Tag: Running

• Milestone

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 19, 2016

  When I was 19 I purchased my first car (shout out to my dad for helping my buy this.) I didn’t receive my drivers license until I was 18 (oldest kid in drivers ed right here), and by the time I was ready to own a car I was ready to pay cash. Payments don’t exist in my vocabulary, with school, with cars, or with bills – it’s all or nothing for me.

  Another reason I want a tiny home – pay for it all at once. 

  In 2008 I purchased an ’07 Toyota Camry with only 6k miles on her. She has taken me on many wonderful adventures, and this past Sunday we celebrated a Camry milestone. After 8.5 years of exploring we hit 100k miles.

  

  I drive a lot when I want to explore, and often drive 150 miles in one day when I want to go for a hike. Regular readers know I enjoy hiking as often as I can. I love my car, and she treats me well, but I’m ready to entertain the idea of something more Brittany friendly. Something a little less “I’m on my way to Bingo,” and a little more “I’m on my way to tear up some trails.”

  I’m very happy with my grandma persona FYI.

  Washington gets a lot of rain, and sometimes a good deal of snow. In the winter months I’m known to white knuckle my steering wheel when driving down a hill that may or may not have ice. Heaven forbid I slide into a ditch, or unintentionally slam into another vehicle. 

  

  The Camry is safe, like eleven airbags safe, but it’s not all wheel drive and I’ve slipped a few times while driving in the winter. I also find myself pretending I’m at Disneyland on Mr.Toads Wild Ride while driving up the mountains filled with potholes and narrow roads. Four wheel drive would help my resting heart rate stay below 200BPM.

  I’m not going to be purchasing a new ride yet, I can’t abandon my first love just because she has a few grays (actually, shes all gray but that’s beside the point) but I am starting my research journey now. I would love to just bike everywhere, because not only does it save money, but I often make money by finding coins.

  Alas, biking up a mountain to get to a trail head doesn’t appeal to me at this stage of my life. 

  

  This past weekend Washington was prepping for a storm I knew we weren’t going to get (our weather is never predictable, so when I hear storm I don’t believe it until I see it), and I decided to give the Camry a rest from mountain bumps and scrapes just in case there were power lines putting on a fire show in the streets.

  Instead, I used my Chevro-legs and went for a local run while everyone else was bundled inside. 

  

  Fall running is my favorite. 

  I plan to enjoy the rest of my time with my Camry and let her take me on a few more adventures. I have my eyes on a Subaru Outback or Crosstrek, but I can already feel the separation anxiety creeping in for my Camry. #attachementissues #firstlove

  

  Camry snacks.

  Q: What was your first car?

  

  This post was sponsored by Khan Law Firm in Seattle, because new cars aren’t cheap, and neither are law suits when glissading down a hill with a car instead of an ice ax. 

  | 69 Comments Tagged Camry, Hike, Running, Toyota, Washington

• Seattle Life

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 23, 2016

  Of all the house sitting gig’s I’ve had, the one I’m doing right now is hands down the best of the best. The bee’s knees. Crème de la crème. Typically my pet-ventures are in my neck of the woods, but this one is in Seattle.

  And I’ve been here for thirteen days, with three more to go.

  

  My excited face.

  First and foremost being in Seattle puts me literally 15 minutes from work. Opposed to two hours. Granted I still don’t mind my commute, but hot damn is it nice not having one right now. I’m in for a rude awakening when I go home.

  No commute means more time for running.

  

  My current running spot.

  

  Will run for V/GF cupcakes

  Secondly, being in Seattle puts me only an hour away from some of my favorite hikes. Typically I travel two hours to get here, which I also don’t mind, (clearly my perception of time is much different than most) but again SO NICE to chop off an hour.

  

  

  

  Thirdly, I am so close to ALL THE VEGAN FOOD. Again, I happily travel to Seattle in my spare time JUST TO EAT sometimes, but here I am SMACK in the middle of it all. So many options, so little time. My mind is like a tornado, and my mouth is like a suck hole.

  

  Cafe Flora – Italian burger GF/V

  

  How cute is this restaurant setup?

