Just Say No.

It's time for a new challenge!

I love the giving myself little food challeneges.

A while back, my Mom gave up sugar for 21 days. When I say sugar, I mean the white stuff. The bad stuff. She ate honey, Stevia, and natural sugars found in fruits. I haven't had much sugar since this weekend, but tomorrow is Friday. The day my good eating usually comes undone. Plus, Sunday is Father's Day, and I'm sure Mom has something delicious planned. But, I won't be eating it.

My challenege: no "bad" sugars for 21 days.

Only Stevia and natural fruit sugars.

Why 21 days?

It takes 21 days to create a habbit.

For your tasting pleasure, I will post some great no sugar desserts for you to try. I'm not talking about sugar free sweets either. This blog is an artifical sweetner a.k.a. aspartame free zone!

Perhaps I'll whip something up for Father's day.

Day one starts tomorrow! If you would like to join me in this little challenege, please do! Even if it's only for 15, 10, or 5 days! You won't regret it.

I'm off to bed. 6 a.m. spin class, morning swim, work, 10k Midnight Run route with my good running friend (that race is coming up soon!), and then family time! But, first, here's a look at my Thursday...

Ah, summer camp is finally catching up with me! I'm absolutely wiped out. Tomorrow is the end of week one. Only 9 more weeks to go!

Breakfast:

Slow cooked oats (2 servings)=300
Sliced strawberries=28

1/3 Sliced banana=40

1 tbs. ground flax=50
Total=418

Lunch:

Salad dressing=85

Tuna=100

Grapes=50
Small orange=50

Total=285

Dinner:

2 Corn tortialls=50

Refried beans=150

Salsa=20

Grapes=50

Small apple=50

Dessert:

2 tbs. pb=200

1/4 cup cottege cheese=50

Total=420

Daily Total=1265

Today was all right as far as my eating goes. I was so exhausted, I couldn't really focus on getting the most bang for my buck if you will on my calories. Tomorrow I'll plan a little better.

Biked to and from work. It was hot. Went to Masters practice tonight. Easy practice. So I consider today my rest day, but being in the water was relaxing and a great way to end a hot day!

It's Wednesday already?

Here's a quick run down of my Wednesday.
Breakfast:
2 servings oatmeal=300
1 tbs. ground flax seed=50
1/2 cup strawberries=50
Total=400
*In order to receive health benefits from flax seed, you must grind it. One tbs. ground flax really adds some nice texture to oats.

Biked to work and had a great Wednesday of summer camp fun!
Lunch:
2 servings tuna=100
salad with dressing=120
hummus=70
prune=25
*I brought a small apple and some berries for dessert, but was too full after the salad to eat them! So I ate the strawberries while I was making dinner, and saved the organic green apple for another day.
Total=295

When I got home, I decided to eat an early dinner because I have a meeting tonight at 7:30, and I want to fit a workout in before I go. I hate working out on a full stomach. I like to wait at least 2 hours. So, I had to eat a really early dinner.

(Snack: strawberries=35)

Dinner:
2 corn tortillas with refried beans and Quorn chicken (the best fake chicken EVER! Only 80 calories per serving) and black bean salsa=250
Salad with black bean salsa and dressing=140

Dessert!
1/2 tbs. peanut butter=50
1/2 banana=50
Total=490

Daily total=1220

A little bit over my goal today, but I'm pretty happy.

I was planning on meeting a group at the track for a speed workout, but this weather is pretty nasty. Hopefully it will clear up. If not, I'll be stuck with Jillian Michaels. Maybe I'll do all 3 levels at once. Take that, Jillian!

With love,
Audra

*Edit
Made it to the track tonight!
Workout: 400 warm
300x5
1200
Felt slow. I always feel slow on the track. But one day I will feel fast. One day I will be fast.

And I realized something when I was driving home.
Well, if you've been here, you know that I am much more musically inclined than tri-inclined. I remember the first year I was teaching myself guitar and how badly I just wanted to play well, and play like other musicians I admired so much. I remember how much my fingers hurt and even bled. I remember how one day, about 7 years later, I thought to myself..."I am really good at this." I feel like I'm 12 again. Swimming, biking, running until my legs are screaming at me.

I almost took a nap instead of going to the track. I almost changed the 1200 at the end of my workout to an 800. But, I didn't. I kept running.

I am determined to get faster.

Determined!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!

I hate .

Ok, ok, ok.
This morning I got up at 7:00 and laced up for a little 3 mile tempo run. At this point for me, running 3 shouldn't feel hard. But, then again, a wise running man (named Dad) once said, "Running in a Florida summer is supposed to be hard. You just have to keep going." I guess I just need to wake up before the sun if I want to actually enjoy my run. *Me with the wise man a.k.a. Dad >

So, then came breakfast!
My favorite meal.
2 servings of slow cook oatmeal=300
1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of strawberries=100

total=400
*I use Stevia in my oatmeal, tea, coffee, and lots of other things. It's my absolute favorite! No calories, no aspartame. Perfect.

