Week of all weeks!

What an absolutely incredible week this has been. It's hard to know where to start. About 2 weeks ago, I entered a pram competition to win an awesome Baby Jogger. This pram would make life so much easier and enable me to run early in the morning with my little early bird Levi! It's been really tough getting out in the mornings to go to Spartan cos he's been waking so early and I've really missed it. Anyway, a pram would be fantastic as I could just go for a run with him instead. So fast forward to Wednesday this week. The rules of the pram competition were changed, with good reason so that it would be drawn at random. A number of my friends entered as well, to increase my chances of winning this pram. So yesterday, my lovely friend Dani won!! I was so excited! What a blessing this will be. 

But that's not the best part of the story.I got home from work on Wednesday to a brand new slow cooker sitting on my doorstep. I had dropped ours last week and I was devastated as I use it several times a week. Toby's cousin had contacted him and said that she has ordered and paid for a new one from a local store and arranged for him to pick it up. Another HUGE blessing! 

An hour later, I was doing the dishes and Toby started filming me. I had no idea what he was doing and kept asking him to turn it off. He asked me to come and have a look at something on the computer. I sat down in the chair and my Facebook page was open, with a group page up called 'Christy Marhin is Inspirational'. This image was up on the screen:

A group of over 70 of my friends had created this group to raise money to buy me a pram in the event that I didn't win the Baby Jogger! I was absolutely FLOORED! Toby filmed my reaction and uploaded the video to the page for everyone to watch. What an incredibly selfless gift! 

Here's the video link if you'd like to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIG8R5qmhoE&feature=player_embedded

These were the messages of love from my friends to me from the Facebook page:

"Christy, you are an absolute inspiration. the amount of times ive done the "ive had a rough night.. i deserve to sit there and eat half a jar of nutella.. " conversation in my head and thought to myself, but what about christy!! she would walk herself up a huge hill and back at 4:30 in the morning with a baby on her back instead! not wallow in what would be the fourth jar of nutella this month! You are the voice of reason in my head, you are the person who makes me second think that trip to the pantry. Well done christy! you deserve every little bit of positivity and reward that comes your way!" 

"Hey gorgeous hot mama! You are simply everything I wished I had the balls to be. It's been wonderful seeing the real you emerge and I really look forward to watching you blossom even more. Enjoy that gorgeous new body xxxx"

"Christy, you are such a beautiful, strong woman. You truly are an inspiration to me as I begin my weightloss journey. Love you lots! ♥" 

"Hi christy *waves* you are an inspiration! Enjoy spoiling yourself xx"

"Christy - you are truly inspirational to every single woman and mother who knows you. You've taken every negative excuse and channelled it into amazing results. I'm absolutely proud to call you family :-)"

"What an amazing weight loss journey you have travelled, that's made so much harder by having kids but you have managed to transform yourself anyway ! Well done and enjoy!"
  
"Congratulations on this amazing journey you have been on! You have a great hubby and a beautiful family so you are truly blessed. Enjoy xxx"

"Christy you have been on (and are still on) an amazing journey in the hope to find a fitter, healthier & stronger you, and you know what?? You've done it! And you have been such a huge inspiration to so many people on the way! Hell, you even made me get off my butt and sign up for round 2 of the 12wbt, and for that, I thank you xx keep at it Hun!"

"Christy, you are amazing!!"

"I am constantly amazed at your dedication, strength and willpower. You are my fitness hero!"

"♥ Christy ♥ The picture says it all. You are one of the most beautiful, inspiring, strong and amazing people I know. Your weight loss journey, your life, your beautiful family and beautiful friends reflects just how special you are. xoxo You are such an awesome role model for your kids - you rock my world! :) xx"

"Christy, You were an inspiring woman back when I first met you, But you have blown me away by what you have achieved in a very short 6 months. Keep up the great work beautiful xxx"

"Christy you amaze me! I'm so proud of you, I am constantly telling people about MY FRIEND who has CHOSEN to be so committed to her health, all with 3 little ones (one of them VERY little). I don't even have the words to tell you how inspiring you are. You are so very deserving of this. Loads of love xoxo"

"Christy you TRULY are an amazing person! Your dedication and determination to be better version of yourself both for you and your family is ABSOLUTELY inspiring. You're a beautiful person with a heart of gold....enjoy being spoilt xxxxxx"

"You are such an amazing inspiration to me. You are so strong and brave and so committed. Your a bright star amongst the dull and I am so lucky to know you!! ENJOY the money and get yourself whatever you need or want without having to budget. YOU deserve this!!"

