entire summer without wearing deodorant, I try to eat mostly whole foods, and shaving my legs is an afterthought to…everything.

  When my menstrual cycle returned after being gone for five years, I knew something was still off. My hormones were ALL OVER the place. Being the professional obsessor that I am, I spent far too much time on the Google trying to find out what was going on, until one day I decided I had to do something because my PMS symptoms were taking over my life. I know that sounds dramatic, but I am completely serious.

  No this post is not sponsored, however it SHOULD be. This blend is literally just a mix of herbs so I knew I had nothing to loose. And let me tell you…I have lost nothing and GAINED some of my sanity back.

  

  • I am enjoying winter hiking.

  I never imagined I would be someone who enjoyed hiking in the winter months. As someone who struggles with Raynaud’s I tend to avoid being outside in cold temps for long periods of time. Not only have I enjoyed winter hiking, my extremities have not fallen off like I anticipated they would.

  

  

  My hiking pals and I took a trip to the Hoh Rainforest last week, a place I hadn’t visited since I was 17. The last time I took a trip to the Hoh was for a team building weekend with my dad and a group of others who were all planning a trip to Mexico for a mission trip. All I remember from 17 year old Brittany’s experience was hating the five mile hike to our camp site, hundreds of thousands of black slugs, and being stuck with people I didn’t mesh with.

  Ultimately the mission trip was amazing, and it was all worth while.

  

  Now that I am an adult, and I enjoy hiking, five miles in (and five miles out) is no big thing. We hiked (or rather walked, this area is very flat) to “Five Mile Island” where we enjoyed some snacks and views before heading back. Lush green trees, mossy rocks, waterfalls, ferns large enough to engulf an elk, and rivers rushing loud enough to lull any white noise lover to sleep.

  Worth the three hour drive, five hour walk, and three hour drive back.

  

  Life without social media feels good. I am reading more, I am listening to amazing music, I am daydreaming about people and places and adventures to come. When Lent comes to an end I plan to be more intentional with my time spent online. Life feels good right now, and I am enjoying this whole “one day at a time thing.”

  After all, today is all we have.

  Q: Have you ever taken a significant break from social media?

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Biking, Garmin, Hiking, Hormones, Lent, Life, PNW

• Leiphmier Moos

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on September 3, 2020

  When I first arrived in Germany I set a goal of traveling to one new country every month. I planned to live in Europe for 15 months, which meant 15 new countries total. My original plan was to leave Europe in April of this year, and I successfully visited 15 new countries by the time April rolled around.

  Then Covid hit, the world shut down, and I was forced to stop moving.

  The Corona quarantine months were some of the best months of my life. I had already been feeling burned out by all the travel, but I am living in a culture where this is what we do. We work, we travel, and we repeat. Not much time to rest. Heaven forbid I actually stay in Germany instead.

  

  It has been nearly six months since I have been on a plane, or taken a train or a bus to a different country (I have biked to Austria a few times, and one time took a train, but Austria is literally a pebbles throw away.) Instead I have been throwing myself feet first into Germany – by bike.

  I never considered myself a biker, but now I can’t imagine my life without this sport. When I was a runner (many moons ago) I never felt the way I feel when I bike. Exercise is meant to be therapeutic, to celebrate what your body can do, and I feel this whole heartedly when I bike. My bike has been my saving grace, and I have grown quite attached to it.

  

  I regret to say it took me FAR too long to figure out how/get the courage to take my bike on the train. The whole process reminds me of when I first bought my Cannondale (which I cannot wait to ride again next month) and rode it onto the ferry sitting among the other bike commuters of Seattle.

  The ticket process is simple enough, there is an all day bike ticket for Bavaria and with this I am able to bring my bike onto the train any time, all day long – for only 6 euros. Knowing where to take the bike is another story. Sometimes cabins are full, and I have to pretend I know what the train workers are telling me when they are trying to guide me through narrow rows to another cabin.

  

  With my newfound knowledge of transporting my bike, I decided to visit my dear friend MaryBeth in her new city of Ulm for a Sunday of biking. I have biked all over Bavaria (and still have so many untouched bike paths), so I wanted to explore another state. Ulm is in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and the landscape is like night and day to the state of Bavaria.