  

  Portage Bay Cafe – V/GF pancakes with UNLIMITED BERRY BAR

  

  Sugar Plum – V S’mores Brownie

  

  Chaco Canyon Cafe – Quinoa, kelp noodles, tempeh bacon with ginger sesame sauce.

  Disclaimer: I make sure to also eat a vegetable based meal of greens to balance out the above goodness. 

  My housemate is a cat, so my job is not only easy, but enjoyable. I love cats. We just get each other. She is black just like my little, and she roams the land in the daytime like a gypsy warrior. She eats well and runs around to burn it off.

  

  Basically we’re twins. Although she has better self control than I do, I offered her some bread I made and she denied.

  Good, more for me. 

  

  Grain free chocolate zucchini bread. Yusss.

  I’m never bored over here, there is always something to do. So many cafes, so many restaurants, so many people. If anyone wants to move to Seattle and split the $48496438967 rent with me that’d be great.

  Or I’ll just house sit forever. Or I’ll sleep in abandoned churches and lighthouses.

  

  

  That’s all for now. I run. I work. I hike. I eat. I study. I explore. & Repeat.

  Q: City or suburb dwelling?

  

  | 57 Comments Tagged Hike, Mason Lake, North Bend, Running, Seattle, Solo Hike, Vegan

• Altitude Awareness

  Posted at 2:30 PM by Brittany, on September 8, 2016

  I climb a lot of mountains. In fact I find great joy in conquering mountains with high elevations, but what I realize now is that spending more than a few hours at these high altitudes makes for a constant head ache, and runs that leave me looking like road kill.

  

  I spent the last week in Colorado Springs, Colorado and hot damn did my lungs feel like they were being squeezed. I ran three times, and the first time I literally thought my heart was going to beat through my skin. I live at sea level, and gaining 6000 ft was an adventure in altitude awareness.

  

  Post run adventure on forbidden train tracks.

  

  I was spending time with my family at the Air Force Academy, because my younger sister is a freshman there. It was parents weekend, so I gathered some of my hippie belongings and headed south.

  

  

  The campus is beautiful, surrounded by trees at the foot of the rocky mountains. I’d have a hard time studying with all the adventure that surrounded me. Military life is fascinating to me, and it was fun to see my sister in her new element.

  The architecture was great too. 

  

  

  I shamelessly admit I found the above statue extremely attractive. Not to mention the story behind the hero. 

  Post military activities there was one free day to explore. I recently saw an article that shared the “Most Beautiful Place in Every U.S. State” and it just so happened Colorado’s most beautiful spot was Garden of the Gods.

  

  These red rocks formed millions of years ago through a shift in the earth. With over 15 miles of trails I was able to finagle three other members of my family to wander around four of those miles.

  

  

  I discovered I’m not the only billy goat in the family. 

  

  This walk was by no means steep, nor difficult, but the elevation and heat helped bring my heart rate above resting. I enjoyed the views, but I’d argue there are probably other places in Colorado that are more beautiful. I’m partial to blue and green mountains.

  I’d like to make it back to CO someday to explore more of the mountains, and to summit Pikes Peak. I’ll be sure to acclimate myself to the altitude first, it’d be a shame to pass out mid hike.

  

  Pikes Peak off in the distance.

  Q: Do you prefer red rocks, or green trees? I don’t think I need answer this one…

  

  | 52 Comments Tagged Colorado, Garden of the Gods, Hike, Pikes Peak, Running, Vacation

• Just Do It – Giveaway

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on July 27, 2016

  **This giveaway is now closed, and the winner has been notified**

  Before I started my new job I really wanted to prioritize a few more adventures, and I went on a marvelous 9 mile journey to the summit of Tunnel Creek Trail. I wrangled a buddy so I wasn’t alone (you’re welcome mom and dad), and despite having my bag full of essentials I was missing one thing.

  

  

  I forget this item often, despite the fact that I have three pair in my car – sunglasses. You see dear readers it’s mostly cloudy in my beautiful state, and the thought of sunglasses doesn’t pass my mind until it’s sometimes too late.