"Christy I think you're pretty frigen amazing. What you have done is amazing and so incredibly inspirational. I look at you and I kinda just wanna trip you over some times, mainly because you can wear skinny jeans and I can't.... but the other times, when I don't wanna hurt you, I'm so proud!!!
Love you like a fat kid loves cake!! mwah ha ha ha ha. ♥ ♥ ♥"

"So proud and happy for you Christy! Hope you get yourself a lovely pram and continue to inspire us on your weight loss journey :)"

"Christy - where do I start ! You are such an amazing woman, mother , wife, friend, colleague, sister, daughter and so such more . Constantly putting the needs of others ahead of yourself. You have inspired so many people with your commitment and hard work. I watched your journey daily and if ever I felt like complaining that I was tired, I would think of you and how much you had on your plate - yet never did you complain ! You inspired me and I even lost 8kg in 6 wks !!! The pram comp has just highlighted how amazing we all think you are and given us the opportunity to put that into action in the form of a few dollars. A small token of our love and admiration for you ! Enjoy every second of this gift, accept it without a second thought or an ounce of guilt because you truly deserve it. Much love to you miss C xxxx"

"Christy, i have been sitting here for an hour trying to find the words to tell you how much of an inspiration you are but you are too inspirational for words :). what you have achieved in a few short months is nothing short of amazing, you are a fantastic, beautiful, courageous woman who has inspired me to get off my butt and get healthy and walk my dogs more (they thank you with big sloppy licks :P ) i truely feel blessed to have such an awesome, amazing, beautiful, brave, awe inspiring friend. spoil yourself xxx"

"Christy - thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. You have shown me that it isn't too hard and that it is possible to make the change and for that I thank you. Not many people could inspire me to get up and jfdi! Love you. xoxo"

"Christy - you are not only an inspiration to me in your weightloss journey but also as a mother, wife, friend etc. your dedication, perserverance and determination are simply amazing and you well and truly deserve the incredible results you have worked so hard for. I know that you are and will continue to be an excellent role model for myself, your beautiful children and husband and so many other people that you have touched. I am so lucky to be able to call you a friend. p.s. i think you should be hitting Michelle Bridges up for royalty fees with the amount of people you have inspired to join! ♥ xoxo"

"Christy, you have been such an inspiration to me, and it made my day when i heard I helped you as well. You have always been so giving, supportive and selfless, even all those years ago in high school! I only wished you lived closer so we could go running together! Well done on 30kg healthier. Xxx"

"Christy - I feel so PRIVILEGED to not only know you but to be able to call you a friend!! You seriously are such a kind hearted, beautiful person. Your weightloss has been such an inspiration due to not only the physical loss but the mental strength you have shown. There have been so many things and hurdles you could have used as excuses like the rest of us would and have, but nope, not you! Love to you and I hope you have a blast and feel as special as you should feel treating yourself to a much deserved treat ♥ ♥"

"I think of you when I'm out walking or at Bootcamp. Christy can, so can I! No excuses."

"You're not just my sister, you are my friend :) xxx keep up the great job you are doing!"

"Christy.
Blessed to have met u.
Blessed to b part of your families life.
Blessed that u r part of my families life.
Blessed to call u my friend.
Blessed that I will call u my friend always.
I'm so proud of u!
This gift is yours. B selfish for possibly the first time in your life.
I love u.
Lovelove"

"You truly deserve this Christy, your hard work and determination is so inspiring xoxo"

"Christy your achievements are absolutely inspirational. To have lost all of the weight that you have, to have done it with three kids including Levi who hasn't been settled for most of your journey. I am constantly amazed at how dedicated you are, particularly when I see photos of you walking up Castle Hill at some ungodly hour of a wet and cold morning! YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION I am so glad that I can count you as one of my friends."

"Christy you are truly amazing, you have inspired me to do the 12wk challenge this round. You look great and hope you enjoy this little token of love from us all ♥"

"Christy, you are an amazing woman, mummy and wife. You have done such a wonderful thing for yourself and your family and you inspire me to be a healthier and better mummy. You deserve this lovely!"

"Christy, any person who loses 30kgs is amazing, but someone who does it with 3 kids, including a sleep resistant bub is truly beyond amazing. You have not only given yourself a better life but are a wonderful role model to your kids, and an inspiration to us all. Your determination, persistence and sheer will power even when the craving for chocolate hits, is nothing short of awe inspiring. You so deserve all of this xx"

"Good work on the 30kg weight loss christy! Seeing your hard work and determination on fb has been inspiring and you certainly deserve this gift. Can't wait to see how you spend it, lots of love x"

"Christy- you have been one of the major reasons to motivate me to do something about becoming healthier, fitter. Xo"

"Christy the amount of courage and strength you show every morning you wake up is inspirational. As a mum to 3 as well I look at what you have achieved in awe! I feel very grateful to have met you (well sort of met ;-)) and one day when I've finally got my butt into gear I will use you as my inspiration and think if you've done what you've done surely I can too. Bug hugs xxxx"

"Christy, plain and simple, you've kept me alive. When I hit rock bottom, without fail you picked me back up. You been an amazing source of strength and inspiration to me...I would be lost without you. You are amazing."