  Not only is Ulm a larger city than where I live, there are few mountains around and the bike paths take a bit longer to get to. MaryBeth and I decided to bike to a wetland park that is about 15 miles from where she lives in Ulm. This made for a beautiful and different than what I was used to 30+ mile bike ride.

  What I loved most about this midwest looking terrain was all the corn fields and sunflowers. There were no big hills, just open fields of farmland. 

  

  

  Our chosen destination was called Leiphmier Moos, and I wanted to go here because MaryBeth told me this wetland preserve is home to some Highland Cows. Perhaps it’s what they signify, or where they come from, but my love for the Heilan Coo is strong.

  Moos is the German word for moss, and I have found the areas that end in “Moos” are typically wetland areas. Moss aside, this preserve not only had Highland cows, but it also had bull frogs, ostriches, and water buffalo. I was only lucky to see the first three.

  

  

  After my temporary pretended teleport to Scotland, we headed back towards the city. We made a pit stop along the way at an abandoned lake where we had a snack and escaped the sun for a moment. My adventures with MaryBeth are always a good time, no matter what we do I always enjoy spending time with her.

  

  The last six months have been incredibly eye opening for me. I don’t want to say I regret how I spent my first year living in Germany, the travel was wonderful, but I do wish I had prioritized this beautiful country more. I’m thankful I was forced to slow down and thankful I was able to bike my heart out in southern Germany.

  I see myself living in Germany again someday, which is wild to say because my heart has always been set on Ireland or Scotland. I have a soul tie to the UK, but I now have a soul tie to Germany after my time here. All this to say, you never know where you will end up. All I know is that I am open to just about anything these days!

  Q: Is there somewhere in the world you have an unexplainable draw towards? 

  

  | 35 Comments Tagged Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Frosty

• Murnau Meilen

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on June 22, 2020

  Has anyone noticed the alliterations I have attempted for some of my titles the last few months? Todays post is a German alliteration meaning “Murnau miles.” Murnau is a town in Bavaria I have blogged about before, and although I biked to Staffelsee about two months ago (which is the lake right next to Murnau) I hadn’t yet biked directly to Murnau.

  A friend of mine reached out to me a bit ago asking me if I’d consider biking to Murnau, because she was in need of a magnet for her boyfriend. Due to the Coronavirus restrictions with her job she was unable to leave town. I had no immediate plans to bike to Murnau, but after she asked me the seed was planted.

  

  I took about three weeks off from biking longer distances after my previous longer biking adventure (which was less than ideal.) I was feeling refreshed after this break and decided it was time to go for another bike ride further than my usual 20 or so miles round trip. While trying to decide where to go, my friends request popped into my head.

  I set my sights on Murnau, packed a bag full of water and snacks, and off I went. 

  The ride towards Murnau follows a path I had done before, but eventually comes to a fork. I had previously followed the fork to the right, but Murnau was to the left. Per usual, as I approached new territory my excitement grew and my energy surged. I had also just seen two naked men standing and chatting in the river enjoying a beer.

  New bike path, or naked men responsible for energy surge? One may never know. (Also, I only saw backsides…so this story is definitely PG-13.)

  

  Not the men, but same river.

  I wish I could say my desire to do a good deed and buy my friend (honestly she is more of an acquaintance) a magnet was the sole reason I wanted to bike to Murnau, but that would be a lie. It was a good initial reason, but the icing on the cake was when I decided I could also visit my favorite coffee roaster.

  I discovered the Murnauer Kaffeerösterei a handful of months ago when I bought a bag of beans from my local grocery.

  I’m a big fan of buying local coffee, but the first time I tried a blend from this company I didn’t like it. The coffee was too bright for me, and while the tasting notes were predominantly flavors I enjoy, there was a citrus note in the mix which I should have known I wouldn’t like. I gave the company another shot when I saw a Latin American blend – Nossa Senhora Brasilien.

  Tasting notes of nuts and chocolate – absolute perfection. 

  

  This coffee has been my favorite coffee in all of Europe thus far. It’s so good I have a hard time not drinking a cup every morning, even on the days when my body tells me she doesn’t want coffee. I knew the roaster was in Murnau, but I didn’t think about actually going to see it until I went for this ride.

  The path to Murnau is fairly flat, and passes by rivers, small towns, livestock, and open rolling hills. My favorite. 

