Tag: Running

• The Simple Joys of Everyday Life

  Posted at 8:00 AM by Brittany, on July 27, 2015

  There’s something to be said about a day with no set plans. A day where you wake up with the sun instead of an alarm. A day where your morning run has no limits and you run based on feel and not time. A day where your morning walk goes a little bit longer than planned because you’re too busy soaking up the scenery.

  

  These mornings are my favorite. They allow me to slow down and savor not only my coffee, but my excitement for adventure. Nothing is off the table.

  I found $1 on one of my runs recently, which left me feeling all kinds of philosophical. I posted the photo below on my Instagram with these words:

  “I find something valuable on every single run I go on. Whether it be a penny, peace of mind, a half eaten candy bar that a kind stranger left behind to share, or a mental snapshot of a new location. What I hadn’t found before was dollar bills, until now. This is either a pat on the back for a successful run, or a sign it’s really time to purchase new shoes. The universe is giving me money for some reason or another.”

  

  I take great pride in knowing that something as simple as finding a dollar on my run brought such great joy to my day. I’ve had some waves of emotions here and there the last few months where I’ve had to really focus on quieting my mind.

  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if anything it’s comforting knowing I’m craving new adventures. Life is great, but I want more, and sometimes my impatience rears its ugly head. The ebb and flow of my life has a mind of its own at times.

  

  Running calms my entire soul.

  I’ve also concluded that a lot of my thoughts/feelings/and emotions are tied to the foods I consume. I don’t talk about it much on the blog, but I’ve really been focusing on what I eat the last few months. I started to talk about my tic toc foods here, and have delved even deeper. Thankfully now I know a lot of my trigger foods.

  I’ve been mostly successful in finding alternatives to the foods I adore, and the key to my success is making my meals at home. Certain breads are one of my triggers so I pick my battles when I consume them. The same company that makes the legit cupcakes I can’t get enough of also makes bread, and it has been a godsend.

  

  No gluten, no soy, no rice, no corn, no egg.

  Plus they’re local…my favorite.

  I briefly mentioned a few posts ago that I started seeing a naturopath, and while my initial intentions with him were related to something different, we’ve also discussed my reactions with certain foods. After playing scientist with my own body for months I’ve decided to get a food allergy test to have some confirmations.

  

  Initially I thought cacao was a trigger, but I eat these bars with the ease of a coffee induced BM.

  Despite some of the discouragement I feel when I find certain foods give me trouble, the overall mindset that comes with eating foods my body thrives on outweighs any discouraging thoughts. Eat good, feel good. Spirit, mind, AND body.

  

  So thankful for these.

  Plus, trigger foods make me all kinds of moody and it’s not pretty. Nor is the inflammation or eczema. It also totally affects my running.

  I’ll post more about my naturopath experiences as they come, and also go into more detail about my food testing for those that are interested.

  

  Me if I succumb to the triggers.

  What I know for sure is that I’ve been finding simple joys in my everyday life thanks to a positive mind, a properly fueled body…. and Theo chocolate.

  Q: Is anyone interested in hearing more about my experience with a naturopath/a food allergy test?

  

  | 63 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Cupcake, Garmin, Life, Naturopath, Running, Vegan

• When I’m Not

  Posted at 5:47 AM by Brittany, on June 22, 2015

  One of my favorite things about blogging is having a space to purge all the random thoughts that swarm inside my brain. Doing this also allows me to connect with other like minded bloggers, forming lifelong connections and genuine friendships.

  

  My number one friend.

  Sharing my love for plant based food and cats allowed me to connect with Kayse, a creative girl with a green thumb and a hand for art. After lusting over her art work for months, she kindly sent me a customized dapper cat portrait of my dude.

  

  Words cannot express my gratitude. Please do yourself a favor and check out her online shop, the art she creates is so unique and fabulous.

  Ok, time to purge some thoughts.

  When I’m not blogging, or having a stare off with my cat, I’m usually eating. I haven’t posted a recipe on the blog in MONTHS, simply because I’ve been enjoying exploring OTHER peoples food. I’ve found a few companies that cater to walking science projects like myself, and I happily support them. Local eats are my favorite.

  

  Local pizza, I’m all about that pie life right now.

  When I’m not eating I’m running. 100 mile May gave me my recent running mindset. I’m in a fantastic routine where I am excited about my daily runs, and on the off chance I’m not I skip it for something else. It’s a beautiful thing.

  

  There’s also more room for cupcakes when I have a consistent running routine, that’s also a beautiful thing. Balance in bliss.

  

  You’d never guess these cupcakes were dairy free, gluten free, soy free, rice free, nut free, egg free, dinosaur free, spinach free, & broken glass free.

