Tag: Seattle

• See Jane Run

  Posted at 6:41 AM by Brittany, on July 21, 2014

  A few weeks ago I won a giveaway for a free race entry from P’s blog. Hands down the best giveaway I’ve ever won. I thought I “should” run the half marathon because it’s the distance I’ve raced for the last two years, but I decided to run the 5K. Best decision of the week.

  

  I hadn’t run a 5K “race” since April 2012, and to be honest 5K races really aren’t my thing these days. I don’t usually have a desire to spend $$ on a 3 mile race, but this run was a nice change of pace.

  Everything about this race was on point. Everything.

  It could have been because of my delicious breakfast brought to you by the lady Siren of Starbucks (Komodo Dragon drip coffee-black as night), and a vegan/gluten free pumpkin ginger muffin from The Flying Apron (a local/new to me company I am obsessed with!)

  

  

  THOSE GINGER PIECES!

  It could have been because this was the first race I didn’t stress about arrival/time(MY GARMIN DIED ON ME so I didn’t even use it for the run)/weather/fuel-the joy of a short run means minimal everything.

  

  It could have been the amazing location, with some of the best views I’ve seen on a run. We ran by the water for 80% of the 3.1 miles.

  

  

  See that concrete?? That is the running path. HELLO WATER VIEW!

  It could have been the atmosphere that was overwhelmingly positive, supportive, and full of fun activities. Such as a chalk board to write why you run, a post race photo booth, and posters for spectators.

  

  My addition to the “I run because” board. I run for food, and for a healthy life…full of food.

  

  Bottom right…someone had a different idea. Valid reason…

  It could have been the girl I focused on staying with, whom I thanked after for helping me run my new race PR. If I wasn’t running the half I told myself I had to push it for the 5K. Come to find out, having me on her tail pushed her as much as me chasing her pushed me. Win.

  

  It was so hot out, I was a legit hot mess…this photo booth was very forgiving of my sweaty face.

  It could have been the immense sense of independence and power I felt in running another race among 100’s of other women. I totally choked up while reading the “motto” of this race.

  

  OR it could have been the swag bag full of food I got after the race, along with a glass of champagne and a chocolate coconut bar. I’m not a fan of champagne, or any booze really so I only drank a few sips.  My post race treat was to come later, another C word…take a guess.

  

  I got a medal…for a 5K! This NEVER happens..too legit.

  

  I’m normally a chocolate cupcake connoisseur, but this carrot vanilla cake from the heavens was so.damn.good. After the race/stuffing my face with this cupcake beauty I wandered the area and then ended up heading to Green Lake for a few more miles.

  

  I will definitely do this race again, but next year I would like to run the half. If you have a SJR event in your area (two in CA, one in WA, and one in KS) I HIGHLY suggest you run it. There were even a few men!

  

  OH-and for all you number lovers, my official time was 28:25 (9:09 pace), which is 1:33 faster than my previous race PR. I say “race PR” because I’ve run 3.1 milers on my own time that were quicker. My best EVER in general was at a 9:01 pace. SO CLOSE to sub 9min/mi.

  Also, I’ve not run under 9:30 miles in months, this was indeed a push.

  Q: What was one of your proudest accomplishments from last week?

  

  | 41 Comments Tagged 5K, Gluten Free, Race, Run, Seattle, Vegan

• Adventure Seekers

  Posted at 7:27 AM by Brittany, on June 30, 2014

  Starting tomorrow I am finally headed back to school. I’ve kept my education plans hush for a while because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but  cats out of the bag-it’s time to get my learn on. With that said, I’ve been soaking up as much adventure as I can.

  In all reality I am only taking one summer class right now, and it’s only two days a week. My schedule will hardly be affected, but any excuse for adventure is a good one in my book! This weekend I had a blast.

  

  I met up with Alex for an exceptional donut and lake walk date. We chatted and walked for a couple hours and it was as if we were old time friends. I just adore her optimistic spirit, what a gem!

  

  We walked roughly 6 miles, and then after I dropped her off I headed back to the lake to get in a run and some more walking.

  

  I ran just around 4 miles, and walked another 2 bringing my total of the morning to about 12 miles. I was ready to destroy a donut.

  

  I could totally get used to running around a gorgeous lake followed by donuts and coffee everyday…ppsh who needs school? Kidding…kind of. I did need some real food though, so I spent my life savings on 1.2 pounds of food from Whole Foods salad bar.

  

  If you’ve never had roasted garlic the size of a small child, you’re missing out.