  I arrived in Murnau after an hour and 45 minutes, walked around the city center, bought a magnet, and then headed down to Staffelsee to soak my feet. It was a warm afternoon and I momentarily thought about going for a swim in my birthday suit (inspired by my river friends), but there were too many people around. Although it’s legal to be nude in public here, my modesty always wins.

  After I sat by the lake for a while, I headed to the roastery. 

  

  I didn’t plan to drink any coffee, it was already 1500 and if I drink coffee after noon I have a hard time sleeping, but I still wanted to see where all the magic happens. The building was a small trailer like building, similar to what might be seen if two shipping containers were made into a coffee shop. It was cute, with just the right amount of outdoor seating.

  I went inside to browse the merchandise, and I was surprised by how many people I saw. I thought about buying a mug, and I sat staring at it for 15 minutes (I wish I were joking, pray you’re never with me when I’m considering purchasing something) before deciding against it. I was going to buy a bag of coffee, but they were all whole bean.

  I am sure they grind the coffee for you, however I felt oddly intimidated by the language barrier with all the people around. I’m usually fine – but this day I decided I didn’t want to ask. 

  

  I plan to return sometime for a morning cup at this adorable roastery, and maybe then I’ll buy some beans. If not, I always have my local grocer. The ride back to Garmisch was beautiful, but when I got about an hour away from home the weather changed for the worse. Torrential downpour, accompanied by thunder and lightening.

  I have never biked so fast on flat ground in my life. 

  I prayed out loud over and over as if I were meditating on a mantra, asking God to keep the lightening away from my bike. I made it out of the storm unscathed, and I was exhausted by the time I got home. I managed 40 miles round trip by the time I made it back, and although I was tired I enjoyed every moment of this ride.

  Except for the stretch of ill weather. 

  

  In typical Bavarian fashion, the weather flipped a switch at the drop of a hat. I wonder if the cows ever complain about this climate. I usually love it, as long as I’m not miles from home on a bike. This ride was my final long ride before returning to work full time (the hotel I work at opened last Monday), and it was the perfect way to bid adieu to a chill work schedule.

  I’m thankful my body felt so great on this bike ride. I never take for granted all that I am able to accomplish these days, and the difficult rides make the smoother rides that much more enjoyable. ❤

  Q: Have you ever gotten stuck in a storm with no option but to keep going? I thought about stopping in somewhere if the lightening got too bad.

  

  | 17 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Germany, Murnau

• Mind Over Matter to Mittenwald

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on June 8, 2020

  I created a mental check list of places I wanted to bike during my last few months living in Germany, and I have officially completed this list. Anything else is extra, and at this point I am feeling a bit ambivalent about biking long distances. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my long bike rides, they have been indescribably wonderful, but I found myself feeling a bit dogmatic with regard to biking.

  I had to go far, or the bike ride wasn’t “worthy.” How quickly I can fall back into addictive behaviors that damage both my physical and mental wellbeing. 

  

  I am thankful for my ability to recognize this behavior, but I usually have to slip off track momentarily to noice. I went for a bike ride a few weeks ago to a town called Mittenwald, when I noticed my motives for the bike ride were skewed. I didn’t want to bike to Mittenwald so I could see the town, I had seen it twice prior, I wanted to bike to Mittenwald to challenge myself physically.

  A physical challenge in and of itself is by no means a negative desire, however the day I chose to embark on this adventure was a day I wasn’t feeling my best. It was a day I should have listened better to my body telling me she was tired, and that she didn’t want to go for a long bike ride. It was a day I ate too much peanut butter with my breakfast – and suddenly my inner food critic began screaming at me to move my body.

  

  I sometimes wonder if the little disordered devil on my shoulder will ever fully retire, or if I will always have recurring thoughts of needing to “make up” for something I have eaten through exercise. I am lightyears away from where I used to be, but I still struggle sometimes. For most people, having a dedicated workout routine is sought after, it’s praised, but for me it can be more destructive for my body because I push too hard.

  Alas, the anxiety of stillness kicked in, and off I went.

  The ride to Mittenwald was beautiful. I rode on new bike paths I hadn’t seen before, and I felt the surge of energy I get when I find new landscapes. This was great for a while, but at one point the distance of this bike ride proved to be further than I expected. I began feeling fatigued, but I didn’t want to quit. I felt like biking far had become my “go to” while I was on leave from work. What else was I going to do with my day?

