Tag: Running

• Seeing Double

  Posted at 6:09 AM by Brittany, on October 11, 2013

  I don’t shop for “regular” clothes often. I get easily frazzled, and I rarely find things that I like. Running clothes are a different story, I could max out my savings on running gear. When I do find something “regular” I like, I will buy multiple of that one item if possible.

  

  Same shirt, one pink and one black.

  

  Same dress, flip flopped colors.

  

  Same jacket, one pink and one black. I also had one in yellow that I gave away.

  

  Same flannel..one red and one blue.

  Do you see the pattern? Well, the other day I mentioned I bought a new dress. I immediately fell in love, but then I saw the same dress in a different pattern. I tried to figure out which one I loved more, and ended up going with my second choice. When I got home I showed my mom and told her my dilemma, and she said the most magical words, “Go get the other one, why not have both!?” GENIUS! So I did..dilemma solved.

  

  My mom told me I look like a Mennonite with my hair like this. Isn’t she sweet? I actually wear my hair like this a lot, it’s just easy. The very next day a visibly drunk guy came into my work and told me he liked my hair. Thanks man..thanks.

  

  I LOVE the black one the most, but the colorful one is fun too. I am so obsessed with these! I would like to note that tights are probably one of the worst articles of clothing to put on. I would compare myself to two cats in a brawl while trying to maneuver into these tights, but they sure sucked me in! As you can see I have been spending a good amount of time in my windowless dungeon working on my pasty white glow.

  

  If anyone is curious, yes I took the cover from your grandmas couch to make these dresses. I am clearly channeling my inner old soul. So there you have it, if you find something you like..buy DOUBLE. HAH! Also, please don’t judge my photo quality. I felt lazy taking these photos, and my iPhone is starting to struggle. Happy Friday! 

  Q: What phone do you have, and does it take good photos?

  

  | 59 Comments Tagged New Digs, Random, Running, Shopping

• Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Run

  Posted at 3:57 AM by Brittany, on October 9, 2013

  How’s that for a title? This just about sums up the run I had on Saturday. It was my scheduled long run for the week, and I had high hopes going into this run because I took it easy on my runs all week leading up to Saturday. Things were fine the first mile or two, and then it just went downhill from there. Actually it went uphill..lots of uphill.

  

  Always..

  I was supposed to run 11 miles. Ok cool. Nothing I couldn’t handle after annihilating my 10miler a couple weeks prior. Well, my body had a different plan for the day. My run went a little something like this..

  • Mile 1- Felt pretty good, Katy Perry’s song Roar made me feel like a boss.
  • Mile 2-Feeling good still.
  • Mile 2.5- HOLY CRAMP WHERE DID YOU COME FROM..OWWW
  • Mile 3.48- Shit I am DEAD..how am I going to complete 11 miles today.
  • Mile 3.5-STOPPED TO BREATHE
  • Mile 5-STOPPED TO BREATHE
  • Mile 6.5- STOPPED TO BREATHE
  • Mile 7- STOPPED…FOR GOOD.

  Around mile 3 I was already dead. Struggling, needing to stop, guzzling my water, and chewing my Shot Bloks like I hadn’t eaten in 5 days. I was suddenly very fatigued.

  

  ALL THE CAKE!

  I had to stop at least 3 times to breath and then I noticed a blister forming on the arch of my left foot. Awesome. After feeling like I couldn’t go on anymore, I called it at 7 miles. Ugh. Mentally this sucked. Come to find out it’s almost “that time” which not only explained the fatigue, but also explained why I wanted to cry for stopping.

  

  Every time…

  I was able to end my run on my favorite road and admire the farm land while I waited for my mom to come and pick me up. Mom to the rescue once again (number 6.)

  

  I came home, got cleaned up, went for a walk, and ended my day with a drive through the mountains. I was bummed for not completing the scheduled 11 miles, but I let it go and accepted the 7 that I did accomplish..even if it was a struggle. Time to up my food intake!

  

  

  View from my drive. I love where I live!

  The very next day I checked my training schedule to find that I am a week behind..OMG WHAT!? That meant I needed to attempt this run again..so I did. I ate an entire loaf of bread and a giant potato the night before, and I ran/walk/hobbled 10.8 miles in just under 2 hours. Slowest run I’ve had in months..but I did it. My entire being is just “off” right now mentally/physically/and emotionally, but this too shall pass! Bring it on half marathon #3!

  Q: What do you do when something doesn’t go according to plan?

  

  | 58 Comments Tagged Carbohydrate, Half Marathon, Running

• The Opening Shift

  Posted at 9:12 AM by Brittany, on October 3, 2013

  Once upon a time I worked at 4 am, every single day. I loved it. I miss it, and even talk about it at times to an annoying extent. “Ohh man I love getting up early, I used to work at 4 am every day so this is nothing.” This is usually when I get the, “I don’t give two hoots” glare. OK so at the time I would complain, but looking back my days were ideal.