"2 x 15kg bags of concrete, 15 string bags of oranges, or probably all 3 of your kids put together is what you have lost, most of us couldn't carry 30kgs and you have worked so hard day in day out to lose it. You are an absolute inspiration to mums everywhere - congratulations. Xxxxx"

"♥ congratulations on reaching your 30kg milestone! I'm so so proud of you. Thank you so much for your support, encouragement and words of wisdom - you are truly inspirational xxx"

"I guess this is the proof of how much of an inspiration you really are to all of us. I'm so proud to call you my friend x"      

All in all, this has been a beautiful week of being spoilt by my friends. Soon I will have a new pram and have planned an awesome shopping trip down in Brisbane in 10 days time! I have the most amazing friends a girl could ever ask for! I am just blown away! 

Surprised!

It has come to my attention today just how much of a difference sharing my journey has made to others. Friends have been motivated to start their own health journey, others are getting out and moving. I feel a bit awed by how much a human being can be motivated by others actions. I do it myself. I see someone a little (or a lot!) further along on their journey, be it fitness, physical challenges, weight loss or whatever and it spurs me along knowing that someone else has been where I am and has persevered to reach their goals. That means I can do it too! The thing is, the encouragement I have received from the very people I have been inspiring throughout the last 7 months is what has spurred me on. What a beautiful cycle that is. I am encouraged, so I achieve more. My achievements inspire others so they encourage me again and then I achieve more and my achievements inspire others. And on and on it goes. 

So if you're reading this today, ask yourself the question: How can this play out in my life? Your goals/dreams/passions may not be fitness/health related but whatever they are, pursue them your all, for your very actions WILL inspire others! 

Size 10 Skinny Jeans!!!

WOOOOHOOOOOO!!! I went shopping a couple of days ago, money in hand, in search of some new clothes. Clothes that actually fit. Not having anything to wear is a nice problem to have, but needing clothes to go out in public is necessary! I managed to pick up a few bargains but what I was really searching for was a pair of black skinny jeans. A must for any girls wardrobe. 

I went into Jeans West, hoping I'd have some luck. The girl in there was like a jeans guru. She knew everything there was to know about jeans. I tried on about 5 pairs but was having no luck. They were either too big, too small, too loose in the legs but tight in the waist or vise-versa! She was troubled! Then she said, "Hang on!" and scurried away. She came back with a pair of SIZE 10 black jeans. I look at her incredulously and emphatically stated, "They are not going to fit me!" But like the all-knowing guru she was, she just gently said, "Just try them." And walked away. So I did. I put on these jeans and THEY FIT ME!!!! SIZE 10!!! And to think I was a size 20 only 7 months ago! 

So here's the photo (taken by my beautiful 4 year old daughter Amelie!)

 

STOKED!

Absolutely stoked with this week's weight loss!!! 1.4kg!!! It's been a while since I've seen that number on the scales and it's certainly up there with spurring me on. My eating and exercise has been a bit lax this week too with working at the V8's but clearly my metabolism is in my favour now that it's kicking along nicely. Down to 68kg now, with 2kg left to go until I reach my original goal of 66kg. It's soooo close I can smell it!

Triathlon Training

Talk about a challenge. Sheesh! This swimming gig is tough. I just managed to do 12 laps of the Long Tan pool and it nearly killed me! I did some as drills, some normal freestyle, some with a kick board, some with flippers and on it goes. BUT I got in the pool, I swam and I was stuffed at the end so that's the idea right?! I figure even if my technique isn't great, I'll still get more 'swim fit' and will be able to swim a further distance each time. I rode to the pool today, did the 45 minutes odd of swimming then did a 14km bike ride. It was good. My legs were a little jelly afterwards but it was good to do that back to back training in preparation for the triathlon. I was thinking of doing a few km's on the treadmill when I got home but I needed to eat, low blood sugar. Didn't think it would be a good idea to pass out when I'm home by myself! 

Anyways, the bar has been set. I need to try and get in 4 days of swim training each week. Just under 11 weeks to go! Terrified!

First 10K Run!

I did it! I ran 10 kilometres! I completed it in 1:06:27 with about 95% running and a few 1 minute walks thrown in. I am feeling so invigorated that I could achieve this, just 6 months after starting this journey of having a healthier life. In December I started the Ease into 5k app on my phone, which begins with run intervals of 45 seconds. It's safe to say at the end of those 45 seconds I thought I was going to die! But slowly, and steadily as I ran more, the time I could run for increased to 3 minutes at a time, then 6 minutes and so on. This type of interval training is a brilliant way to gradually build up fitness, whilst still challenging you (and your mind!). So bring on the 10K Fun Run in just over 4 weeks time. By then I'll be running the entire thing and in much better time! And after that, it's triathlon time and next year I'm looking forward to doing my first half marathon!