  

  I find that clouds, much like with snow, almost require sunglasses more than the actual sun. Almost. With that said I’m often prepared with 9/10 of the 10 essentials for hiking.

  Last year I snagged myself a fun pair of Ray-Ban’s which I adore, but I find that I need to wear a hat with them as they don’t provide proper coverage on the sides. If I wear them out and about too long my eyes will hurt, and I don’t always want to wear a hat when I run.

  

  Naturally this meant I needed another pair, so my friends over at Sunglasses Shop hooked me up! Say hello to the Nike Excellerate Sunglasses.

  

  

  

  I’m living for that case.

  These sunnies wrap around the side of my eyes so much better. I’ve worn them on multiple runs and they are SO lightweight I barely notice they are on. I also find that I don’t squint at all with these. They’re perfect for running! Or any other sport you partake in. A bit of info on this frame:

  Excellerate is made to fit women’s faces. Its frame is smaller. Nike MAX Optics allow eyes to see clearly without distortion. A polycarbonate lens gives crisp views and the greatest impact protection. Durable wrapped arms provide the best side protection. Plus it gives a comfortable fit. UV400 lenses. Nike sunglasses come with a two year warranty.

  But how do they actually look on a human face?

  

  

  My one and only critic of these shades is that I wish the lenses were darker. You can see my eyes, which means I can’t stare at good looking male runners without getting caught.

  They’re super comfortable though and do exactly what I needed. If you are in the market for a new pair of sunnies, check out Sunglasses Shop. However if you’re in the market for a new pair of Nike sunnies then it may be your lucky day because one reader will win a free pair.

  I can now venture back to the forest prepared for the overcast, or the sun.

  

  This was the summit, though you’d never know with those clouds covering the view.

  To enter the giveaway: go to Sunglasses Shop website and answer the question below. For additional entries follow Sunglasses Shop on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (or all three, leave a separate comment for each follow for an extra chance to win.) Giveaway open for one week!

  Seriously, Just Do It.

  Q: Which style of Nike sunglasses would you choose??

  

  | 62 Comments Tagged Giveaway, Hike, Nike, Running, Sunglasses

• Rekindling the Run

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on June 28, 2016

  This isn’t the first post I’ve written where I blab on and on about how I got burned out with running, took a break, had some kind of light at the end of the tunnel epiphany and found my way back to it a couple months later. Nope, not the first, and I’m comfortable knowing it won’t be the last.

  

  

  This ebb and flow is normal for me and it typically starts the same way, but the differences between each time is how I end up finding my way back.

  

  It is just me, or does the map of my route look like a person crawling on the ground? Like me crawling back into running more.

  I just got back from a trip to the Midwest/east coast to attend a wedding and explore with my dear friend Lily, and I had two very enjoyable runs. Running in a new area always helps rekindle the flame as it’s one of my favorite ways to explore.

  

  I’m in a place of contentment with any distance and any time, which makes each run more enjoyable. My first run through Orion, Michigan was a simple 3 miler for a mere 30 minutes, but it was just what I needed.

  

  The second run was a 5 miler through Highland Park in Rochester, a beautiful plot of land in upstate New York. I stopped a handful of times to take photos, which is something I never used to deem acceptable while on a run.

  How silly of me.

  

  

  I used to feel like stopping for a breath, for a photo, or even a sip of water meant I wasn’t strong enough to run all the way through. This mindset never quite matched with my “run for fun” mentality because I’m not competitive, I’m in the middle of the pack, and I enjoy my mediocre pace, but stopping – heaven forbid.

  In reality these microbreaks encourage me to go further and motivate me to run more often.

  

  The park was hilly, but I focused on my surroundings and enjoyed each step. The path led to a lookout over the city with visual stimulation everywhere including this reservoir.

  

  It should come as no surprise that the green trees, blue skies, and fresh air motivate me to move more. I also blame sitting in a car for hours while on a road trip, which also happened last week (more on that later.)

  I get restless. And I snack. A lot.

  

  Balance is my favorite word for a reason, and when activities are rotated and spinning like a wheel it ensures minimal burnout, and maximal excitement.

  Q: How do you prevent activity/workout burnout?