  Heaven forbid I actually just…rest. 

  

  The first time I visited Mittenwald was March 2019. I attended a Fasching celebration that was supposed to be family friendly, yet I found myself terrified by the children running around cracking whips in traditional Fasching masks.

  I did however enjoy the most elaborate tea experience including a tea light and a timer.

  The second time I visited Mittenwald was December 2019. I came for their Christkindlmarkt, where I drank a glass of Glühwein, ate goulash out of a bread bowl, and split eine bratwurst mit mein Freund. All in less than an hour. I didn’t feel so hot after.

  

  

  This bike ride was the third time I visited Mittenwald. It took me four hours round trip to bike 37 miles, with 2935ft of elevation gain (kill me.) What I got this day was attacked by the above pictured cat and a raging post bike ride headache. It’s safe to say Mittenwald and I have a love hate relationship, and third time was not the charm.

  I love the beauty of the town, but hate how my body feels every time I leave (my own doing. Except the creepy kids.) 

  I never regret a bike ride, they always show me new places and/or teach me something. I had to learn an uncomfortable lesson on the ride home. I chose to bike back a different route, which ended up taking me higher in elevation than the route I took into Mittenwald. I was annoyed, exhausted, and anxious.

  

  I knew I had pushed my body too hard and I was scared of the repercussions (I really hate feeling out of commission for days.) These thoughts made it difficult to enjoy the surrounding views as I was biking home. I took an amazing bike path, with endless rolling hills, but I was so preoccupied with my mind I had a hard time stopping to smell the roses.

  Not to mention my body kept telling me “I told you so” when I was struggling up the hills. 

  I had to dig deep into the mind over matter thought process to get myself back home. I told myself on this ride, that I was done biking just to bike. I need to ensure I feel well enough to endure the miles, and I need to ensure my mind is well enough to appreciate the discoveries. I don’t regret biking to Mittenwald, but I do wish I had waited until I was in a better physical and mental space before I did it.

  

  My headache lasted nearly 24 hours, which was to be expected (despite drinking extra water.) My fatigue was at a high the next few days, but I made sure to rest. I sometimes forget that I will never be able to live my life the way I used to when I was elevating my heart rate to its max capacity all the time.

  I took about three weeks off from riding longer distances after this ride. I know my happy place is somewhere between 15-35 miles at one time. I have also resumed working, which was a choice I made when I realized my two months of LWOP were starting to come as a cost.

  I know myself, and the desire to go, go, go with too much free time is inescapable. I either push myself too far, or I fall prey to negative thoughts.

  

  My time away from work was amazing, and I am thankful for all the adventures I was able to embark on in those two months. My plan for my final few months in Germany is to continue biking, but never to force it. I don’t want biking to become my enemy.

  This post is not to say I won’t push myself again before I leave, my human nature makes me akratic at times, it’s just a reminder to myself and anyone who needs to hear it that we remember to listen to our bodies more. I think one long bike ride per week is much more sustainable than every day/every other day. 🙂

  Q: Do you ever push your body when you know you should rest? I suppose for “normal” people this wouldn’t be a big deal…but I often ignore that my body is not “normal.”

  

  | 26 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Mittenwald

• 88 Kilometers to Kochel (am See)

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on June 1, 2020

  Last April I took a train to a lake in Bavaria I wanted to visit after seeing a photo of it online. Upon my arrival in Germany, I wanted a baseline knowledge of places near where I live that I could visit on a day off. I looked up “must see” places, and Kochel am See was on the list.

  Kochel is the name of the town, and “am See” is essentially saying “at the lake.”

  

  When I visited this lake for the first time last year, I hadn’t yet purchased my bike. It took me a couple more weeks to pull the trigger on my trust steed, an investment I originally struggled to make. As I have said time and time again – I cannot imagine my life in Germany without my bike.

  A short while after I bought Frosty (my bike) I had thoughts of what it would be like to bike to Kochel. It wasn’t close by any means, but it wasn’t so far that it was unattainable. I tucked the thought into the back of my mind for a looonnngg winter of cold and dreary weather.

  As soon as the brightness of spring started to come back, so too did my suppressed “stay down in the basement” thoughts of biking to Kochel. 