  They fall into the “if one doesn’t take up your entire hand you need two” category.

  

  Just like these donuts.

  I think I need to make these two hand treat photos a thing.

  When I’m not eating or running I’m playing with coffee at work. I haven’t created any of my own coffee tastings lately, but I have been putting together mini ones at work for my coworkers with featured coffee’s and Starbucks food. 
  

  

  This blend has a beautifully complex flavor of red currant, with a bright and sparkling acidity typical of African grown coffee. I don’t prefer these tasting notes, but I try to explore other options once in a while.

  When I’m not working I’m still spending time with my coworkers. We’re family.

  

  My fellow coffee master ❤

  We all love to drink coffee.

  

  When I’m not with other people I’m exploring alone.

  

  My happy place.

  I love blogging, but lately I’ve been enjoying life away from it all more. Eating, running, working, and exploring have taken top spot which is typical of the summer months. I just can’t soak up enough adventure fast enough!

  On that note, I’m off to explore. I mean…off to work.

  Q: What things take up most of your time?

  

  | 59 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Cats, Coffee, Coffee Master, Cupcake, Donuts, Plant Based, Running, Starbucks, Vegan

• Keeping Busy

  Posted at 7:56 AM by Brittany, on May 26, 2015

  As I mentioned in my previous post I’ve spent the last couple weeks training to be a supervisor. This keeps me busy while I am at work, but there are things that have kept me busy when I’m away from work too. Things like…

  …house/Pet sitting. I spent last Sunday-Friday with the fluff ball shown below, and we spent a lot of time soaking up the sun. My Jun/Jul are both full of sitting.

  

  She’s much fluffier than the last time we spent time together.

  …running everyday. I’m feeling quite fantastic. I think once 100 mile May is over I’ll need to set another running goal for June to keep the party going.

  
  

  …putting time and effort into my dinners. Despite the fact that an apple and pretzels always sounds like a good option, potatoes are better.

  

  

  There are six in this photo, though hard to see. For those of you that wonder where non meat eaters get their protein, this meal had a solid 20 grams. 😉

  

  Potato heaven.

  …figuring out what to do with the growth atop my head. After realizing my mop was turning into…a mop, I chopped it off. Sometimes I’m very impetuous.

  

  View from the back..

  To keep it real though here is how I will look the remainder of my days.

  

  

  The above photo of it straight, along with my main blog photo were both taken the day I got it cut (blog photo was last May’s haircut) because my stylist straightened it. Then it never see’s the flat iron again. I don’t like it straight, and I’m lazy.

  …spending moneys. I never spend money, so this is a big one. Except on food, which I do plenty of. REI knows how to work a bargain though with their anniversary sale. I walked in for new running shoes, and walked out with a jacket, a bag, and no shoes.

  Both were on sale, and when you see a forest green back that doubles as a backpack and a handle bag, you buy it. It was time I upgraded my overnight bag from a reusable Whole Foods bag to something a bit sturdier.

  

  I like busy, busy is good.

  Q: What’s kept you busy lately?

  

  | 75 Comments Tagged Coffee, House Sitting, Potatoes, REI, Running, Starbucks, Vegan

• Tic -vs- Toc

  Posted at 6:42 AM by Brittany, on May 18, 2015

  The last few months I’ve been paying extra attention to what foods make me tick, and what foods make me tock. I have become somewhat of a walking science project.

  All this time I just assumed the broccoli was to blame, and I learned to live with it. We all know what happens when broccoli and gut bugs dance together.

  

  Come to find out, it wasn’t just the cruciferous vegetables. I’ve been keeping my eats very simple lately while I try to decipher the codes my stomach bugs are trying to tell me. Fruits and seeds all morning, and vegetables galore at night.

  

  Typical dinner plate.

  This has made it easy to figure out what foods are causing problems. So far I’ve noticed problems with peanut butter, walnuts, most soy products, and chocolate.

  Hang on, I need a moment of silence for that last one.

  My simple eats have kept me feeling great, but once every few days I notice I need somewhat of a “refuel.” Different carbs, more protein, and some kind of treat.

  

  Like a cookie.

  I’ve been running every day this month, which has added to the insatiable hunger every few days. My lower mile days (3 miles) I get by just fine with fewer calories, but after a 5 miler last week I couldn’t get enough food in my face fast enough.

  

  

  I drove to one of my favorite lakes for this run, and the weather was perfect. The thing about running everyday is that it becomes somewhat…easy. My pace has already improved in the mere 18 days straight I’ve been running.