  

  | 78 Comments Tagged Adventure, Detroit, Running, Vacation

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on June 14, 2016

  1. The last week of work I noticed an abnormal trend. The birds are singing at 330 am, and the sun is coming up at 430 am. Brace yourselves people, the earth is doing weird things.

  2. I took time off of running the last two weeks and dove forehead first into yoga. My first run after two weeks off had me feeling like a blob. A cat blob.

  

  Or a mop with a face, you decide.

  3. Speaking of yoga, I’ve been getting my zen on at least three times a week and I wonder why I ever stopped. I’m going full on “woo woo” and meditating daily too. It’s been a total game changer for my mind.

  4. I’ve decided that should I ever get my own dog (which I would like to have simply for mountain adventures) I’d like him to be black and white. Then we can match just like we were two eight year old girls.

  

  For now I’ll keep borrowing this guy to match with.

  5. I tend to go full on crunchy granola when the summer months hit, and this year has been no exception. No make up, minimal hair washing, eating cleaner, daydreams about living in a Winnebago and traveling  the country. It’s awesome.

  6. I have an obsession with lettuce and peanut butter. Separately of course, but I’ve also learned they aren’t so bad together.

  

  PB and raspberry “lettucewich.”

  7. I went camping over the weekend and it was a mix of misery, terror, and exhilaration. All at the same time. Blog post to come.

  8. One of my regular “clients” is that cat blob shown above. She’s made a cameo on the blog many times, but she wasn’t comfortable with me sharing her morning routine. Until now. Whipped cream on a plate, if only we could all be so spoiled.

  

  9. Almost lost all my morals at REI on Saturday. Went in to buy a forest pass for my hikes/camping, walked out with a new Patagonia fleece, a camping mug, and food I didn’t need. I held it together and put back the pair of Chacos I almost bought.

  10. I finally jumped on board the Ben and Jerry train, but had to give it my own spin. The ice cream alone was fantastic, but adding self ground PB and granola to it gave my mouth the wildest party it’s had in a while.

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 59 Comments Tagged Cats, Confessions, Running, Vegan

• Goal Getter

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on May 7, 2016

  Things around here have been optimistically negative lately, and I’m here to say it’s time to move on. I’ve had a positive spin on all the “more serious” topics that I’ve shared, and it’s quite obvious to all my loyal readers that I’ve found myself in a wobbly life spot. I know that this has been a time of growth for me, and for that I’m thankful.

  Maybe if I just close my eyes everything will turn around on its own.

  

  No such luck. If life worked that way no one would ever appreciate anything. In order to manifest the life I want it’s about time I set some goals. No goals = no direction, no direction = chaos, chaos = sugar binges at 10pm, sugar binges = needing bigger pants, needing bigger pants = spending my traveling fund…and well, you get the idea.

  Or I could just vagabond my way around the world…

  

  If we keep talking about things that we don’t like, the energy from our words will keep us stuck. We must actively choose to speak positively and direct our mind in the direction that we want. This is something I must remind myself of often.

  Here are my current goals for the next few months.

  .

  1. Get my sh*& together with my diet. How I plan to accomplish this: avoiding processed foods/sugar and finding my way back into the kitchen. I feel alive when I’m experimenting with meals.
  

  

  It’s an ugly process trying to break a sugar addiction, and I’ve found myself deeper in the white powder than I’ve ever been before. The only way out is to go cold turkey, and green – lots of green.

  

  2. Get into a solid groove with running, and watch my time improve naturally. How I plan to accomplish this: accept that I’m starting at square one again, fueling well, and being proud of each run. Even the 2 milers.

  

  

  Slow and steady

  3. Finishing strong with school. How I plan to accomplish this: continue doing what I’m doing. I finished my first semester strong and couldn’t be more thrilled. Only one more year.

  

  4. Practice self love. How I plan to accomplish this: STOP TALKING NEGATIVELY. Accept where I am. Move forward. Highlight the positives. Chop off my hair. Run.

  

  5. Grow my own food. How I plan to accomplish this: Self explanatory, but by starting small. I have been growing lettuce in my kitchen window and it’s flourishing!