  I finally got the opportunity to open at Starbucks and I loved it. I won’t get these shifts everyday, but once a week is a start! My internal clock decided to be a biatch and actually woke me up before my alarm. Instead of trying to sleep for 10 more minutes, I got up. I grabbed my head phones and spent some time with my coffee and NPR. I’m old.

  

  Please notice the time…I was already up for an hour.

  This article was SO interesting. Obviously the title is what caught my eye, but I was engrossed the entire time. AHH I miss working early mornings! I miss my old job…A LOT. I had a 5 miler scheduled after work and it was SO UNBELIEVABLY ROUGH! I was so tired, my body hurt, and I was hungry. I did find 10 cents though! CHA-CHING!

  

  I love getting paid to run.

  Not all runs are easy, and this has been a tough week in the running department. Hopefully next week I’ll be back to mentally running with wolverines. I’m also craving sugar like a pregnant woman craves pickles and peanut butter…together. I’ve cut down my sugar intake, and when I order a latte at work I make sure to only get an 8oz. ALL THE FOAM!

  

  Fun fact: I like to dip my food (bready goods-think PB&J or muffin/breakfast rolls) in my latte foam. SOOO legit. This ensures that no foam gets left behind. Mmmm foammmm.

  Lastly I’d like to publicly say hello to October. This is hands down my favorite month of the year and so far it has been going swimmingly. The rain has been lovely, the crisp air has been magical, and I’m ready to get crafty with some pumpkins!

  

  Q: Are you a morning bird, or a night owl? I slept in until 7:30 this morning after yesterdays long day. It was amazing. 

  

  | 59 Comments Tagged Garmin, Latte, Morning, Running, Starbucks, Trader Joes

• Fun Times

  Posted at 8:31 AM by Brittany, on September 30, 2013

  On Saturday when I got to work we had no power. When all the cleaning was done, and there was nothing else that we could possibly do (the store was not open, we just had to wait it out) my fabulous coworkers and I had a powwow..in the dark…with coffee.

  

  Can you guess which hand is mine!?

  The store was closed for four hours…I was there for two of those hours. Ever tried going to the bathroom in a pitch black room? iPhone flashlight to the rescue. It was a fun time.

  After this crazy day, I went for a run. It was pouring, and the wind was so strong it blew down trees with trunks the size of semi trucks. Slight exaggeration maybe, but still. I ran 5 miles and was 5 pounds heavier when I got home thanks to all the rain. It was a fun time.

  

  TRUTH!

  I’ve been shopping so much lately, and by so much I mean 1/3 the amount of a normal shopper. For me this is huge. Yesterday I bought a new dress and I am so jazzed. I’ve always been the “roll outta bed and go” kinda girl, but putting a bit more effort into my outfits has given me a huge confidence boost. It’s been a fun time.

  

  It’s fall and the weather has been dark and grey, I love it. I have consumed more coffee and tea in the last week than I have all month. I’ve been spending a lot of time outside even when it’s nasty, I love where I live. Last night I walked in the rain. It was a fun time.

  

  I’ve been spending a lot of time with people lately. I tend to gravitate towards being alone, and have forced myself out of this bubble. Life is so much sweeter with good company.

  Q: What’s been fun in your world lately?

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Coffee, Fall, Random, Running, Starbucks

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:38 AM by Brittany, on September 27, 2013

  1. BOOM fall has hit, and the temperatures are dropping. This means GLOVES on my runs! My mom is such a fabulous photographer, she has a sharp eye for blurry photos. I’m also clearly dressed to impress, this will be the outfit I meet my soul mate in. HA!

  

  2. I downloaded Spotify and I haven’t turned it off since. OH MY GOSH. So much love.

  3. Starbucks released its new coffee. I am obsessed. It is SO good. It’s creamy and smooth, with a nice tangy bite. I just love cofffffeeeeee.

  

  4. I am afraid of Netflix. My friend added me to her family account, and I was so overwhelmed by all the shows I ended up just watching 2 hours of Portlandia.

  5. I LOVE MY BLOG FRIENDS! Holy cow. I am falling in love with fall all over again thanks to my beloved Lily. After telling her I had some tricky emotions attached to the season, she sure knew how to make sure I got just as excited this year as I have in the past

  

  GOSH my friends are SWELL!

  6. I am officially no longer the “newbie” at work. Whoop whoop! Although I only really felt new for the first month, I caught on pretty quick and ended up fitting right in.

  7. I never buy myself things..like…ever. I hate spending money (unless it’s on food or running gear) and I decided I deserved some new things. I bought a new jacket, a new shirt, new earrings, and A NEW BAG THAT I AM SO OBSESSED WITH!

