Today is Monday, July 13, 2026
Issue #320 ~ By Rachel Brandes
“I wanna be kind, be a friend
Be my own kinda different
Be the first one having fun
Be a light when there isn’t one
Be me, be the change
Be the rainbow when it rains
Yeah, imagine all the things that we could be.”-Jaden Michaels, Lyrics from ‘Be Anything‘
*** Cuteness Alert ***
Meet Birdi (spelling may be off, but you get the idea). Birdi is the newest family member of Rachel’s friend, Mira. She’s just a pup and weighed around 8 pounds in this photo. Isn’t she darling?
Mental Health Minute
Image shared from Instagram account myselflovesupply.
Moments by Mira
www.everafterphotograpypnw.com
Located in Gig Harbor, Washington, Ever After Photography PNW is owned and operated by Mira Nachtigall, a long-time friend of Rachel.
Feline Tomfoolery
By Brady Wilfork Snugglebum & Belichick McDaniels Runtzilla
Vote Now: Who makes a better model?
Barcelona & Bicycles
Featuring Blake & Damon
When Blake and Damon decided to spread their wings and travel from London to Barcelona over the July 4th weekend, they were in for a treat they didn’t expect. Who knew the Tour de France started in Barcelona?
They even had the opportunity to watch the race from their hotel window.
Enjoy the photos shared from their weekend in Barcelona. There is a rumor that their next adventure will land them on a Game of Thornes tour in Croatia.
For those newbies out there, Blake is Rachel’s eldest son and Damon is a friend of Blake’s. They are both stationed (USAF) in England and enjoy exploring together.
Run Club Fun Club
To Run is to Feel Free
If Rachel’s body could run like it was 20 plus years ago, she would be running every day and with every run club in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she works to strengthen her body, her back issues rear their ugly head and hold her back from doing what she loves (at the level she desires). She is trying hard to focus on what she can do and be thankful that she isn’t completely sidelined.
To Feel Free is to be Happy
Nowadays, you can Google ‘run clubs near me’ and a plethora of options will present themselves. Rachel has stuck with Salty Star Run Club since moving to Utah and loves joining them when she is able. Last week, she tested the waters of something new and joined the Not That Serious Run Club.
In this week’s issue she is celebrating two fun events over the past couple of weeks. One with Salty Star Run Club and the other with Not That Serious Run Club.
Salty Star Run Club & Kodiak Pop-Up
Pictured above: The Kodiak pancake eating contest.
Salty Star Run Club is known for their fun collaborations. Not only do they provide fun running opportunities all over Salt Lake City, but they also provide a good time. This end of June event was held at a warehouse in downtown Salt Lake City with a Kodiak pop-up and much more. Not only was there a run, but yoga for those that didn’t feel the run bug that day.
Attendees enjoyed Kodiak pancakes, Salomon shoe trials, a live DJ, post-run massages, sauna and cold plunge, an electrolyte station and so many giveaways you could fill a bag full of goodies. Rachel had good time visiting with other club members and meeting new friends. The best part of this event had to be the Kodiak pancake eating contest (winner received a pair of Salomon shoes).
With the encouragement of friends Kyle, Jordan and EJ, Rachel was able to push and run her fastest 5k of 2026. If not for these three, she wouldn’t have kept pushing.
Not That Serious Run Club @ Hill’s Kitchen
When Rachel joined this new club last Friday morning, she had the opportunity to experience something different. This group had a much different feel to it than Salty Star Run Club. Not good or bad, just different.
The Salt Lake Running Company hosted the event with the run club at Hill’s Kitchen in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City. They brought along Hoka running shoes for the runners to trial. Rachel got to try a pair of Hoka Clifton shoes and loved them. This was perfect timing for a shoe trial, as her current running shoes are on their last leg.
After the run, Hill’s Kitchen provided a beautiful spread of pastries and delicious coffee.
The run route Friday was from the coffee shop to Sugar House Park (Rachel’s nemesis due to the hills). Rachel was having more nerve pain in her right leg than usual on this morning and opted to shorten her route. She still had a great run and got to partake in all of the fun.
Finishing early gave Rachel the opportunity to relax and enjoy her coffee and pastry. She got to meet a few new people and even saw a friend, Jordan, from Salty Star Run Club. It turns out Jordan joins this club on Friday mornings for regular Sugar House Park laps. Oh boy, she feels a challenge coming. She must defeat those hills. Maybe she will begin joining this club for these Friday laps. Maybe. Big maybe. Until next time, be well.
Feel free to stick around (below) and like, rate, share and comment (direct to Rachel). She is always looking for content ideas and would love input.