  

  5. Put my energy into helping others instead of dwelling on stupid things. How I plan to accomplish this: volunteering, staying positive at work, family time, and by finding my inner zen. When we take the focus off ourselves, life becomes much easier.

  

  6. Blog more consistently. How I plan to accomplish this: CONTINUE TO go on EPIC ADVENTURES that are blog worthy. This space is a huge part of my life, and I’ve been somewhat absent lately, but I want to get back into a blog flow.

  

  

  Latest mountain adventure.

  

  These goals are realistic and attainable, which is a great place to start.

  Q: What’s one of your current goals? Eyes on the prize!

  

  | 63 Comments Tagged Blog, Life, Running, School

• Race for the Roses 10k

  Posted at 8:00 AM by Brittany, on April 25, 2016

  I survived my first race of the year, and it went better than expected.

  

  In an attempt to rectify my love affair with running I signed up for this half marathon back in January. After skipping one too many long runs and staying on the shitty diet train for too long I decided 13.1 just wasn’t in the cards for me.

  I decided to run the 10k instead which has always been my favorite race distance. It’s a happy medium for me that requires no training and somehow always sparks a fire in my soul for the sport. Something about being around other runners reminds me why I run.

  

  Normally when I sign up for a race it’s 100% based on location, course, and finishers medals. This time I was able to find one that satisfied all of that, PLUS benefited a good cause. It was a win win win win.

  The morning of the race I was a moody Mary and didn’t want to go. I didn’t sleep well, didn’t feel well, and dreaded the idea of running. Skipping the race wasn’t an option, and once I arrived my mood immediately changed.

  From moody Mary to glowing Glenda with two snaps and a twirl.

  

  It’s hard to be grumpy when 100% of the proceeds from a race go towards families and people with developmental disabilities. My sister has autism, so this cause was close to my heart. The crowd of people that participated were full of energy and inspiration.

  The course wasn’t as flat as I’d expected, but it was amazing. We ran through the city of Portland over bridges, along the water, and between skyscrapers. I found myself smiling more than expected.

  

  Obviously not my photo, but was taken the day of the race.

  I’m not exaggerating when I say my running has been awful lately. When I’m not running consistently, anything over 3 miles becomes difficult. I went into this race with no expectations, and told myself to just enjoy the miles as they came.

  Around mile 4 the sun started to hit me. I felt my brain pounding between my temples and decided to take a couple walk breaks for about 30 seconds each. Despite these stops I still finished with a time I’m proud of, and only 2 minutes slower than my PR.

  

  The finishers medal is a handmade slab of wood with the logo stamped on it, I adore the rustic look. I also got a fun swag bag that I stuffed full of post run snacks.

  Will run for carbs.

  

  Fast forward two hours: A trip to Blue Star Donuts and somehow two vegan donuts made it into my hands. A blueberry cake donut, and orange olive oil.

  I regret nothing.

  

  I balanced all these carbs with a hefty salad for dinner. I’d give away my bag of mini Clif bars (I hoard free race goodies) for that salad every night.

  

  So there you have it. Just like that, I feel inspired to run again. I often say running is 90% mental and it’s true. After turning around my attitude I was able to enjoy this experience and finish strong. Thoughts of donuts helped too.

  Q: What’s your favorite donut flavor? I’m a sucker for a good apple fritter, but that orange olive oil was so unique is swept me off my feet.

  

  | 88 Comments Tagged 10K, Donuts, Portland, Race, Running, Vegan

• Discovering New Identities

  Posted at 7:05 AM by Brittany, on April 15, 2016

  Blogging has always been a fantastic outlet for me to share my self proclaimed creativity through adventures, food, coffee, and whatever else life throws my way. It’s been a huge part of my life for five years now (wow), but I’d be lying if I said it’s been easy lately.

  

  I’ve been sharing my love for vegan food, coffee, and running for most of those five years, and all of these things have given me a solid chunk of personal identity. I’ve been struggling with health issues lately that have caused me to give up coffee, take a vegan vacation, and step back from running – aka 90% of what I blog about/talk about/dream about/live about.

  To say I feel like my identity has been stripped would be an understatement.