  The very next day I went for a hike at the mountain near my house. I’ve hiked this trail too many times to count on one hand, so I decided it was time to explore some more. I ended up stepping foot on all four trails of the mountain, adding an additional 1.5 hrs to my hike.

  

  I honestly didn’t have much of an idea where I was, but I knew eventually I would be spit out onto a familiar trail. My friend was along for the ride, and I was sure she wanted to kill me.

  

  The multiple trails took as around the mountain instead of straight up. After finally finding the top, we enjoyed a 20 minute eat/rest.

  

  5 hours and at least 10-11+ miles later we made it down in one piece.

  Today I am headed to Seattle for another bigger mountain hike, stay tuned for a post on that. I also post my hiking adventures to my Instagram if you wanna follow me there..ya know..if ya wanna.

  Q: What is your idea of a fabulous adventure? Good food,  good company, and a GOOD outdoor workout. All wrapped into one day.

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Adventure, Bloggers, Hike, Seattle

• 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

• Wanderer

  Posted at 3:58 AM by Brittany, on March 3, 2014

  I like to wander. I find it calming, peaceful, and the best way to discover new places. Last week I took one of my days off and headed to Seattle to wander. I’ve been to Seattle handfuls of times, but always with a purpose. This was one of the first times I went with no plan, and I went all by myself. It also happened to be the first sunny day in weeks.

  

  

  I got about 4 blocks from the ferry dock when I decided to stop for lunch.

  

  

  This picture was meant to capture my lunch date..with myself. Empty seat in front of me. It was awesome.

  

  After I face planted this “chicken” sandwich, I walked..and walked..and walked some more. The weather put me in such a fabulous mood, I turned left, then right, then left again.

  

  No matter how many times I have been to Seattle I almost always venture to Pike Place, just to wander some more. It was a slow day at the market, and sadly the vegan scone I had my heart set on was gone. I have been wanting to try this scone for a while now.

  

  Just when I thought my luck ran out after missing my opportunity with the scone, I wandered my way across the street from a place I had JUST seen on Cooking Channels show Unique Sweets (which I happen to be obsessed with.) I was sure they wouldn’t have any vegan chocolate, but I had to go in just to see what the hype was all about!

  

  The super tiny, smaller than a quarter sized truffles were $2..EACH. NO WAY. I was just about to walk out after reading milk chocolate, salted caramel labels when I saw this…

  

  4 minutes and $4 later I walked out with the most expensive piece of chocolate I’ve ever purchased. I blame my missed scone opportunity, and the fact that this place was on TV.

  

  I’m trying to live my life on the edge these days, and spending $4 on this tiny bar of chocolate is completely wild and crazy. The presentation was gorgeous, well done Fran.

  

  The story behind this store is exceptional quality products, from only the top chocolate producing countries. Fran’s passion for chocolate is like my passion for coffee, I dig it. Oh, and the verdict on my pistachio, toasted hazelnut, dark chocolate from Madagascar bar?

  Meh. It went well with my morning coffee, and had rich cocoa notes at the end of my bite, but it wasn’t worth $4 that’s for sure! I think I’ll stick to my $4 cupcakes.

  Q: Would you buy expensive food if it were on Food Network or Cooking Channel? Yes…yes I would.  

  

  | 46 Comments Tagged Adventure, Chocolate, Seattle, Vegan, Veggie Grill

• Seattle Half Marathon

  Posted at 8:35 AM by Brittany, on December 2, 2013

  I am here to write this post, which means I didn’t get lost somewhere on the course. Despite feeling like I wanted to die at times (OK, so that’s a bit dramatic) I survived and am very happy with my overall experience!! First, I must rewind to the day before the race. I was so jazzed to venture to Seattle, because I was able to meet MEGHAN!

  

  If only her co-blogger Rebekah came too!

  This unbelievably gorgeous gal (seriously..she was a babe) KILLED the FULL marathon and has a shiny new PR tucked into her back pocket!! Way to goooo M! We got lunch at The Veggie Grill, because I am obsessed and like to drag all my blog friends there. I had a blast with this girl, and we chatted as if we were long time friends. I love blogging!

  ONTO the race!! 3 AM came quick, but I was able to roll out of bed and get all my stuff together. I was running with one of my longtime friends, and she was picking me up around 3:40. I got my coffee and we hit the road!! We got to our parking spot EARLY, just how I like it. This left lots of time for bathroom breaks and photo ops.