  

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to return to visit the lake, it was that the mileage (or kilometers if you’re not a behind the times American like me) intimidated me. The self doubt was running rampant in my mind spouting grawlix like phrases of negativity.

  I avoided the bike ride to Kochel, favoring closer/more comfortable distances instead. These shorter, but equally laudable rides were necessary for me to send my self sabotaging mindset to the gutter where it belonged. It was time to destroy the narrative I had created in my mind.

  

  I had two options with regard to biking to Kochel: I could go as far as comfortable and turn around (or worst case if for some reason my bike exploded or my leg got mauled by a rogue centaur, I could take a train home), or I could stay in my comfort zone telling myself “you can’t do it.”

  I decided to play my cards with the possibility of seeing a centaur. 

  

  I chose a day I knew would have sun, but when I started it was cold. Brutally cold. I wanted to turn around many times, until I made it to an area of the bike path I’d not been before. Something about new territory always sparks a flame in my brain similar to the adrenaline one might feel when lifting a car off of a horse.

  And by someone, I mean Superman. And by a horse, I mean anyone in distress. You get the idea. 

  As if planned, the moment I found a new to me bike path the sun came out. You can’t make this stuff up folks! My doubts were washed away, and I continued to tell myself “you can always turn around.” I know my personality, and I am stubborn as hell so turning around is usually not an option – but just telling myself it was (and believing it), was all I needed.

  

  The path to Kochel was beautiful, as all of the paths in Bavaria are, and I felt rejuvenated in my solitude riding through new to me locations. I made it to the lake and was feeling great (to the lake was about 25 miles, a distance I cover almost daily – so it was nothing new…yet.)

  I sat and enjoyed the view, savored a snack, and enjoyed the warm sun on my skin.

  Before biking back to Garmisch, I explored some of the surrounding areas as well. I was already there, and knew I likely wouldn’t be back so I wanted to see some other new to me places. I stopped by the town next door called Schlehdorf, to get a closer look at Cohaus Kloster Schlehdorf, aka the town monastery.

  

  I also rode a few extra miles to see another smaller, and much less impressive lake called Eichsee. 

  

  After Eichsee it was time to head home, so I settled into the two hour ride ahead. Overall I felt strong, and I felt good. It wasn’t until around mile 45 I started to slow down. I was about ten miles from home, so I took a break by the river and ate the rest of my snacks.

  I knew the remaining ten miles would be trance like, I had ridden them many times.  I zoned out in an attempt to make them less uncomfortable. 

  

  I made it home, and my total milage for the day was 54 miles, or 88 kilometers. I was elated. It wasn’t the distance, or the lake, or the day full of adventure that brought such a warmth to my heart, it was the proof that I AM MY OWN WORST CRITIC. I put this ride off for months because the distance intimidated me, I told myself it was too much for my body, when really I have all the tools to make this activity possible.

  The tools for me are different than the tools are for you, or for Sally, or Shaun. Life with an autoimmune disease is unpredictable and it takes attention to detail to make these goals a reality. Proper nutrition, proper hydration, proper rest, and a proper pace. These are boundaries we all have, they just vary person to person.

  

  Some days I wake up and I know right away a 55 mile bike ride (I rounded up) is not an option – and that’s ok, but what’s not ok is never trying because I assume my body can’t do something. What’s not ok is forgetting all the good days I have because I’m dwelling on the not so good (physically) days.

  The strength of your mind determined the quality of your life, and my life felt pretty high class after crushing this goal. The lake was not the goal for this day, the goal was to push myself further away from my black and white thinking, and to remind myself I don’t have to go fast – I just have to go. I’ll never know what I can do unless I try.

  It just so happened that this day was also my one year anniversary with Frosty. I think we celebrated well, don’t you? 🙂

  Q: Can you think of a time you surprised yourself with your capabilities?

  

  | 20 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Frosty, Kochel, Life

• A Tale of Two Trails

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 25, 2020

  Is anyone sick of my biking stories lately? Thanks to all the free time I have had the past two months, biking has become a daily activity for me. I am in for a rude awakening when I leave Germany and no longer have access to the biking paths here. I am trying my damnedest not to think about the future lack of trails, and enjoy the current moments.