  

  I’m still running…sometimes, I still eat predominately plant based…most of the time, and I still tried to drink coffee…until finally accepting that I just can’t. I still don’t know the underlying cause behind my symptoms right now (an ongoing process that’s been going on for years) but I’m determined to figure it out.

  I’m beginning to suspect that stress may be a large part of why I’ve been having issues lately. I’ve never thought much about it, but I do tend to let my mind take me down the rabbit hole if I’m not careful. I hereby declare that I will put my energy into things that calm me, and stop focusing on things that don’t.

  

  I’m not writing this seeking sympathy, but to simply share that I’ve felt like a blogging zombie lately. Although I’ve still had great adventures to share, I feel like I’m in a limbo right now where I’m trying to fit a square block into a hole for a circle block. I’m also a sucker for transparency, and I don’t blog for a job – I blog for connections.

  Plus I feel like getting this off my chest (as it’s been on my mind for a while) will help me feel more authentic with my blogging again. 

  I know this isn’t forever, and I’ll find my way back onto the wagon soon enough, but for now I’m going to use this as an opportunity to add new things to my list of identity characteristics. I’ll still be sharing any runs I go on, plant based foods I eat, but coffee and I are on a solid break until I start feeling better.

  Thankfully my mountain adventures are still going strong.

  

  I’m always talking about how life is fluid and changes whether we are ready or not, and while it feels like my adventure has had constant twists the last couple years, I still have complete control over how I will use these twists to build an epic life full of experience and multiple identities.

  Not to be confused with multiple personalities. 

  Overall life is good, and I’m extremely blessed. I’m off to Portland tomorrow to run this race and I’m excited to get away for the weekend. I’m not stressing about the run despite the fact that I haven’t had my heart rate out of the resting zone much the last couple weeks. I’ve always said running is more mental anyway so I’ll let you know if my theory is true.

  Wish me luck, and pray I don’t pass out on the side of the road. 

  Q: What are your plans for this weekend?

  

  | 100 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Life, Plant Based, Portland, Running, Vegan

• Full Speed Ahead

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on April 7, 2016

  Every so often I become obsessed with certain things. Its a constant rotation of phases that I go through, and when I get into a new routine of obsession I go full speed ahead.

  Case in point – I don’t eat out much unless it’s at the Whole Foods hot bar because I usually feel like I was hit by an airborne sword fish after I’m done. That being said, I tried a Vietnamese restaurant by my work on Monday and it was so good I did everything in my power to go back on Tuesday.

  

  Ob-sessed.

  To work up an appetite for the above bowl of tongue explosions I went for a hike. I went to the same mountain I hiked last time, because it’s quick yet steep. Not steep like this, but steep enough to show me how out of shape I am.

  

  Similar views as usual, but with a nice cloud cover. I love the way the mountains only slightly peek through under the fluff. I am planning to consistently do this hike because I want to watch my time improve.

  It’s been a while since I’ve set a physical goal and this seems like a good one. I may breathe like a labored baboon right now, but full speed ahead I go!

  

  

  When I’m at my peak with hiking obsessions I usually drive 2+ hours one way to get to a hike. Go big or go home. This hike is just under an hour away, making it more manageable for a last minute adventure.

  

  Spontaneity is my middle name when it comes to decisions. When I plan in advance I usually want to cancel, so sometimes being impulsive pays off. Like when I decided to finally finish school…again.

  I literally had a thought enter my mind one day in December, and by the next day I was registered. No time to think about it – full speed ahead.

  I regret nothing.

  

  If I could study how to make money by eating and hiking I would. It’s a good thing I don’t buy a lot of stuff because all my money goes towards gas and food.

  

  I think I’ll just keep running in mall parking lots because it’s almost a guarantee I’ll find a penny or three. Whatever it takes to fund my spontaneous adventures.

  

  After work today I’ll be going on a NEW to me hike, and I will neither confirm nor deny my plans to get Vietnamese foods post climb. Aye aye, full speed ahead.

  Q: Are you a fan of Vietnamese cuisine? 

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Hike, Hiking, Mount Walker, Running, Vegan, Whole Foods

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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