  

  

  When you let someone else take your photo, 90% of the time it comes out blurry. OH and it was cold.

  7:30 came and we were off. Now let me just say..my friend up there..on the left…is a bit of a speedy-gon-haul-ass. Her pace is at least an entire minute faster than mine for most runs, but I ended up running with her for the first 4 miles. Finally, when I looked at my watch and saw I was running sub 9 min miles I knew I needed to calm down. I didn’t train for this race, and if I kept up this pace I’d never make it. I gave her my blessing and she took off. She ended up owning this race and finished about 15 minutes before me.

  The first half of the course was fine, I felt OK..not great..but OK. I hit mile 7 and my hips suddenly felt like they were carrying 10lb bags of sand. UGH. I was way too far from the end to feel like this. This is when I knew the remainder of the race was going to be almost 100% mental. I had to push..hard. This is also when the hills really started to show their ugly faces. Damn you hills, you killed my hips and lower back!

  

  but I don’t wanna!!!

  I ended up walking..A LOT. In fact I was shocked by how many OTHER people were walking as well. I have to admit I was easily influenced by others walking. I walked some of the hills that I just couldn’t fathom running up. In all reality it wouldn’t have been running anyway, more like an injured looking mouse hobbling away from a fox up the hill.

  The course was stunning, and I wish I would have appreciated the scenery more instead of focusing on my legs aching. We ran though woodsy trails, neighborhoods, and over the city. I felt like I was on top of the world at one point. My Garmin lost satellite around mile 4 so it was completely off, and I was convinced my time was going to be awful. I was shocked when I finally made it to the finish and saw that my time was 2:15, a 10:19 pace.

  

  I walked a lot, I didn’t train, the hills kicked my ass, and my legs felt like lead…but somehow I still managed to complete a half marathon FASTER than two of the three previous half’s I trained for. This time is 6 minutes slower than my PR, but I have NO complaints and I was more than jazzed about my finish.

  After the race I was walking like I just gave birth. My legs were like jello and any stairs I saw were quickly cursed at and made me want to cry. I sucked it up though, because I was on my way to Mighty-O to get myself some DONUTS! Will run for donuts..

  

  Overall I would say this race was a success. I’ve run a handful of race in Seattle, but this course was one of the prettiest. I would love to do it again next year..with proper training of course. Despite feeling like I was dying for 1/3 of the race it still went by fast and I earned my medal, and I destroyed an apple fritter.

  

  Q: How do you refuel after a long workout? After regular workouts I like to eat a healthy meal, but after a race I love to eat poison sugar! DONUTTT. 

  

  | 74 Comments Tagged Donuts, Half Marathon, Mighty-O, Race, Running, Seattle, Vegan

• Good People

  Posted at 7:30 AM by Brittany, on July 6, 2013

  Last weekend I spent some time with old/new friends. I say old/new because while they are new to me friends..I have met them before because we all went to high school together. A mutual friend recently came into town and brought us all together. Since the three of us have no friends we decided to make a trip to Seattle together.

  The original plan was to go to a couple farmers markets, but we only made it to one and were only there for about 8 min. Enough time to snap some pictures & drink some juice.

  

  Fruit wine!

  

  

  Raspberry Tetris

  The remainder of the day was spent figuring out public transportation (I have never ridden so many city buses in my life, and it was a blast of an adventure), eating good food, and spending time looking at thrift shops, bakery’s, and coffee shops.

  

  While this bakery had an adorable picture worthy sign, they did not have anything worth purchasing inside. So I did what any Seattle lover would do, and I walked across the street to Starbucks. I got some weird looks for getting a drip coffee while it was 80F outside.

  

  This is how I double fist. Water and coffee!

  It’s no secret that I love to walk, however the temperatures were getting higher and higher throughout the day, and it was hard to walk at times. You know you’re with good people when despite the heat you still go out of your way to walk for some sugar.

  

  

  This homemade ice cream shop has one vegan ice cream option, which was delicious, but reminded my why I don’t like ice cream on hot days. Call me crazy, but I feel so sick and weighed down with the heaviness of frozen cream on a hot day. Nonetheless this coconut milk chocolate chunk ice cream was SO good. Must remember for a COOLER day.

  

  I really liked that my ice cream was the same price as all the “normal” ice creams. Usually I find that I am paying more for a vegan option (which is lammmeee) but this place charges by the scoop regardless of the flavor! That’s the way to do it! All in all it was a fun and exhausting day with new friends.