  

  This appears as if the bag on the left is a tiny version of the bag on the right, but this is in fact the same bag and two pictures pasted together haha. Also, this is FAUX LEATHER! YAHOO!

  8. I thought about shutting down my blog a couple months ago. I’m glad I didn’t.

  9. I have to soak my feet in the bathtub when it gets cold because I easily loose blood flow. Sometimes I have company when I do this.

  

  I can’t stop laughing at the picture on the right.

  10. There is a customer that comes into my work a lot, and he is beautiful. Thank you God for creating such a masterpiece for me to drool at while I pull espresso shots.

  Q: CONFESS TO ME! 

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Coffee, Confessions, Fall, Running

• Dear Insanity

  Posted at 9:23 AM by Brittany, on September 25, 2013

  Dear Insanity,

  We need to go on a break. It’s not that I don’t love you, really I do. Nothing makes me sweat like you, or grunt like you, or want to cry like you, but I just can’t give you all of my attention right now. Yes..there is something else in my life that is more important. With a half marathon just around the corner, the two a day workouts are starting to take a toll on my legs and I can’t keep waking up sore and dreading our time together.

  We had a great first month with each other and I promise I will come back to spend the second month with you, but right now running gets all my attention. It’s not fair to either of you for me to give 90% of me when you both deserve 100%. I do want to thank you for helping my endurance though, without you my longer runs would be tough(er).

  I will continue to spend time with you on my cross training days, on days when I have shorter runs and feel like King Kong, and even on some of my “rest” days, but we will not be together on a daily basis. I am not as hardcore as I thought I was in the beginning of this, “train for a half marathon and do Insanity at the same time” adventure, and I have accepted that it’s time to tone it down. Mentally I want you, but physically I need a break.

  Until I see you again, stay insane.

  Brittany

  Q: Have you ever tried to bite off more than you could chew with workouts?

  I found my self “half-assing” my Insanity workouts and decided that it was time to neck it back. I was also feeling fatigued in my quads (from all those damn squats!) on my runs which was not going to work for me. I need my legs strong and refreshed for longer runs. The sporadic Insanity workouts have been working much better than the strict every day routine. Like I said, I will come back to the every day craziness once my race is over! 

  

  | 41 Comments Tagged Half Marathon, Insanity, Running

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 8:40 AM by Brittany, on September 16, 2013

  1. I love pumpkin things, this is not new. What is new is a type of chip that you need to go buy yourself right now. If you live near Costco, buy these. If you don’t live near Costco, drive to one and then buy these. They are unnnnrrreaaalll!

  

  2. My friend gave me some apples from her garden, and when I bit into one I found a larva wiggling in the core. I had the heebie jeebies all morning, it was awful, and I wanted to cry.

  3. I busted my cat looking at inappropriate things online.

  

  Naughty kitty!

  4. Starbucks has a new medium roast coffee that will be released to the public on October 1st. It is SO good. It’s Ethiopian and makes me feel warm inside.

  5. I made small talk with a stranger about PB while I was getting myself a fresh ground tub. We agreed it was the best PB in all the land, and this is what he wrote on my sticker.

  

  Truth.

  6. I’m really enjoying my job. Like..really really.

  7. I had an extremely successful 9 mile run on Saturday. I promptly refueled with chocolate chips, and became so distracted by them I locked myself out of my house.

  

  Meh, at least I was locked out with my chocolate.

  8. Last night I went for an unscheduled run, just to get caught in the middle of a thunder storm. The moment I started running the thunder/lightening/rain stopped. BOOO!

  9. My cats got a new toy.

  

  He’s on top of the world, and my face is super creepy.

  10. I have been a slacker with my coin counter, and haven’t found much change lately. I am up to $7.65 though, which is $7.65 more than I had when I started. FREE MONEY!

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Confessions, Random, Running

• What Goes Up…

  Posted at 6:39 AM by Brittany, on September 12, 2013

  …must come down. That’s what I kept telling myself yesterday morning while I was dying running like a gazelle up a hill for over half my run. I recently bought myself a brand spankin’ new pair of running shoes and I was so jazzed to take them out for a run!

  

  This was the first time I was able to somewhat choose what my shoes looked like. Don’t get me wrong, I will run in shoes that look like your grandmas curtains as long as they are good for my legs, but this time I decided to try something  flashy.

  

  My knees were starting to bother me on my runs which let me know it was time for a new pair of shoes. For some reason I get a slight twinge of sadness when it’s time to retire a pair of running shoes. Those shoes are with me for miles upon miles, and shoving them in the closet just doesn’t seem fair. Sadly the style of shoe I had been running in for over a year is no longer manufactured. After a quick e-mail to Asics, I decided on the Gel-Cumulus 15.

