Tag: Running

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 6:21 AM by Brittany, on June 27, 2014

  1.  I’m back with a vengeance in regards to my rice cake addictions. The ideas are non stop, I need to open a rice cake shop. Latest and greatest: PB and honey rice cake with…jalapenos! SO good.

  

  2. I won a free half marathon that is scheduled for July 13th. I haven’t been running…at all…like..at all at all. I’m scared…

  3. Text messages like this complete me…

  

  I like to make treats for my hikes, and it’s nice to know they are good.

  4. I’ve officially been sucked into Orange Is the New Black…damn.

  5. Seattle is my favorite.

  

  6. I love my blog layout, but hate how it makes my pictures look. The only way to get a clear detail is to click on them..ain’t no body got time for that! Not sure what I wanna do because my pictures ARE my blog.

  7. My cat goes bananas for watermelon.

  

  8. I go bananas for Chipotle. After my near death experience while hiking last week (OK SO I am exaggerating a bit) I ate a burrito the size of a small horse…all of it…and I didn’t stop to breathe.

  9. My cat food costs me $40 for two small 6lb bags. My cats = My kids.

  

  10. Today I’m off to Seattle for a meetup full of coffee, donuts, and Green Lake adventures with Alex!! SO JAZZED! Happy weekend!

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Adventure, Bloggers, Chipotle, Hiking, Mighty-O, Running, Seattle, Vegan

• Blueberry/Banana Oatcakes

  Posted at 3:41 AM by Brittany, on April 18, 2014

  Whenever I increase my running distances, my appetite goes up too. Go figure right? I find that I get by fine on shorter runs with a big bowl of fruit, but sometimes I like to add just a little bit more into my tank before jetting out the door.

  

  Pancakes are a classic breakfast for “lazy mornings,” but I had a 5 miler planned which turned these pancakes into power oatcakes. Plus, they are thick and packed with goodness.

  

  Running takes effort, but making these oatcakes was easy. I used one bowl and cleanup was easy. Once my pan was ready to go it took less than 10 minutes to make these. Don’t be fooled, these are not your grandmas light and fluffy pancakes. They are meant for a morning full of adventure and movement. I was full for hours!

  Blueberry/Banana Oatcakes

  
  Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup quick cook oats
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tblsp brown sugar
  • 1 tblsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 flax egg (1 tblsp flax + 3 tblsp warm water)
  • 1 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup frozen blueberries

  

  Directions

  1. Prepare your flax egg and set aside.
  2. Combine your flour, oats, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium sized bowl and combine well.
  3. Add in your flax egg, almond milk, and vanilla and stir until combined. Fold in your blueberries.
  4. Use a well sprayed pan or skillet and depending on how large you want your pancakes pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and cook until brown on each side.
  5. Top with bananas and maple syrup. I also added some almond butter to mine!

  

  These powered me through my run, and a shopping trip to Costco. Booya! It’s officially that time of year where running is once again enjoyable. I love spring running!

  Q: Do you like fluffy pancakes, or dense pancakes? I like both, but for different occasions!

  

  | 30 Comments Tagged Pancakes, Recipe, Run, Running, Spring, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 7:32 AM by Brittany, on April 14, 2014

  1. I bought a new French press, and I don’t know how I ever lived without this gorgeous piece of pastel. The colors are legit and it screams, “I’m 12 at heart, but LOOVEE coffee.”

  

  2. Speaking of coffee, today I start my training to become a coffee master..aka a coffee ninja. I credit my soul mate Gigi for coming up with that term. Click here to learn more. When I complete the training I will be gifted a fancy black apron (ninja.) Stoked.

  3. Continuing with the topic of Starbucks, three of my coworkers and I “gave back” last week and volunteered to stuff Easter eggs with candy for kids. They are lucky I don’t like mints…I would have struggled not smuggling all the candy out in my pants.

  

  4. Yesterday I went to Darby’s Cafe in Olympia. I’ve been wanting to go there for about a year now, mainly because I saw it on DDD. I’m a sucker for Food Network. It was delish.

  5. I’m training for my 5th half marathon, it’s in three weeks. I’ve been running on roads like this…

  

  ….and refueling with treats like this….