  

  Post run I had one thing on my mind: scones. I made my way to Whole Foods only to find they had no scones. My soul and stomach were empty and cold, like the inside of an ice cave. Instead, I ate potatoes and veggies from the hot bar, and braced myself for the tornado I would soon become in my kitchen.

  The moment I walked in the door it was game over. I ate enough to put my daily intake around 3000 calories, and I was completely satisfied. Refuel complete.

  

  It looked like this, multiple items sprawled in front of me, and pure determination on my face.

  It’s a magical thing when you discover what foods cause inflammatory, lethargic, and skin irritating reactions, like walking through the doors to Narnia. Does this mean I’m never going to eat chocolate again? Heavens no I still have my dignity, but it will be minimal and as close to raw as possible. Let the experimentation continue!

  Oh, and I finally got my scone. Plus another.

  Q: Do you stay away from certain foods that cause you problems? Knowing some of the culprits makes it much easier to stay away from them. 

  

  | 57 Comments Tagged Food, Running, Vegan

• Facts

  Posted at 6:00 AM by Brittany, on May 12, 2015

  Fact: A good human being gives you food. Lord help them if I get hangry…

  

  These CORE bars are complete meals on the go, and they are SO good! My favorite part? They perish. 1 week on the go, 1 month in the fridge, and 9 months in the freezer: Real food goes bad. Perfect for hiking, biking, or running late to work.

  These were gifted to me, but you can find them online or at a select handful of Whole Foods locations. Eat good, feel good.

  

  Fact: Potatoes are the essence of life. I cannot stop eating them. All of them.

  

  Sweet potato the size of a walrus with veggies. I then ate half with almond butter and honey.

  

  Sweet potatoes with rosemary.

  

  Russet potato along side this plate of color explosions

  

  Sweet potato with veggies. And then another one for dessert. Can’t stop, won’t stop.

  

  Gold potatoes with spinach and asparagus.

  Fact: I’ve become the Mary Poppins of pet sitting. Four pets in the last 2 months.

  

  Said goodbye to this guy…

  

  …and said hello to this guy (again)

  Maybe I’ll quit my day job….

  

  Maybe not. I did just get promoted after all. #ifinallysaidyes

  Fact: Summer is coming. I’ve started prepping for minimal clothing season by partaking in a running “challenge.” 100 mile May. Amateur stuff for those ultra runners, but it keeps me running daily even if just 3-4 miles.

  

  

  It helps balance out the potatoes…

  

  Fact: Bananas are under-appreciated. I’ve been dipping mine into a mix of seeds: hemp, sunflower, and pumpkin. Or with a Core bar…or both. 😉

  

  Scratch that…fruit in general. I’m literally eating at least 6-7 servings a day right now.

  Fact: I sometimes change out of running clothes, but it’s rare.

  

  Fact: This post was nothing more than a giant excuse to purge random photos I’ve taken the last two weeks in a format other than my usual Early Morning Confessions.

  I’ll leave you with a photo of some of the worst coffee I’ve consumed in months. Tasted like foot soaked bath water. I still drank it.

  

  Waiting for an oil change is a luxurious event. Fully equipped with PJ’s and terrible coffee.

  Q: What’s your fact for the day?

  

  | 59 Comments Tagged Cats, Coffee, Facts, Garmin, House Sitting, Random, Run, Running, Vegan

• Lately I’m Loving…

  Posted at 6:45 AM by Brittany, on April 27, 2015

  …garlic, roasted and lathered in olive oil and herbs laying atop vegetables.

  

  …weekly lake runs, the only run consisting of further than 4 miles lately.

  

  …handmade vegan soaps, because they SMELL SO GOOD.

  

  …Wayward Vegan Cafe. I don’t eat a lot of bread, in fact I don’t even keep it in my house. When I do eat bread it’s usually in the form of a baked good, and often it’s gluten free. This keeps things moving right inside my tubes, and helps to ensure I don’t crash like a kamikaze plane.

  

  Stolen from YELP

  I’ve been dreaming about waffles for…forever, and I decided it was time to get one.

  I didn’t take a photo, because I was too busy conversing with the adorable solo diner to my left. This place just draws you in to feel comfortable dining solo, which was prime opportunity for sparking up a conversation with my fellow diner.

  My waffle was everything I’d hoped for, full of doughy bready goodness. Looks like I’ll need to go back for another one, oh darn.

  …sunshine and coffee. Slowing down to sip and savor.

  

  …alarm free wake up calls. I’ve been training a new hire at work, and he isn’t available until the afternoon. This means my early morning start times have been pushed to afternoon start time a few days a week. I don’t hate waking with the sun.

  

  Aka waking up at 6am instead of 4am.

