Tag: Spinning

• Green Wedding Cats

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 6, 2017

  I’ve been feeling pretty good lately, aside from the occasional fatigue (which is just a part of my life now) I’d say things are moving and groovin over here in BB land. This is no new discovery for me, but I find that often the cure for whatever ails me is always green.

  • Avocados have become my savior. Since announcing my current dietary changes I’ve been able to find a happy balance of intake. The only non plant based food I’m partaking in is fish because it has such powerful anti-inflammatory properties, but I only eat it here and there. Insert fats on fats on fats.

  

  • Outdoor activities always fuel my soul, and I live in a state that’s surrounded by trees. Praise. Even the green algae growing on abandoned sheds makes me smile.

  

  

  • My watch is green when I put it in workout mode. Coincidence? I think not. Spin class has been rocking my world lately. I keep the classes around two per week because my body ain’t what it used to be. Those endorphin’s though, can’t beat em’.

  

  • Coffee starts out green, so it’s only fair I include my love for the bean. Coffee caused a lot of extra stress on my system for quite some time, so adding it back into my life has been immensely rewarding. I must moderate it, and my system will flare up if I overdo it, but overall it’s been OK. The boost it gives me is an added bonus. I busted out the ROK espresso maker after I shamefully tucked it away a couple years ago.

  All I can say is wow. The flavor, ohh the flavor. The extraction with this maker is beyond words. The rich, full bodied flavor is so smooth it’s like drinking full fat coconut milk. I’m currently loving Starbucks Organic Yukon Blend. This multi region blend provides the Latin American beauty of cocoa and nuts, with a balance of Indonesian spice.

  C’est magnifique.

  In other news, I took my old man kitty to the vet last week. What initially seemed like a clean bill of health resulted in blood work determining he has severe kidney disease. Despite this diagnosis I am in awe of his thirst for life. He has so much love to give still, and we won’t be going out without a fight. He will be 20 this year!

  

  My other cat has been sneaking out at night to partake in nude modeling for picture books.

  

  He’s rebelling because I’ve been giving my love to others. 

  

  Lastly, I was able to save a few photos from when I dressed up for Halloween as a girl. AKA when I put on some fancy digs and helped Gigi walk down the aisle. The below photo is my favorite, and all these girls are amazing. Four of us are bloggers, and became instant friends. Blogging has been one of the biggest blessings of my life because it has allowed me to meet so.many.amazing.people.

  

  Q: What’s your favorite color? Green 

  

  | 62 Comments Tagged Autoimmune Disease, Cats, Explore, Plants, Spinning

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 6:09 AM by Brittany, on December 22, 2014

  1. On Friday I went to my first spin class in weeks. I was quickly reminded why it’s important to stay on top of cardio. Holy tired sweat fest. So I went again yesterday for 90 min spin, and then went for a 2 hr hike. Time to get back in running shape.

  2. Last week I got an e-mail informing me that if I bought a $30 gift card at The Veggie Grill I would get a free entree. I bought the card…for myself. Then I ate a free meal.

  

  “BLT” with smoked tempeh bacon, avocado, and a garlic aioli on sourdough. Swoon.

  3. I balanced out my selfish gift card purchase by sharing a $5 oatmeal cookie with a stranger on the streets of Seattle. I hope she enjoyed it more than I did.

  4. I’ve been branching out of my drip coffee bubble and getting something different. Americanos have a caramel sweetness to them thanks to the espresso beans.

  

  This goes so well with my morning apple or banana.

  5. I have been driving my car without a hubcap for OVER TWO YEARS NOW. I inquired about a new one once, but decided I was too cheap to buy one.

  6. Looks like my patience payed off because my amazing coworker/friend (he chose me for his secret Santa) BOUGHT ME A NEW HUBCAP! SO JAZZED.

  

  7. I won a coffee selling competition at work, and the prize is a trip to the new reserve roasting plant with my boss and the aforementioned coworker (he won the following week.) Basically my boss is paying for us to go to Seattle and drink coffee.

  8. Lily…makes…gorgeous….things. Click here for adorable stuff.

  

  9. Once upon a time I used to drink one cup of coffee. One. And I wouldn’t even finish it. Lately I’ve been drinking nearly my entire morning French press. It’s soothing.