  Q: What foods do you stay away from on a hot day? Ice cream, fatty foods, HOT meals, anything heavy. 

  

  | 47 Comments Tagged Adventure, Ice Cream, Seattle, Starbucks, Vegan

• America’s Favorite Pastime

  Posted at 7:12 AM by Brittany, on June 11, 2013

  This past weekend I went to my first baseball game of the season.

  

  Before finding my seat, I made sure to first find the moose.

  

  I have laser eyes, and I forgot to take my backpack off. Don’t stare into my eyes or I will steal your soul..and your cookie.

  Nothing makes me feel more like a child than getting a photo with a sweaty mascot. I felt his sweat through the suit…gross. When I think baseball, I think hot dogs. I’ve never been a fan of hot dogs, but the vegan hot dogs made by Field Roast I DO happen to like! Lucky for me this baseball stadium sells them! I get to fit in with the crowd!

  

  I was asked multiple times if I had vodka in my camelbak. Uh no..I have water, carrots, figs, and peanut butter and jellies..no vodka.

  

  I like a lot of mustard…

  I think I finished this hot dog in a matter of seconds. After watching the Mariners loose, my date and I headed into the heart of Seattle for the remainder of the day. The game was at 1:10PM, which meant we still had time to walk around afterwards!

  

  I found some blue trees. I want blue trees in my backyard. Then I can dress up like an Avatar creature and do a dance around the swaying branches. I felt inclined to include the blue trees in this post. After walking it was time for dinner..shocker..I needed more food.

  

  My hot date..she had no idea I was creeping her photo.

  A whole loaf of bread, and a plate full of spaghetti and broccoli later I was ready to be rolled home. After my day of eats it’s no wonder my pants feel snug. If anyone has P90X that I can borrow it would be greatly appreciated, I need to build some muscle!

  Eating my weight in carbs did give me the opportunity to run my fastest 5K to date the next morning. I’ll take it!

  

  One day I’ll catch that road runner.

  Q: Do you like going to sporting events? I do I doooo. I don’t watch sports on TV, but the atmosphere at live games are so much fun.

  

  | 80 Comments Tagged Baseball, Field Roast, Mariners, Seattle, Vegan

• When Nature Calls

  Posted at 10:33 AM by Brittany, on May 20, 2013

  Lately I have been spending a lot of time alone. Sometimes it’s peaceful, sometimes it’s not. This weekend I tried to get out and spend time around other people and bless them with my charm and wit. Friday I successfully got lost in nature, kind of. Can you get lost if you’re not alone?

  

  Oops she was mid sentence when I snapped the picture haha.

  I brought my sister with me to go for a walk in the woods because let’s be honest, I am afraid of going into the woods alone. What can I say, I’m a wuss. What I am not afraid of though, is honoring nature when it calls. I was no where near a bathroom and my bladder felt like it was carrying the entire San Diego Zoo. The problem was finding somewhere appropriate to hide. I don’t prefer this way, but I just had to.

  

  Too out in the open.

  

  Too rude to go on a bridge.

  

  Can I climb inside this tree stump?

  Finally when I thought I couldn’t hold my bladder any longer I found a giant rock to hide behind. I told my sister to block my way and she then say, “Can Tiff try?” For those of you that don’t know, my sister has autism and is very impressionable. I probably should have held it, but I REALLY had to go. I said “NO! Don’t ever do this..and pretend it didn’t happen.” She said, “Keep it a secret.” Yes..keep my secret. Sorry mom.

  
  

  I really enjoyed being out with the ferns, birds, and tree monkeys.

  Sunday I spent time with a friend that I’ve known since I was a wee won.

  

  For the record, yes I wear this jacket basically everywhere I go. I don’t know what I’ll do when the weather heats up for good. I’ll probably just cut off the sleeves.

  While driving around Seattle I spotted the most beautiful graffiti I have ever seen.

  

  I have been craving pizza, for WEEKS! For some reason I’ve had no motivation to make my own, and as a vegan it’s not easy to just walk into Domino’s and ask for a pizza without cheese. Plus who knows whats in their crust..ANYWAY. This pizza..was legit.

  

  I chose the Field Roast pizza and it had: white garlic sauce, Field Roast, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and I ditched mushrooms for potatoes. Potatoes on pizza is the best. I think they also sprinkled dill on top, which I don’t really care for..but the pizza was so good I was able to ignore the dill. Plus I dumped enough red pepper and nooch on top to plug a flood hole.