  

  I totally had a giant bowl of vegetables before I face plated a cupcake..I promise.

  

  6. I spent $150 at REI the other day on a rain jacket…it’s been 70 and sunny all week.

  7. I’ve made headway onto foodgawker..and I couldn’t be more elated. I still haven’t read my dSLR manual, and I know nothing about food photography. I shoot what I think looks good, so this is extra exciting for me. I’ve had three photos accepted..starting somewhere!

  

  8. I have complete plans of going back to school, but I’m taking my sweet, sweet time.

  9. I’ve managed to fit some exploring into my schedule. Total necessity. 

  10. Life is good, and I want to own a bakery.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 47 Comments Tagged Adventure, Coffee, Confessions, Half Marathon, Random, Running, Vegan

• Jumbled Mind

  Posted at 9:52 AM by Brittany, on April 1, 2014

  Oh hey there, remember me? I contemplated blogging while away on my east coast adventures, and as you can see I decided not to blog…at all. The mini break was amazing, but the only downside is that I have ALL THIS STUFF I want to share. I don’t even know where to begin, and my mind is a jumbled mess. I’ll just start at the beginning and the end.

  Upon arrival in DC I was in need of a feast. Let’s be real though…when am I NOT in need of a feast? Megan and I met up with Sarah at this immensely eclectic diner called Paper Moon. I was so overstimulated with things to look at I felt like I had ADD..in a good way.

  

  Menu

  

  

  I wanted to take a green leg home with me for my wall, but figured airport security would take me into questioning. The inside was just as bizarre, and the food was fantastic.

  Traveling sure is tough.

  

  

  Oh hey there hummus, thanks for coming to the party in my mouth.

  We chatted running, life, and had a wonderful time. I love bloggers!

  

  Such flattering lighting.

  Later in the week Megan and I visited a coffee shop that had a similar vibe. I had my coffee with a cat, no big deal. I adore local coffee shops! The coffee was delicious too…I love coffee.

  

  The final hurrah before my trek back home was another feast, but this time I earned it. I set out to run 4-5 miles, and ended up running 8 miles. I blame/thank Megan for that.

  

  

  This path was gorgeous, and I can see why it’s so popular. The torrential down pour that caused snot to drip from my face, and gave me the look of a lost rat made me feel at home. DC blessed me with some gorgeous weather. The best part was that long miles = food.

  

  This place was PACKED. I’m talking a 40 minute wait. I was getting so hangry I just about ate the books right off the wall. It was worth the wait though, and my burger/brownie was to.die.for. I also had the pleasure of meeting Nikki, and she was simply wonderful!

  

  Scratch made vegan burger and oh look, more sweet taters.

  

  

  Topped with soy ice cream.

  

  A perfect vegan meal, with two lovely ladies. I couldn’t have asked for a better last day in the DC area. I have two other blogger meet ups, including a wedding that will be hard to top, a mountain adventure, and exploring new cities still to share. I’m already planning my next trip! I’m also ready to sign up for another half marathon after that 8 miler!

  Q: WHAT HAVE I MISSED IN YOUR LIVES!?!

  

  | 44 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Chocolate, DC, Food, Run, Running, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 7:32 AM by Brittany, on March 10, 2014

  1. I’ve been hearing birds/owls in the mornings. This is exciting news. I will relish in this while I can because I know that come July I will want to shank them for waking me up.

  2. I went for a run in the rain a few days ago. It was lovely. There is nothing quite like the smell of (fresh/new) wet wood.

  

  3. I want to chop my hair. It’s at the awkward stage and all I do is throw it back. I need to get some guts cause I want to cut it short…real short. Maybe I’ll just buzz it all off.

  4. Sometimes all I need to do is go somewhere that has wonderful memories and just sit.

  

  5. I haven’t been to Disneyland in almost two years….if I don’t go soon you might see me on the news for behavior I cannot be held responsible for. Disney made me do it…

  6. I went painting on Saturday, and it was serious bidness. I think I’ll quit my life and move into the forest to paint trees and leaves on things..yeah..that’s my plan.

  

  

  I’m going to destroy some vegetables in this bowl.

  7. I made a raw vegan banana cream pie yesterday. It rocked my face soooo hard. I will be posting the recipe soon. Be prepared to rock face with me. I’m obsessed.