  

  Of all the color schemes I had to choose from, this one was my favorite. I was a bit nervous because I ordered these online without trying them on first. Thankfully after taking them out for a run I love them! Despite the HILLY run, I felt like I was running on clouds.

  

  Obligatory post run Garmin/shoe photo.

  And just like that, I wrote an entire post about shoes. I guess I was excited! Long story short, I bought new kicks and they rock my world. I think my favorite thing about these shoes is that they deceive you from the front. Just like a mullet.

  

  Business in the front, party in the back.

  Q: Do you ever buy your workout gear online before trying it out??

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Asics, New Digs, Running

• Garden Fresh

  Posted at 7:49 AM by Brittany, on September 6, 2013

  While I love growing my own produce, I reallllyyy love reaping the benefits of other peoples home grown produce. You can imagine my excitment when I came home the other night to find these sitting on my kitchen table…

  

  If I had any doubts about what veggies to pair with my cous cous for dinner, they were instantly squashed from my mind. Also, not pictured were some heirloom tomatoes. I was inspired to harvest some Swiss chard from my own garden and create my meal.

  

  Simple, yet oh so delicious. I ran a whopping 3 miles to earn this feast.

  Speaking of miles, I am welcoming this week of “easier runs.” My body has felt so fatigued lately thanks to long days at work, running, getting a head cold, Aunt Flo coming to visit, and insanity. I am allowing myself to skip insanity if I feel too tired (I never skip my runs though.) There is not enough coffee in the day to give me the energy to do insanity at 8PM. Just no. Even this beauty doesn’t cut it…

  

  Please note the DEEP pocket of foam. I now sprinkle pumpkin spice on top of my lattes to make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I sipped this amazing creation while staring out the window while it poured rain. Fall is coming..better harvest my garden while I still can!

  Q: Did you get a good garden harvest this year? Your own or someone else’s?

  

  | 46 Comments Tagged Fall, Garden, Harvest, Produce, Running, Vegan

• Let’s Get Saucy!

  Posted at 7:33 AM by Brittany, on August 26, 2013

  Sometimes my mom takes on the shape of an angel, a cupcake carrying angel.

  

  Yeah, this totally happened.

  Bottom two are mine, but the others deserved to be in the picture too because they are gorgeous. Especially middle left. Lets take another look from a different angle.

  

  I don’t know if I should admit to people how amazing I feel inside just looking at cupcakes like this. There is an ART about cupcake decorating that just gets me excited. You know what else gets me excited..secrets..inner secrets.

  

  Food porn as its finest.

  To balance out the cupcakes I’ve been inhaling eating, I am also making myself decent meals. I’ve really started to fall back in love with the concept of taking the time to cook.

  

  Cous cous, avocado, tomato, and pistachios over a bed of Swiss chard.

  I bring bowls like this to work with me to prevent me from cracking out on too much coffee. It’s all about balancing the caffeine with real food, or so I tell myself. This snack takes no more than 10 minutes to throw together, but is so much heartier than a PB&J.

  Insanity is still insane, and running is going fine. I have felt a bit tired these days, but I think it’s because I’m not eating enough cupcakes..that’s obviously why (however these cupcakes fueled my 7 mile run this weekend at a 9:42 pace per mile.) I’ve also been ravenous at times due to the extra calories I am burning, which helps give me motivation to continue making myself some solid dinners.

  

  I had a recent craving for gnocchi, because I think it had been at least a year since I last had it! One day I will make my own from scratch, but for now the tricolored gnocchi from my local market does just fine. Paired with roasted beets, roasted Brussels sprouts, and sauteed asparagus for a complete meal. Let’s get a close up of that saucy gnocchi.

  

  I made a walnut cream sauce to lather on top. For those of you that love the heavy cream based sauces I encourage you to try making a nut based sauce, it will change your life.

  Walnut “Cream” Sauce 

  • raw walnuts (or sub in any nut-cashews are my favorite, but this is what I had)
  • water
  • garlic powder
  • salt
  • lemon juice

  -This is somewhat of a DIY recipe, basically you will need equal parts water and nuts. Combine the two in your high powered blender, or food processor and blend. For a thicker sauce, add more nuts, and for a thinner sauce add more water. Experiment with whatever consistency you prefer. I used about a cup of nuts/water for two people.

  -With the seasonings I used about 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder, and about 1/2 tsp of sea salt. I squeezed in half of a lemon (completely squeezed, you will need to drain that lemon dry.) Blend again. The fattiness of the walnuts balance these flavors perfectly.

  With the leftover sauce I plan to make more veggie/grain bowls and continue gettin saucy!

  Q: What’s your favorite sauce? SALSAAAA and mustard find their way onto most things I eat, but I am always a fan of nut sauces! 

  

  | 80 Comments Tagged Cupcake, Insanity, Recipe, Running, Vegan

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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