  10. FIVE MORE SLEEPS UNTIL I’M SUNNING MY SKIN IN ARIZONA!

  

  AZ MTNS

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Arizona, Cardio, Coffee, Confessions, Spinning, Starbucks

• Making my Meals Taste Better

  Posted at 6:12 AM by Brittany, on May 30, 2014

  I find that food takes so much better when I “earn it.” I always like to earn my treats such as cupcakes, cookies, or cupcakes AND cookies, but getting a good sweat in before an actual meal is just as rewarding. Running is my go to when I want to earn something like this…

  

  

  Local GF/Vegan chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes. Ohhh my swoon.

  These were savored and swooned over after a morning run.

  Another way I like to earn my meals is with a solid hike. I’ve been able to squeeze a good hike in every week lately, sometimes two in one week. My favorite local mountain is an easy default and after 9 miles on my feet and 3.5hrs in the heat/sun I head straight for food.

  

  View from the top.

  

  View from the restaurant.

  Sunshine and open decks mean sunnies and lots of water.

  I ordered a vegetable curry bowl, because for some reason I like hot foods even on hot days. I also always drink hot coffee, never iced.

  Can’t say I claim to be normal.

  

  Not a fan of the white rice, but I ate every last bit.

  I didn’t even attempt to use those chopsticks on the side of my bowl, give me a fork STAT. I usually give chopsticks my best shot despite looking like a sloth trying to pick up a piece of rice, but I was much too hungry for that nonsense. This meal was devoured. Moving on…

  I’ve been doing a lot of yoga lately. I start every morning with 10 minutes of sun salutations, and go to a class at least once a week-Ideally twice. I enjoy eating something light, but filling after a yoga class. Tofu spring rolls always hit the spot.

  

  Last, but certainly not least refueling after spin class always varies. Early morning spin classes usually result in a cous cous veggie bowl, and evening spin classes result in something lighter like a snack bowl.

  Early morning spin classes also earn me my coffee.

  

  

  Starbucks reserve coffee is such a rare treat!

  

  How I really feel.

  The Starbucks I work at is not a Reserve Store, so I don’t get to have reserve coffee as often as I would like. Anytime I find myself near a reserve store I get myself a clover brewed reserve coffee.

  I love coffee, I love to eat, and I love getting my sweat on. Life is good.

  Q: Would you agree that meals taste better after a good workout?

  

  | 62 Comments Tagged Coffee, Hike, Hiking, Run, Spinning, Starbucks, Vegan, Yoga

• 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

• Five Reasons Why I Won’t Meet My Husband at the Gym

  Posted at 8:29 AM by Brittany, on November 14, 2013

  Do you ever notice those people at the gym that just glow? They have a sexy factor of 10/10 , and it’s almost like they float while they are sweating just the right amount…I am NOT one of those people. Some people meet their soul mates at they gym, but let me tell you why that will never happen to me…

  

  1. Unless I go to the gym after work, I don’t have a drop of makeup on. I literally roll out of bed at times and still have the, “I look like I got mauled by bees because my face is so swollen”/sleepy face. Then again, I barely wear makeup anyway.

  2. I don’t glisten, I look like Free Willy emptied his blow hole all over my face 5 minutes into a good workout. I’m not complaining, in fact I LOVE when I start to drip sweat..but boy do I look like a hot mess. I sometimes even drip from my forearms..WOOF.

  

  No…that’s not a bald spot. My hair is so full of sweat it’s matted itself together exposing my scalp. This picture does no justice to my entire body.

  3. I don’t always have fresh shaved legs..or pits..and I wear tank tops. I’ll spare you that photo. I guess I fit in with the hippies I danced with a few weeks ago more than I thought.

  4. My wardrobe is almost strictly for function, not for fashion. My clothes are old, and I roll my pants up if they are too long. My body parts need to stay in place, and cute tops and short shorts just don’t offer the function I need. I look like I got dressed in the dark.

  

  5. I’m channeling my inner hippie again with this, but I don’t wear deodorant. I will put some baking soda under my arms to help any odor, and in everyday life this works. At the gym, with a combination of wearing day old clothes and sporting Free Willy’s spit..well..I don’t smell like a fresh licked kitten I’ll just put it that way.