  Last month I went for two notable bike rides, both of which pushed my limits a bit. I tend to get stuck in habitual patterns of what is comfortable, but I wanted to challenge myself so I chose two routes I had done last fall (when I was in better shape) to ride again. One of the routes I never actually biked the entire way, I instead found a hiking trail and walked my bike up the giant hill (twice.)

  I was too intimidated by the giant hill.

  

  We’ll start with the story of the easier ride. I typically bike the same path everyday to my favorite area, but I knew I wanted to go somewhere different. I wanted a slight challenge of a hill to bring out my inner “Little Engine that Could.” I decided to bike to Geroldsee, a beautiful lake with amazing mountain views.

  

  

  

  Looking at those photos I wonder how this place is even real. I parked my bike at the hut in the last photo, and climbed partway up a hill to get a better view of the mountains behind the lake. The hill to Geroldsee is a decent elevation grade, but it’s never as bad as I anticipate it will be. I don’t rush, I take it low and slow, and this keeps me at a comfortable heart rate.

  Something has clicked in my mindset the past couple months, and I have more confidence in who I am and what my abilities are. I no longer feel anxious going at my own pace.

  

  

  I sat at the lake for quite some time, a little more than 30 minutes, and I let myself get lost in the views. A few people passed me as I sat on a nearby bench, and we exchanged greetings as they continued on the path. I prefer biking alone, but when I see other people out and about it gives me the comfort of being with others.

  A woman on a horse also rode by – a surprising, but not unexpected view. 

  

  

  My ride home took me soaring down the hill I climbed, but not before passing by some furry friends. I felt strong, as I often do after I complete something I thought would be hard. I am learning to let go of the perfectionism, which I really tested on my next bike ride – the one with the big hill.

  

  My second notable ride was to a monastery I’ve visited twice. As I mentioned before, each time I had biked here in the past I avoided the long, winding, mountain road and found a back route meant more for hiking instead. The hiking trail is shorter, as it’s more of a direct route, but that also means it’s significantly steeper.

  It’s near impossible to bike up the hiking route (for me) so I would always walk my bike up this section. It takes me around 50 minutes depending on my energy, but something in me this day told me to try and bike up the mountain road. I put my perfectionism away (my mind would say something like: “this is a big hill and if you can’t complete all of it you’ll have wasted your effort”), and I told myself if I only make it partway, it is still an accomplishment.

  

  Not only did I make it the entire way, but the time it took to bike up was comparable with the time it took when I walked my bike up the hiking path (and seemed easier.) The road is long, and there were moments I thought I was close when I wasn’t, but it was far easier than I expected. The cars zooming past me were scarier than the hill itself.

  Another low and slow climb. Three men passed me, and one woman, but I didn’t care.

  I didn’t feel less than because they were faster than me, I felt strong because I was one of them – a biker biking up a big ass hill and not stopping. The pace doesn’t matter, the effort is what matters. The ride up raised my body temperature, and the cool interior of the monastery was a welcomed reprieve. I sat alone in stillness admiring the ornate interior, thanking God for allowing my body to do what it did.

  

  

  I know I say it often, but it’s my life and something that is always buzzing in the background, but when I get into a balanced groove with my health I appreciate things more than I ever did before. Without the darkness, we can never truly appreciate the light. I truly believe this break from a stressful job has worked wonders for me.

  I spent some time foraging for dandelion greens in the surrounding mountains, and couldn’t slap the smile off my face. 

  

  The ride down was likely scarier than the ride up because I don’t like going down hills fast. My max speed was 43MPH, and speeding makes me feel as if I’ve lost control. I don’t ride my breaks, but I certainly pump them often. Going down is similar to going up, I go at my own pace.

  It might sound silly, but these physical accomplishments have been monumental for me. I attribute my body feeling well to being in a balance due to having limited stress in my life at the moment. I have my days, but sleeping, eating well, and moving my body intuitively is giving me confidence in other areas of my life, not just with my physical activities. I just need to keep the momentum going when inevitable stress comes back into my life.

  These two bike rides inspired me to complete my longest ride to date, which I continued to put off because I doubted myself. More on that in my next post! 🙂

  Q: Do you overanalyze like I do, or do you have an easy time going with the flow?

  

  | 38 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad

• Currently

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 11, 2020

  Life the past month has been interesting to say the least. The hotel I work at closed to the public at the end of March, and I have been on leave without pay (LWOP-by choice/they asked if I would be willing to do this) since 28 March. I could have flown back to the states in the middle of April, but that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.