  

  

  So good I left some on the side of my mouth for later. Thanks for the candid shot my friend.

  The pizza is made to order, so you know it’s fresh. They don’t sell by the slice so I had to purchase a small, but that just means more for later. I love supporting small businesses.

  

  I need to move to Seattle. Happy Monday everyone, I’m off to yoga!

  Q: Have you ever used nature as a bathroom? Be honest…

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature, Pizza, Seattle, Vegan

• Coupons Make My Heart Soar

  Posted at 9:34 AM by Brittany, on April 11, 2013

  Fact: Sweets taste better when they’re free. Most of anything tastes better when I don’t have to spend any of my hard earned cash money on them, but sweets are the top dog in this playing field.

  I’ve been daydreaming about being a contestant (is this what I’d call myself?) on Extreme Couponing. While I don’t have the patience or the brain capacity to do all the work that goes into couponing, watching other people coupon is extremely fascinating. I may never have a stockpile the size of the Taj Mahal, but I do my part in couponing for civilians.

  

  I was lucky enough to be born with sticky fingers, and while at VegFest a few weeks ago I snagged a “few” extra BOGO donut coupons. Six to be exact. I used four coupons last weekend, which gave me four free donuts.

  

  

  *One maple bar was consumed prior to the picture taking. Donuts wait for no one.

  These bangin beauties are from Mighty-O Donuts in Seattle. Only the best vegan donuts around the sound. Let’s do some math now. I spent a total of $3.78 on four donuts (My friend bought the other four making our total eight, but for the sake of numbers we will only count the ones I paid for.) Remember when I said all the lost change I found with my coin counter would go towards donuts? Well I wasn’t joking. I’ve found a total of $2.19 thus far, subtract that from my whopping total and I payed: $1.59 for four donuts. Oh sweet victory is mine.

  I wish I could say the sugar faeries stopped dancing in my brain after I bought these donuts, but that would be a terrible lie. While in Seattle, I do it big. Both my friend and I had coupons for a free dessert at Veggie Grill. The donuts were packed safely for later and along with a delicious comfort meal, we had two desserts at no cost to us.

  

  

  Damn if feels good to be a gangsta  couponer.

  For all health purposes I feel inclined to tell you the only thing I ate this day was half of that carrot cake. I saved my donuts for the days to follow, and I still haven’t touched my half of the cookie. As much as I’d like to go into a sugar coma by eating everything in one sitting, I just can’t.

  If anyone would like to pay me large heaps of money, I will teach you my frugal ways. I also still have two donut coupons for anyone that wants to chat over coffee and sugar!

  Q: Do you ever use coupons? 

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Coupons, Donuts, Food, Frugal, Mighty-O, Seattle, Vegan

• Food for Days

  Posted at 9:06 AM by Brittany, on March 24, 2013

  Yesterday I made my way to Seattle for tons of free stuff VegFest, a vegetarian food festival with lots of samples. This was my first time attending VegFest as a vegan, but I was pleased to find out that 95% of the food was vegan friendly!

  

  The day started off gray, but that didn’t stop hundreds of people from piling onto the ferries going across the water.

  

  I saw that Scott Jurek was in town and was really hoping to see him at VegFest, but no such luck. I did however score big in the food department. Hundreds of samples to eat, and plenty more to take home. All for an $8 entrance fee. Score.

  

  Beet, fennel, quinoa salad.

  

  Two bags FULL of loot.

  

  The final haul, all sprawled out.

  The best new-to-me find at VegFest was vegan whipped cream that tasted JUST like the dairy version..pumpkin/apple/berry pie here I come! After stuffing my face with tons of delicious vegan food, it was time to play tourist in the city I adore.

  

  What’s a trip to Seattle without Starbucks?

  

  

  

  Pike Place market has amazing spring flowers this time of year, and of course delicious produce! The daffodils were everywhere.

  

  

  Spring has SPRUNG! The sun also decided to come out for the rest of the day. HOO-rah.

  

  I tell ya, the day would have been rough without this guy..

  

  Snacks, water, and extra clothes. The day was great, and to top it off I found $0.63 cents over the course of six hours. I’m not even kidding (super rad, right!?.) I’m up to $1.13 on my coin counter. I’m well on my way to that free donut. By the end of the day I was ravenous all over again. Food for days will last for..maybe five days.

  Q: What big city do you live near or in, and how often do you visit?? Seattle, and I visit as often as I can! 

  

  | 55 Comments Tagged Adventure, Food, Seattle, Spring, Vegan

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