  I am sure there are many other reasons why I won’t find a date at the gym like when I grunt to clear my throat, or blow the sweat off my nose and it hits the wall, but I’m strictly there to workout and that’s exactly what I do! Alright, I’m off to torture my bum at spin!

  

  Q: What unattractive qualities or tendencies do you possess at the gym?

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Gym, Spinning, Sweat

• Rainbows and Glitter

  Posted at 7:19 AM by Brittany, on November 6, 2013

  The support I received on my last post was amazing, and very appreciated. After reading through the comments and hearing some feedback, I think perhaps the post came off a bit heavier, or more depressing than I intended it to. Clearly my thoughts are still somewhat of a jumbled mess, and my transportation onto online paper was not a complete success. Overall my last post was meant to be a positive one. Despite some of the emotions I am still working through, I am optimistic and calm. I said I wasn’t good with these things!

  After attending another amazing spin class last night I think my words may have come to me in a way that makes more sense. Long story short is this..when I was in those moments during spin where I was pushing my body to its limits I realized how resilient I really am. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. This was the first time in months I felt my life having some kind of order, and the best way to continue is with these small routines.

  BOOM, OK I hope that came off more positive because despite the overwhelming support from my blog family on my last post, I did NOT want to be a Debbie downer! AIN’T no body got time fo dat! Now I want to list some things that make me happy. I want to puke rainbows and glitter in this post and make it disgustingly positive.

  • Leaf littered benches. Fall, you continue to steal my heart. ❤ swoon.
    

  

  • Balanced meals. It may be hard to believe with all the sweets I post, but this is the majority of what I eat. I don’t post my meals because they are boring, but man are they tasty. I would eat cupcakes all day if I could though..

  

  

  • Starbucks red cups. Everyone and their mom has posted about these, but my coffee really does taste so much better out of a holiday cup. It’s a scientific fact.

  

  • Spin. Well…duh.

  

  • COFFEE. I love everything about coffee, it just makes me feel so fuzzy inside and reminds me of crisp mountain mornings with a small layer of fog hiding the sun.

  

  I think I’m going to talk to my boss about becoming a coffee master at work! WHOOOO!

  • Cats. Call me crazy, but I feel like I’ve grown closer to my two cats the last 6 months. HAHA I have to laugh as I type that, but I am so serious! They are with me everywhere when I am home and they snuggle every night. It’s wonderful.

  

  

  Failed attempt at a cat beard. I promise I am not hurting him..

  • BLOG FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY! You all rock my socks and make me smile. Thanks for always hanging out with me during all my crazy blog shenanigans!

  Q: What makes you most happy right now??

  

  | 80 Comments Tagged Coffee, Emotions, Random, Spinning, Vegan

• Small Victories

  Posted at 8:53 AM by Brittany, on November 4, 2013

  The other night I attended my first spin class in almost 6 months. It’s hard to believe I used to go to spin 3-4 times a week for over a year. While my unaccustomed backside cried out in discomfort from the saddle, and my legs screamed in pain from 6 minutes of straight sprints, I realized something..something monumental. In that moment I felt complete.

  

  This is a bike. Not my bike, and not my spin bike..but a bike..I rode this bike one time.

  I’ve never been one to enjoy talking about deep emotions, I struggle with being vulnerable and in all honesty I hate putting my “problems” onto other people. I know what it’s like to listen to others go on and on about things they cannot change, so despite some of my internal battles, I don’t like to share them. It’s been hard for me to admit that although it’s been nearly 6 months I am still not fully recovered from my breakup. I still have moments of complete weakness where I breakdown at the drop of a hat. That’s really hard to admit.

  

  If you’re worried about falling off the bike, you’ll never get on.

  It’s hard for me to admit that at times I still feel like I am lost, and that my direction continues to go up, then down, and then back, and then up again. It all feels complicated.

  

  I’ve had wonderful adventures lately, and I really am finding my happiness, but I still feel as if some days are a bit of a black clouded blur. This spin class opened my eyes to what I need in my life. I need a routine. My work schedule isn’t consistent, and I can’t say I like the inconsistency, but it’s something I have to accept with this job. This spin class reminded me of the days when I had a strict, yet wonderful routine.