  8. I hoard Starbucks cups. They are perfect for “out the door” transportation. I also hoard 1lb bags of coffee, which means a giveaway is coming.

  

  Yeah, these are all empty. Oh look, some holiday cups! Those are for the middle of summer when I am craving Christmas time.

  9. This article…yes! If you’re a frequent coffee shopper, please read. Not for kids.

  10. It was a long winter season of running in my Asics. Some sunny weather pushed me to bust out my Vibrams. After 10 miles in my bare-footers, my calves were murdered.

  

  

  No shame in my game. I definitely wore this catastrophe of color.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 55 Comments Tagged Art, Coffee, Confessions, Painting, Random, Run, Running, Vegan

• Heart Breaker Half…errr…10K

  Posted at 3:55 AM by Brittany, on February 24, 2014

  While searching for the race I wanted to run for my birthday, the heart breaker half was the first to jump out at me. Close to home, but far enough away to feel like I was traveling.

  

  The only problem was that I hadn’t run more than 2-3 miles since December. While I knew I could do it, I didn’t know if I wanted to suffer through the pain of pushing myself in a race that I hadn’t trained for. Lucky for me, this race also had a 10K option. Perfect.

  

  

  The race started right outside of Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Oregon. I was so thankful the gym was open for everyone to wait in, because it was so unbelievable cold I began to question why I ever signed up for races in the winter. My entire body hurt.

  

  After waiting for what felt like an eternity in the frozen tundra of Antarctica, we finally started the race. My legs were so heavy, and my fingers were numb. I was convinced I was just going to run this 10K with the hopes of not wanting to die. I had no intention to “race.”

  This was hands down THE most gorgeous course I have ever run. Rolling hills of farm lands, pigs and cows, and amazing trees welcoming the sun on the horizon. I didn’t stop to take any photos (sadly), but it was sort of like this.

  

  

  

  

  Actual photo from the race I found on IG! This lady was great.

  The course was enough to make standing in the cold worth it, and I was quickly reminded of why I decided to run. The joy I get from discovering new areas on foot is indescribable. I found myself comfortably running about a 9:30-9:50 pace and decided I was going to try and beat my previous 10K time. I decided I was going to “race” instead of just run.

  

  I’m growing another human out of my neck, to keep warm in winter.

  I beat my previous time by 1 minute and 28 seconds. Every second counts, if you’re a runner you will know what I mean. I was FOUR seconds away from getting UNDER an hour, but was still more than happy with my end time of 1:00:04. I stopped for about 10 seconds at mile 4 to get a drink…those damn 10 seconds..

  

  The race was amazing, but my favorite part was moments after I crossed the finish line. A woman came up to me and thanked me, I had unknowingly paced her the entire time. This was her first 10K, and the excitement just poured out of her. She thanked me over and over for helping her complete this race, and told me my pace was amazing.

  

  We matched..how cute.

  I am by no means a fast runner, but to know that my 9:41 pace inspired someone else to push it to the end was something I’ll remember for a while. She made my race complete. Needless to say, I was on a runners high the remainder of that day.

  

  One of the best medals I’ve received!

  

  Q: What’s your ideal scenery for a run? Or bike ride? Definitely this.

  

  | 49 Comments Tagged 10K, Nature, Portland, Run Happy, Running

• Cardio Conundrum

  Posted at 8:43 AM by Brittany, on January 23, 2014

  Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed some changes in my every day life. My mood has elevated, my hunger is under control, and best of all…my pants are fitting better.

  

  So what’s my secret? I’ve stopped doing intense cardio..and continued eating cookies and chocolate. OK so that is an exaggeration, but I do have a good balance with sugar right now, along with food as a whole. Intuitive eating has a whole new meaning for me.

  

  After my recent trip to Arizona I had somewhat of a small epiphany if you will. I was anxious about not having access to my gym, but instead of dwelling I focused my thoughts onto what I was eating. Hunger cues became my friend, and with no access to my gym I was forced to get outside and run. I ran short miles, and tried to run for the simplicity of the run itself. I was forced to step away from my routine. Hence my last post.