  …giving back. My Starbucks family and I volunteered with our local park volunteers to help pull up one of the many noxious weeds – scotch broom!

  

  …life. Pretty self explanatory.

  

  Q: What are you loving lately?

  

  | 63 Comments Tagged Coffee, Random, Running, Starbucks, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 7:06 AM by Brittany, on April 21, 2015

  1. I know you’re all waiting on the edge of your seat to find out how my dental appointment went to get a foreign chunk of matter cemented to my tooth, also known as a crown. Well I’m jazzed to report I did not need one after all, and instead my tooth was stuffed with a composite filling. Big fat win because you can’t even tell I had a hole in my tooth, and I can now successfully move forward with my life.

  2. I’ve been spending a solid chunk of my time with other peoples fur children. Back to back to back house/pet sitting is keeping me busy. Meet my current time filler, Lobby.

  

  3. A customer came into Starbucks last Friday and handed me $100. He then leaned in and whispered to me, “I know this is a total pain in the a#$, but can you use this for the people after me until it’s gone?” Good Samaritan, it is no pain in my a#$ at all to pass on feel goods to the world. And for that, I thank you.

  4. I’ve had an insatiable craving for both cinnamon rolls and apple fritters lately. The kind you’d buy at a bakery laden with sugary glaze. I tried to combat these cravings by making my own cinnamon rolls. I put ground coffee in the center because why not.

  Well I’ll tell you why not…I put TOO MUCH coffee!! I never thought I’d type those words. I ate all of them, but they need some work.

  

  Before going into the sauna.

  5. I’m already wishywashing my current plans for my future. I’m a lost cause.

  6. When I’m not wrangling other peoples children pets I’m spending time with mine.

  

  7. I’ve been enjoying spending one of my days off each week in Seattle. I go run around Greenlake, walk around it, and then I eat. I eat all the things.

  8. I’m loving walking around my town lately, and pretending I’m somewhere else.

  Like Italy.

  

  I think this is what a rustic Italian building would look like.

  

  9. I seem to have some kind of digestive intolerance to nuts, specifically peanut butter. This is a very depressing discovery. I’m going to avoid nuts for a bit and see how it goes incorporating certain types back into my diet in the future.

  10. With that said, I tried a random new rice cake combo. Instead of my usual nut butter and fruit combo, I swapped in coconut oil. I tried it with cinnamon and dried figs, and loved it so much I ended up dipping the figs straight into the oil.

  

  My mind was blown all the way to mars. Obsessed.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 61 Comments Tagged Cats, Coffee, Confessions, Random, Running, Teeth, Vegan

• Moderating Indulgences

  Posted at 7:53 AM by Brittany, on April 16, 2015

  My eats have been somewhat black and white lately. Smoothies, salads, vegetables, sweet potatoes, tempeh, and pretzels. What can I say, sometimes I like simple.

  Dessert has been a hefty bowl of rice chex mix with almond butter and cacao nibs, because I’m currently obsessed with them. OH, and chocolate. Always chocolate.

  

  Starbucks has new smoothies (in select locations) made from cold pressed juice. I add fresh kale and banana to mine. Absolutely obsessed.

  

  

  Eating a consistent diet most of the time makes the days I do “splurge” that much more rewarding. If I eat like a teenage boy every single day, I pay for it.

  

  After my root canal last week I had plans to venture to Seattle for a run at the lake and a feast to follow. I planned this adventure days in advance. Thankfully everything went smooth with my tooth, allowing me to run and eat just fine.

  

  Very welcoming for solo diners like myself.

  I ran five miles, and walked another four miles before ending up at stop number one. A local vegan cafe with a menu packed full of hearty comfort food. I went with tempeh “bacon”, spinach, and tomatoes wrapped in a rice tortilla.

  

  Paired with the best spuds I’ve had in FOREVER.

  In an attempt to keep the space in my gut free for the main event, I walked to and from the cafe. My main objective was to visit my current favorite V/GF bakery in the quaint Seattle neighborhood of Fremont. I love eating local.

  Scratch that, I love eating…period.

  I walked in with my morals, and walked out with 5 extra pounds.

  

  It started off innocent, one cupcake for me, a scone to share, and a slice of berry coffee cake perhaps for another day. Then I saw the pizza…THE pizza that would soon become one of the best slices of pizza to ever pass through my largest facial orifice.

  

  

  Cauliflower, roasted carrots, spinach, red peppers with house-made garlic aioli on a gluten-free crust.

  I struggle to find the right words to describe this, I couldn’t believe it was gluten free.