  There is no guidebook to tell me when I am supposed to feel complete, and I’ve realized the “self work” I have to do takes TIME. Finding a consistent schedule is going to be one of the keys I need for my happiness. That spin class was a small victory for me on my road to success. I now see that I don’t need to be a medical professional to be happy, I just need a consistent schedule that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished my day. I love ending my day feeling exhausted.

  I have learned so much about myself in the last 6 months it’s almost crazy to look back and see where my life was a year ago. All this time I was longing for the past and struggling with my present, without realizing some of the simple things that would help me move forward. The saying, “live and learn” really means more than I thought. One day I will return to school and pursue a career, but for now I hope to find my balance in routine.

  

  Q: How do you feel about sharing/reading more “emotional” posts? I struggle with them and I don’t feel like the world needs to know everything, but sometimes sharing can be cathartic. I also enjoy reading more personal posts when I can relate to them. 

  

  | 66 Comments Tagged Biking, Emotions, Life, Random, Spinning

• Vega Sport Review

  Posted at 5:17 AM by Brittany, on August 12, 2013

  I love caffeine. Give me a pot of coffee with some espresso shots on the side and I will be bouncing off the walls for hours. While I love the high that I get from caffeine, I would rather get this energy boost from vitamins. I’m a huge believer of using vitamins for natural energy. With that said, you can understand my excitement when I received an e-mail from Vega asking me to try out their new sugar free energizer.

  

  A lot of endurance or energy products are super sketchy, so I was glad to see that the ingredients were legit. Aside from devils claw (which I promptly Googled) I knew what everything was, making it easy to confidently put this into my body.

  

  I hate when people share products without sharing the nutrition label!!

  I was shocked to find that they sent me an entire box, with THIRTY packets. This meant multiple reviews for multiple activities.

  

  First up was a packet before a morning spin class. Normally I feel a bit sluggish for this class, but this time I felt great. One packet 20 mins prior to spin and you’ll feel like you’ve got the Olympic torch, pedaling as fast as you can to get it home. Faster, FASTER!

  

  Next up was work. I wanted to see how this stuff stood up to regular activity vs higher endurance activities. I was pumped so full of vitamins that I was moving at lighting speed. I was pouring lattes and blending frappuccinos like the end of the world was coming. I almost had too much energy..almost. Seriously I felt cracked out, in a good way. Good thing I work with coffee and no one noticed, I’m sure they thought I slammed some shots.

  

  Last, but most certainly not least I tested these out while running. Let me just set this disclaimer out there, these energy packets DO NOT turn you into Kara Goucher. I had to test these twice because the first time I went for a run with the energizer, I set out of the gate like I was competing for a spot in a zombie shelter. NONONO! Once I depleted all my energy within 5minutes I knew I had to try them again..and run like I do normally.

  

  So I did just that, I tried them again before an early morning five mile run. It was amazing. I didn’t even need my morning coffee!! Well I didn’t need my coffee for energy, I still needed it for other morning rituals. I also lasted that entire day until after 10pm. Long story short I really, REALLY like this product! I will be purchasing more when I run out!

  Q: What’s your go to energy source for working out? These are now my favorite, along with SHOT BLOKS! 

  

  | 33 Comments Tagged Coffee, Review, Running, Spinning, Vega, Work

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 10:24 AM by Brittany, on May 15, 2013

  1. Life has been crazy lately. Almost like a blur. Initially I wanted to crawl into a hole like a hermit, but I’ve decided blogging helps me stay calm and collected. So blog I shall.

  2. Cookies make everything better…everything.

  
  3. Remember when I said I felt like I was a flying unicorn while dripping sweat in spin class a few weeks ago? Well the other day I noticed more sweat drops underneath my bike and instantly got excited. I then remembered that I never felt any drops fall from my face, and noticed a fan blowing directly onto the sweaty man next to me. The fan was blowing in my direction. Ohh gross. Please let the sweat on my skin be mine.

  4. While trying to coax my cat into the kitty carrier to go to the vet he was hesitant.

  

  “Please go into the jail like box.”

  My other cat decided the box was a playground and I couldn’t get him to come OUT of it.

  

  5. I never read The Great Gatsby in school, so when I saw the movie I had no idea what to expect. What a sad, tragic, and romantic story all wrapped into one. I couldn’t help but feel a bit down after watching it though. Also, WHY does Leo ALWAYS die!?