  I wanted to wait out the Coronavirus storm, although at this point I don’t think the storm will be passing anytime soon.

  Financially I am stable, which allowed me to accept LWOP without consequence, and aside from the initial lack of routine (I’ve since created a routine I enjoy) – being able to live in Germany (for free) without any responsibilities at the moment is amazing. The hotel continues to push the open date, and as of right now we are scheduled to open the beginning of June.

  

  Hike views.

  

  Bike views.

  Select shops in Bavaria have reopened, and life in the mountains has remained the same. Part of why I chose to stay in Germany on LWOP opposed to flying back to the states was because of the freedom I still have here. I am able to go outside and be active however I please (within social distance guidelines), and I wouldn’t have been able to do that back in Washington.

  I’ve been spending my free time doing a myriad of things, like walking, biking, hiking, reading, journaling/writing, watching movies, and reflecting. I can’t remember a time when I was forced to slow down like this, and at first it was a literal shock to my system. I went from 60 to 0 in a matter of days – from a life of non stop travel and work, to a life of stillness.

  

  Bike views.

  

  Hike views.

  In the beginning I had days where I feel like I was useless to society, but then I remind myself we are in the midst of a pandemic. Although I am not working I technically still have a job, but even if I didn’t have a job, that would be ok too. I worked hard for my money, and I shouldn’t feel guilty about temporarily living off my savings.

  Besides, if I were working right now, I would be doing deep cleaning tasks and I just don’t want to do that.

  I trust God, and I trust I will be ok regardless of what’s to come the next few months. I have extended my time here until September, but anything can happen between now and then. I am challenging myself to be alone with my thoughts more which has been amazingly therapeutic and helpful in my growth.

  

  Bike views.

  

  Hike views.

  I am consistently meeting with the local chaplain for counseling, and I am loving the progress I have made. Digging deep and working through suppressed trauma has been both essential and helpful. I have a long way to go, but this has been a nice jump start. I am trying to shift my perfectionist mindset from “you’re being lazy by not working” to “you are using this time to grow as a person.”

  Of all places to be stuck during a global pandemic, I consider myself immensely blessed to be “stuck” in Bavaria. 

  

  Bike views.

  I’m challenging myself to learn new things with my free time, and I recently overcame a fear I had with regard to my bike. My bike is officially one year old, and she was in need of some love, so I gave her a bath. In my bathtub/shower. It wasn’t perfect, but I worked with what I had. My chain needed love and lube, and she’s as good as new now. 

  In the past I had always taken my bike to the shop for a tune up, mostly because I was intimidated by the thought of doing anything myself. The bike shops here were closed at the time, so I decided to do it myself. The chain no longer squeaks of thirst, and riding her feels like it did when I first bought her. Little things like this remind me I am capable of more than I think.

  

  Instead of looking at this down time as a negative, I have shifted my perspective to view this as a positive. I will never again live in Germany like this for free with the opportunity to fully submerge myself in nature. I’m not feeling the guilt of wasting my time off, because my time off is endless right now and travel is not an option.

  I’m essentially playing tourist in my own city, visiting new and old places. I am thankful for this time to reflect, and to reinvent a part of who I am. 

  

  Hike views.

  

  Journaling views.

  I’ve been more in tune with my body the last month as well, listening to what she needs. I’m not perfect, and I still make choices that don’t make me feel my best, but I am having an easier time bouncing back. It helps being able to sleep in until 0700/0800 instead of 0530. Time away from the stressful hustle and bustle that is customer service always reminds me just how damaging it can be to my health.

  All of this to say I am doing ok. It took a bit of time for me to let go of my anxiety surrounding the uncertainty of life right now, but at the end of the day little to none of this is within my control. I take each day as it comes, and compassionately bring myself back to earth when I get overwhelmed by the thought of what’s next.

  So for now, I will continue with my small routines which include daily exploration of this place I currently call home. 

  

  Hike views.

  Q: How are you currently? 

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Biking, Europe, Garmisch, Germany, Hiking

• Staffelsee Spin

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 7, 2020

  Some days my body is so fatigued the only thing that will get me going is a cup of coffee and an entire chocolate bar. I feel so worn out from just existing that my body feels like it has aged decades overnight (not to say there aren’t some extremely spry elderly women!)  And some days my body feels good, light, and full of energy.