Then I biked to work (about a 2.5 mile ride). But, not before packing lunch.
organic mixed greens with veggies=80
2 tbs. lite honey mustard dressing=70
1 can of tuna=100
1 pear=120
1 prune=20
total=390
I have 2 little work goals this summer.
1.) A salad every day. I love, love, love trying new things in my salad. Lately it's just been tuna and loads of veggies, because it's quick and easy, but I'm looking for new ideas!
2.) Bike to work everyday (weather permitting).

After a 6 1/2 hour shift of summer camp fun, I quickly biked home to take a nap! It was amazing, by the way.
When I woke up, it was time for dinner.

3 cups of Publix Tru Blu salad=170
1 tbs. olive oil with mushrooms=135
fruit cup (1/4 banana, 7 grapes, 7 strawberries)=100
total=405

Today's total=1195

Today is is the first day I have reduced my calorie intake from roughly 1600 to exactly 1200. I feel really good today. Motivated to keep it at 1200. Since snacking is my downfall, I'm just eating three balanced 400 calorie meals a day.

Now I'm off to swim with a Masters group for an hour.

So, one more time to recap:Ran 3 miles, biked 5 miles (work commute...it still burns calories though!), swam for an hour.Calories consumed: 1195

I'd have to say today has been a success!
With love,

Audra

The night I knew my brother was going to die

Andrew C. Dorsey
4-25-97~12-15-09

I wrote this in February, finished it tonight. I plan to run early in the morning before work, but I just had to get this out before I could really rest.

Oh, God not again
Awakened from my sleep
This time was different
This time was dark
My heart couldn't bear it
My brain couldn't believe it
One last kiss on my brother's hot cheek
An ambulance ride
Once last time
I closed my bedroom door, cried, "Oh, God no"
My body fell to the hard wood floor
And collapsed underneath death's blanket


To read my brother's story, as told by my running mom, go here.
You will get to know him more and more through his sister's writings.

I miss him every single day, and he's the reason I tri.

Aflac Irongirl 15k

For Pediatric Cancer

Key Lime Pie.

After many unsuccessful attempts to consistently create a calorie deficit, I now find myself here. On a Monday afternoon, after a long day at work, eating a piece of frozen key lime pie. In my bed. (Yes, I am ashamed to admit it, but hey, I did get up at 5:30 this morning for a sweaty spin class at the Y. ) It is quite tasty, but after I have finished, I think to myself....was it worth it?

Nah.

Moderation is a word I hate. It's either all or nothing. That's one reason I suspect calorie counting to be so annoying. You can still eat cookies and lose weight?! Yeah, a cookie the size of a quarter! No, thanks. Because, I will end up eating 30 quarter sized cookies. I'd rather cut out certain foods all together, but that usually backfires when it comes to dropping lbs. I was vegan for a long while, but that's expensive when you're in college. I got tired of black beans, and tofu is pricey and hard to make! And then I was strictly GF (gluten-free) for a long time, because I found out I had a wheat allergy. But, I think I got it out of my system or something, because I haven't had a wheat headache in forever! So, I eat baked goods again. Then I was a gf vegan for like a month. I felt great, but it's a big lifestyle change, and I wasn't completely prepared to make the total switch over. Maybe when I have my own refrigerator.

So, yeah, here I am. Relaxing under my down comforter, with my fan on high, hiding out in my room because Florida is stinkin' hot at 5:30 in the afternoon. And yes, I am wishing the pie was still in the fridge.

And, so begins phase 1 of my tri transformation.

I start tomorrow since I am definitely done eating for the day!

I can't go any further in my training until I shed 15 lbs.

So, please share your tips, tricks, and recipes! I want to hear what's worked for you! And, if you want a calorie partner, I'm your gal. Two is better than one, but not when you're eating pie...or pancakes...or brownies...or....nevermind.

And, tomorrow I will start posting my food/training log.

If I can do it, you can do it.


With love,
Audra



First Sprint Tri
Maderia Beach Mad Dog Tri 2010
1/5, 15, 3.1
My time: 1:48

Swim, bike, run, eat! I mean, repeat!

I was a wee little las, enjoying the life of a swimmer, when I raced in my first tri.

Although it took me 9 years to race in another triathlon, I have been livin' (and lovin') the tri life since the beginning of this year.

I started tri-ing for the same reason most people do-to get in shape. And although I have more leg muscle and endurance than ever, I've gained unwanted weight.

Nope, it isn't fair that I train for hours everyday and the numbers don't budge!
But, I've heard it's a common problem.
There's really only one word to explain the phenomenon: overcompensation. After 40 mile rides, long swim workouts, and speed sessions on the track in blistering Florida heat, I admit it's very easy to veg out while watching Office reruns.


And so my quest for fully embracing a tri-life has led me here. But, weight loss is only the first phase of my master plan...70.3!

Through Tri Chicken I will document my journey to my ultimate goal, which is completing a 1/2 Ironman. (And for me, it starts with reducing my body fat percentage!)

Most of all, Tri Chicken will inspire, encourage, and motivate those already living the tri life, and beginners who aren't too chicken to tri!

With love,
Audra