  6. I love my mom because she is ALWAYS there for me. No matter the situation. We may butt heads at times, but when I need her the most she is there whether it’s a shoulder to cry on, or answering my distress call after a failed attempt at a long run.

  

  I made it to 6miles and everything started to hurt. Including my mind. Mom to the rescue.

  7. I really realllyyy really want a bike. I am looking at hybrid bikes, but don’t know much about them. If you’re a biker pleaseee help!! Any tips or suggestions PLEASE!

  8. I got a haircut last week, and of course left the salon excited with the way it was styled. I cannot for the life of me style it the same way. I now regret this decision and want to shave my head. I must remember this next time I feel the need to chop my hair.

  

  Do not be fooled by this. When I try to curl it myself it looks like a 12 yr old did it.

  9. My black cat has been ALL OVER ME lately. I’ve decided I am going to invent a device where humans can pick up on emotions like animals can. I swear he knows when I am off and then turns into extremely annoying kitty. It’s appreciated though. Stay tuned for my invention, I think this is my calling.

  10. I need a vacation. Somewhere tropical would be nice. Someone please take me.

  

  Hawaii 2009

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Biking, Confessions, Random, Running, Spinning

• One of Three

  Posted at 9:45 AM by Brittany, on April 25, 2013

  Yesterday I went for a run. Nothing crazy, just a run. No record breaking distance or speed..JUST a RUN! Well it was hard. So hard in fact that I needed to drink my entire mini water bottle by the end of a measly three mile run.

  

  The difficulty of this run could have been for one of three reasons:

  1. It was hot out. And by hot I mean like 64, but the sun was BEATING on my skin! 
  2. Aunt Flo is here. That bitch always zaps my energy. 
  3. I was tied to a fishing pole and someone was reeling me in each step I took.

  The last one sounds about right.

  After I got home from my run, I noticed someone got a new bed.

  

  Where’s my new bed!? This kitty king palace was $30!! Seriously that is like $1000 in human money and I could get a nice bed for that price. This is actually a dog bed, but shh don’t tell them. My furry felines we given this bed for one of three reasons:

  1. They are princes of my house and get whatever they want.
  2. They get cat hair on the couches so in attempt to stop that, they now have their own couch.
  3. They brainwashed my mom and today she will be coming home with fresh salmon and string toys from Europe. 

  I’m going to say all of the above.

  Lastly, in the evening I went to a spin class. Before I went I had some of this.

  My spin class was so epic, I swore at any moment my bike was going to come off the stable indoor docking and I was going to be riding through mystical forests filled with shirtless centaurs that looked like Adam Levine. The class was SO good, that I was dripping sweat. There was one point where I saw the drops fall..plop, plop, plop..tic tac toe three in a row. It was like the Amazon Rainforest was leaking off my face.

  This sweat dripping, energy pounding class could have been for one of three reasons:

  1. The liquid green crack brought so much oxygen to my blood cells that I couldn’t use it fast enough.
  2. I chose a broken bike with easier gears than the rest, making me think I was at a level 17 when in reality it was the equivalent of a level 5.
  3. I am a beast. 

  

  Why yes, I did bend down to take a picture of one of my sweat droplets. You’re welcome.

  I’m going to say one and three are probably legit. This was the same day as that bum run, so something must have kicked in to give me some energy.

  While I know I get a ton of chlorophyll (not to be confused with chloroform) from the leafy greens I eat, I wanted to try to get even more. This plant based product is known to mimic hemoglobin and assist in bringing oxygen to your blood cells, carry carcinogenic properties OUT of your body, and boost energy naturally!! I’m going to continue to test it out on runs and spinning, and I hope it helps my energy levels! Ok well that’s enough for one day!

  Q(s):

  • Does anyone else judge a hard workout by the drops of sweat on the floor?
  • Anyone ever tried liquid chlorophyll?

  

  | 56 Comments Tagged Cats, Chlorophyll, Random, Running, Spinning

• 

• 

• Search for:
• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.

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

• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

• ¿Quieres Más?

  Like my witty attitude and delightful charm? Enter your
  e-mail below for the party to come straight to your inbox!

  Email Address:

  Chyea DO it!

  Join 4,445 other subscribers
• 
• 

•