  

  I didn’t do any intense cardio workouts, instead I ran a few 3-4 mile runs, I hiked, I biked, and I listened to my body cues on when I needed to eat. I didn’t worry about burning calories and I finally just…relaxed. This is when I realized nothing I’ve been doing has worked. The intense cardio has not been working, and a couple weeks ago I decided it was time for a break. Are we noticing a trend with my constant breakups?

  The only problem was that I LOVE intense cardio. It feels like a waste of motivation, but with nothing to loose I decided to give it a shot. This has allowed me to eat smaller, more frequent meals which has helped my digestion and overall I feel better. With minimal cardio in my daily routine, it was time to start some new workouts.

  

  Along with casual runs I’ve been doing yoga, walking, hanging with Jillian, and Pilates. Let me preach for a moment..Pilates is a dirty demon that I can’t get enough of. My legs have never hurt so good. After a class I can’t walk right for days. The weight work that I’ve been doing through Pilates and my Jillian DVD have already started making small differences. I’m still doing intense cardio here and there, maybe once a week, but earlier in the day and I’m fueling accordingly.

  So why am I sharing all of this? Well, for starters it just feels good to purge all the chaos that swirls in my brain from time to time. As a devout cardio junkie…I am admitting to the world that cardio is NOT all there is to life, I’m officially a strength training believer. I honestly don’t feel like I was fueling properly for the workouts I was doing, and since I don’t want to change my intake, this was the solution I needed.

  

  I still love you spin class…

  As humans we are constantly changing and growing, reinventing and reevaluating. The trial and error with my workouts, and finding my perfect balance can relate to my personal life too. I am at a place of peace, and all the mental hurdles I’ve overcome within the last year have givin me the ability to switch my mindset when it comes to lower intensity workouts. It sounds ridiculous, and makes more sense in my head (per usual) but I’m saying it anyway! It feels good to start gaining back my confidence in a round about way.

  Q: Do you feel that confidence in your workouts helps with confidence in your life? YES!

  

  | 51 Comments Tagged Cardio, Gym, Life, New, Random, Running, Spinning, Workout

• Back to the Beginning

  Posted at 8:23 AM by Brittany, on January 20, 2014

  I’m not a natural born runner. When I first started running I got excited when I accomplished one mile without stopping, working my way up until I finally ran my first 5K race. I’ve also never been a graceful runner, more like a frantic monkey with an annoying tick on his rear. Everyone has to start somewhere.

  

  Then I ran my first half marathon, and my second..third…and fourth.. and suddenly 3 mile runs were a sad excuse for a workout. I started to believe that if I didn’t run at least 5 miles in one period of time it was a waste, and my workout would suffer.

  

  Not only did I worry about miles, I started to obsess about time. Always wanting to improve and get faster. Overall, I don’t see anything wrong with this. As humans we should want to improve and better ourselves in all aspects of our lives, but not at the expense of our happiness. I started to loathe my runs, and I stopped running all together.

  

  A few months ago I wrote a post about switching up my workouts, with hopes that I would fall back in love with running. While stepping away from running was beneficial, I ended up mentally stepping away all together and not fully enjoying any run I would do. Running felt forced, and relationships should never feel forced, in any aspect of life.

  

  Lately I’ve had a strong mental desire to run, but anytime I started I wanted to stop. I’ve decided it’s time to go back to the beginning, and run the way I did when I first started. 3 mile runs are better than no runs. If I enjoy the miles that’s what matters. Along with taking the stress away from the miles, I’ve forced myself to slow down my running pace. This is much easier said than done! Fellow runners can relate.

  

  Over the last couple years I worked my way from 11 minute miles..to 10 minute miles..to 9 minute miles, with a few runs in the 8 minute pace. I’m very proud of this, and I proved to myself with a bit of hard work and motivation the increase is possible. Now that I know I am capable of running “faster” it’s easier to settle back into a 10 minute mile and still hold onto my confidence as a runner, because we all know every runner thinks about pace.

  One day my comfortable pace may be a 9:00 min mile, but for now I only foresee quicker runs happening during races, and on days that I’m feeling wild. I’m going to listen to my body and base my pace strictly on how I feel -fast or slow.

  

  My favorite reason to run, endless cupcakes.