  Two days after my bike ride to Linderhof I had a surge of energy and ran with it, errr biked with it.

  

  I woke up the morning of this ride and pulled open my map. I looked for something close enough to bike to, but far enough that I hadn’t been yet. I found a wetland area I never realized existed called Murnauer Moos and chose this as my destination.

  I packed my bag, and set off for an adventure.

  

  The first part of this ride is one I have done many times, and it has become almost meditative for me. Biking as a whole is often something I do when I need to shut my brain off, or when I need to process something. I can easily get on my bike and zone out for hours.

  This is sort of what happened on this day.

  The only things that brought me back to reality were my stomach pangs, and my need for direction after I left the area I was familiar with. My fuel of choice lately when biking or hiking longer distances has been potatoes, chicken breasts, apples, and hardboiled eggs. I’m amazed at the difference in energy I have when I keep it simple.

  

  As I found my way onto the above photographed road I was in awe of my surroundings. I’ve lived in Bavaria for 16 months, yet I continue to find new nooks and crannies that make me feel like I just moved here. I could have ridden a never-ending stretch of this road for hours.

  The Murnauer Moos ended up being a bit further than I expected, but I had all day and didn’t sweat it (didn’t figuratively sweat it, I was most definitely literally sweating it.) I eventually found the wetland trails, and the path was flat and windy with endless mountain views. I was a bit surprised how many other humans I saw out and about on the wetland trails, but it was nice.

  

  After about 30 minutes on this path, I came to a sign pointing in multiple different directions. On the sign was a distance and estimated time of arrival for the town of Murnau, as well as a nearby lake called Staffelsee. Before deciding on the Murnauer Moos, I thought about biking to Murnau/Staffelsee, but worried it would be too far.

  Sometimes I worry about going too far from home and exhausting myself. I often have more energy than I give myself credit for, but I also fear overexerting myself because this often leads to an immune flare up. I tend to get so wrapped up in my ride, and I can easily get hours away from home, which means I’ll have to have energy to get back.

  

  I used to hike on empty all the time because I didn’t think I needed to eat food to refuel (what a concept.) I’ve since learned to fuel as I go, but I still worry at times I will crash and then be stuck too far from home. I realize I’m dramatic, but these are the things I think about. These are the things I HAVE to think about.

  I get a little less anxious when the world is functioning normally, but with Covid I worry about trains running normally, and the language barrier always makes things a bit awkward. Alas, living my life in fear will get me no where, and when I saw that I was only about 40 minutes from the lake I decided to keep going.

  

  Just around the corner from this church was a trail that ended up being a 3 mile round trip walk to the lake. I was feeling stubborn and my mind needed an official end destination for the day, so the lake ended up being the destination. Despite my aforementioned anxiety about getting too far, I also like to push the limits of my ability because it makes me feel in control of my autoimmune disease.

  Not the smartest, but I’m human what can I say.

  

  I made it to the lake, and I have to admit the area I walked to was a bit anticlimactic. I could have done without this extra trek, but I was proud of the distance I covered. I was anxious when it came time to turn around, but I ended up surprising myself with the energy I still had. This tends to be the case, I self doubt far too often.

  I rode 45 miles round trip, which is the longest bike ride I’ve done thus far. It’s no Seattle to Portland (which I would love to do sometime), but it’s a start. 

  

  1hr 57min is a joke. It took me three hours to get to the bench.

  If this ride taught me anything, aside from how beautiful Bavaria is, it’s that I am my own worst critic. I am capable of more than I give myself credit for, and while I do try to honor my body and its needs, sometimes pushing the limits is necessary for mental peace. This adventure came with a cost, and I was one with my bed the following day, but in the end it was worth it.

  This is what life with an autoimmune disease is like, we must carefully choose activities,  foods, and stressors. If we make a choice we know will result in discomfort we have to accept this and weigh whether the action is worth the pain. I’m still learning to navigate the balance of choosing activities I know will cause me to be out of commission for a bit, but at the end of the day I would rather have one epic day with two down days, than no epic days at all.

  Q: Would you rather go a distance you know you can complete round trip, or push your limits and go further than you think you’re capable of? I often find I am always capable…even if it hurts. 

  

  | 32 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Germany

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