  I thought I was home free after snagging a slice, and then I saw the discount bin. You know, the one that’s tucked to the side that slowly calls to your soul telling you to splurge on day old items that you definitely don’t need, but that you definitely want.

  

  On top of the scone, the coffee cake, the cupcake, and the pizza I also bought three brownies. Ready for the kicker? I ate a brownie right away. Then I ate the coffee cake, followed by half of the scone. The best part…I felt completely fine.

  No sick stomach, no bloat, no guilt. A few hours later I ate the pizza and then demolished my cupcake leaving me with nothing left (I gave the other two brownies and half of the scone to my mom and sister.) My soul and body were equally full.

  

  Moral of my story is this: when you eat clean 85% of your days, the remaining 15% of indulgences taste so much sweeter. Today I’m going to the dentist to get a crown, and if another day like this is coming my way I’ll get dental work done anytime. Kidding.

  Kind of.

  Four treats in one day will not be a regular occurrence. Thank goodness for running.

  Q: Do you eat whatever you want everyday, or do you moderate what goes into your tank? I feel really crummy when I eat poorly too many days in a row. 

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Adventure, Food, Gluten Free, Running, Vegan

• Hibernation is Over

  Posted at 6:56 AM by Brittany, on February 24, 2015

  The calendar says February, but the atmosphere says April. Washington has had exceptional weather lately, and despite the fact that this is TOTALLY NOT NORMAL AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO BURN THIS SUMMER, I’m enjoying it.

  I’ve hung up my parka and brought out my hiking shoes. The sun makes me itchy for activity, and that consists of anything that gets me moving. Things like…

  Running

  My latest weekend “long run” was a success. This is always a good thing.

  

  Burning 800 calories before 10 am meant two desserts that day. In an attempt to prevent over indulging in sweets, I’ve been eating dessert…every day. This daily consumption also motivates me to move more. What’s similar to running?

  Walking

  In nature.

  

  

  

  Nature walks tide me over long enough until I can do my favorite outdoor activity…

  Hiking

  

  

  Pre hike fuel from my favorite local GF/V bakery. Blueberry scone.

  

  I made it out for a solo hike on Sunday, and despite the weekend crowd it was delightful. An extra mile up the mountain resulted in complete solitary. 5 moderately simply miles earned me a kick ass view, and over a pound of food for my belly.

  Not including dessert

  

  

  Thank you Whole Foods, your vegan cupcakes make my mountain loving heart flutter.

  My dear friend Lily painted me a mountain scene for my birthday, and I adore it so very much. Also, can we just take a moment to talk about how dapper my wall looks with my new poster? Mountains, tree’s, and leaves OH MY.

  

  As you can see, I clearly have impeccable decorating skills.

  It’s time to donate my layer of blubber to a seal in Antarctica, hibernation is OVER.

  Q: What are your favorite outdoor activities?

  

  | 75 Comments Tagged Adventure, Gregory Alan Isakov, Hiking, Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, Running, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 6:30 AM by Brittany, on February 12, 2015

  1. I haven’t talked about running much in these parts lately, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. It is…it is happening. 3-4 x a week. Half marathon in 30days.

  

  Soggy 7 miler

  2. On the run pictured above I got a bloody toe, and both my hands cracked and bled. Uhhh…hot mess much? I’ll spare you photos. I’m ready for spring running.

  3. My mom made a raw strawberry cheesecake and left me a slice to find on my car. I found it at 5am before work last Saturday. I think I’ll keep her.

  

  Coffe + pie = blissfulbritt. <—I had to.

  4. I’m craving change. I hope something crazy happens soon. Hey atmosphere, throwing it out there!! I’m READY!

  5. I’ve been living off of the Starbucks brown rice salad. I get one everyday – no joke. I bring it home and add more greens. It helps that I get them FOFREE.

  

  kale+spinach+peas+butternut squash+broccoli+sundried tomatoes+cabbage+brownrice+allthesalsaaaaa.

  6. My photos are awful lately. Taken inside – aka away from natural light. Meh.

  7. I’m obsessed with this vacuum. Obsessed.

  

  8. I had the most lovely conversation with two customers at work last week. 15 minutes of pure coffee geekery. I love sharing coffee knowledge with others.

  9. These Starbucks cups make my single heart swoon.

  

  10. If a dog poops in the dark and no one is around to see, did he really poop? Ultimate confession: I was walking the dog the other night and not a single fiber in my body wanted to pick up his poop, so I left it. In my defense I went to pick it up the next day, along with someone else’s poop! By someone I mean something…a dog.

  I hope. 

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 79 Comments Tagged Confessions, Half Marathon, House Sitting, Raw, Run, Running, Starbucks, Vegan

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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