  Long story short: my overall goal is to feel just as accomplished with a slower shorter run as I do with a shorter faster run, or a longer run. A run..is a run.. is a run. Plain and simple.

  

  Will run faster for money.

  Q: How do you feel about the constant need for improvement?

  

  | 52 Comments Tagged Cupcake, Garmin, Running, Workout

• Post Vacation Blues

  Posted at 9:40 AM by Brittany, on January 6, 2014

  I’ve always been fascinated by the ability of an aircraft to take me from a place that looks like this..

  

  Brown, dry land.

  To this..

  

  Green, snow-capped land.

  Airplanes are fascinating, but that is beside the point of this post. Despite the wonder that was the fog line on the evergreen trees upon my arrival in Washington, this post is dedicated to some of the amazing adventures I encountered while away in Arizona.

  

  This will never get old. Fog laying on the tree line is my favorite.

  One blogger meet up. I met up with a fellow plant based blogger and had a lovely time talking blogs, food, life, and of course…coffee. =)

  Two big decisions. I researched and purchased my first DSLR camera and it should arrive in my arms sometime this week. I also set up my 401K..boom, big girl pants ON.

  Three  mountains climbed. Self explanatory.

  

  Four trips to Sprouts…in less than a week. We don’t have one in Washington!

  Five toppings on my grilled pizza. Spinach, pineapple, potatoes, rosemary, & brussels sprouts. It’s January and I was able to stand outside by the grill in shorts/tank top.

  

  Six packs of sugar in my dads coffee. I was one proud daughter when my dad attempted to get away from Splenda after I told him real sugar was “better” (your body recognizes real sugar and can properly digest it, fake sugar..not so much), however we need to figure something else out because six packs of sugar for one small cup of coffee is not good!

  This article breaks it down perfectly. I’m just happy he tried..baby steps. Love you dad!

  Seven family members attending The Sound of Music together.

  

  

  This is why I bought a DSLR..this quality is horrific.
  

  Eight Harry Potter movies watched. After a complete HP marathon, I have finally seen EVERY movie and after the last one ended I felt a piece of my soul die. I’m still recovering.

  

  Nine *plus six* miles run with my Garmin. Gary held out for 15 miles of casual running.

  Ten days without my retainers. If you know me, you’ll know I wear my teeth huggers EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. Very rarely do I miss a night, and when I discovered I left my retainers on my bathroom sink in Washington I was DISTRAUGHT! Convinced my teeth were being shifted by tiny gnomes every night, I was so happy to be reunited with them.

  Until next time Arizona, keep it classy.

  Q: What was the last vacation you went on??

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Adventure, Arizona, Family, Hiking, Random, Running, Vacation, Vegan

• Balance is Bliss

  Posted at 8:06 AM by Brittany, on January 3, 2014

  I have been running nearly every day since being on vacation in Arizona, if you could call it that. My runs have been getting progressively worse, starting at 4 miles and going down to 2 miles. My body feels heavy and I can’t really get into a groove. Thankfully I have found other activities to get me moving, so that I can eat my weight in these almonds.

  The mountains in Arizona are nothing like the mountains in Washington. I go from green- moss filled paths, to brown- dirt filled paths. The change up is fun though, and I love hiking in both states. I just love hiking in general. Give me a path that goes up and I am happy.

  

  I went hiking with my sister and my dad a few days ago and the weather was perfect.

  

  I have hiked this mountain many times, but it’s still just as exhilarating and exciting reaching the top. Looking down over the city is magical, and surprisingly peaceful.

  

  I had a sudden desire to partake in some mountain yoga, and thankfully my photographer was happy to oblige. Thanks dad, I never claimed to be normal.

  

  

  Close up

  

  Far away, and stamped with an Instagram filter

  Balance is bliss – this is clearly my phrase of the century.

  I’m amazed by the weather in Arizona right now, and going back to temps in the 30’s wont allow for leisurely bike rides in a tank top. I’m taking full advantage while I can.

  Q: What’s your favorite outdoor activity? Mine changes by season…and by day! 

  

  | 50 Comments Tagged Arizona, Balance, Hiking, Mountain, Outdoor, Running, Workout, Yoga

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• If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.

• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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