100 Small Steps Challenge - The First 7 Days

Ok, here goes...the challenge began on the 16th of November 2009.Day 1 saw me attend the gym...Fernwood... for a program workout in the morning then at 5:30 for a boxing session. I totally love the boxing class :)







Day 2 saw me at boxing yet again...did I
mention that I love boxing classes lol.
In this picture, I had done my warm up with the gloves and was doing the focus pads for Heather. The instructor took the picture and there was a lot of laughter.





Day 3: this picture is of my trusty runners and "ever on my hip" pedometer. I post the steps on the 10000 step website and am about to clock up 3 million steps since June 2008. Gotta be happy with that!!!




Day 4: This is my new best exercise buddy...my Polar F7 Heart Rate Monitor. I took this picture after the boxing class on Thursday night....I burnt 470 cals in just over a hour. My heart rate was not 173 at the time of the picture though.






Day 5: Went to the gym (yup again) and they were having a sale and an open day. I wanted a Lorna Jane top but alas they are too small for me so I got this amazing pair of black pants and white top. They are so light and comfortable and a dream to work out in...as I found out on Saturday.





Day 6: Weight Watchers day...and I am happy to report a 2.4kg loss..yay :) Funnily enough the weekly booklet we got was titled "Gym Junkies"...rather apt don't you think lol. (yup I went to the gym again to do a program workout...that was visit 6 for the week)









Day 7: This is my new favourite tea and my fave mug. Great for relaxation. (and totally yummy!)





So week one is done and dusted. Hope you enjoyed the little snapshot of my week :) I look forward to reading any comments and also seeing anyone else's who has decided to do the challenge as well.

100 Small Steps Challenge

AKA "The Neil Armstrong Challenge" (because it's 'one small step for WOman'... )

What is 100 days?

From and including: Monday, 16 November 2009
To and including: Tuesday, 23 February 2010

It is 100 days from the start date to the end date, end date included

Or 3 months, 8 days including the end date

Alternative time units

100 days can be converted to one of these units:

• 8,640,000 seconds
• 144,000 minutes
• 2400 hours
• 14 weeks (rounded down)

The Rules

1. We take a photo that represents one of the small steps we have made towards health (physical or mental) and/or fitness each day of the week.
2. We post all seven of the previous week's photos on Monday.
3. We can choose to elaborate on the photographs, or let them do the talking for themselves.
4. We don't need to post a different photo every single day of the challenge... perhaps part of our new lifestyle is to go to an exercise class once a week - there's no reason why we can't post a photo of going to that same class every week.
5. In 100 days, we're going to get together and celebrate our achievements.
6. We reserve the right to amend the rules if need be (just in case) - but if we do, we'll let you know.

Linda and her friend Cassie are in, and we'd love it if you'd join us. Let us know in the comments and be sure to post a link to your blog too, so we can follow how you're going! I can't wait to see everyone's progress and be inspired by their pictures.

Image from NASA.
To calculate your 100 days finish date, click here.

So stay tuned for the first week of photos tomorrow :)

Chelle x

A Renovating Weekend

Ok, so I have very long weeks!!!!! Yup it's been a "bit" over a week since the last post ...ho hum! So on with the post.

Over the weekend of 9,10 and 11 October I went to RYL2 (renovate your life) which was again held down at Anglesea (Vic) I wanted to share some pictures from the lovely walk Linda and I did when we arrived early. Arriving independently, I hopped into Linda's car and we drove on to Airey's Inlet. We were lucky to have a gorgeous day for our "little" walk too.



This is part of our beautiful coast line


















Looking back towards the carpark.





How gorgeous is this view and the weather too?








We went back to the camp at Anglesea just in time for Mandi, Johnny and Mikey to get there. We chose a room...a lovely twin bunkbed room and unpacked. We met up with a few "old faces" from the last RYL and a few new ones as well. Then Mandi arrived so she unpacked and we all made up our beds. The fourth bed was for Hellen, who I knew was coming later. We went for dinner and then back for Craig's opening words of welcome. We later retired to our beds and then the upper/lower bunk issues began, resulting in us finding a 3 bunkbed room so 3 people could have a lower bunk bed.

We began the day at 7am on the basketball court for exercise then off to breaky and then the learning. There were tears and laughter and loads of fun :) (we did NOT have to do the hill again!!!) It was an awesome weekend :)

Some pics of the people there :)


Hellen, Craig and me.



































It was a fabulous weekend.

I must add that in my last post I said I wanted to do the 1000 steps.....well on Friday the 30th of October I did just that. It was a very slow climb as I was (as advised) wearing my heart rate monitor and it kept going up to about 170 so I had to keep stopping to let it come back down...but I did the whole thing and it was amazing. Unfortunately the weather has been fairly warm so haven't attempted it again...but fully intend to. I will take the camera next time and take some pics. People train for the kokoda trail there and there is a tribute to it as well. I am also loving the gym and have an awesome program now and am still loving my boxing classes there.

Stay tuned for the next post....won't be so far away either....a little hint...100 and 7.....!!!!

hugs

Chelle xxx

Update!

Hi, I am 4 days out from RYL2 and feeling great. We have just gone onto daylight saving time so I guess a little tiredness but that's to be expected.

Today I managed 2 visits to the gym...one to do my program and the other was an hour long boxing class.....wow I am tired now!! Should sleep very well. I am thoroughly enjoying the gym. I have even signed up for a 5km jog/walk around Jells Park in mid November. I have a training program to get me running and have even been offered a trainer to go through it with me. Will get through RYL2 and decide what I am going to do there. Either way I will be completing the 5kms. I am about to have a program review and am hoping to have a slightly tougher program.

Another aim is to try the 1000 steps in the Dandenongs...not far from me here. I am going to do it at least once before the year is out. That is a challenge!!!!

Ok till next time...an RYL2 post...stay well.

Chelle x

Finally another post!

Hi all, well it has been a very long time since the last post here....a lot has happened in that time. I celebrated a birthday (47th), joined a gym...what was that..yup I joined Fernwood gym!!! I am so loving it...I am currently going 4 times a week. I am even doing a boxing class on a Thursday night.

This last week I managed to somehow lose a kilo and I have also managed to lose 18.5cm since joining the gym on the 1st of August.

I have 4 weeks to get myself ready for RYL2 which will again be at Anglesea. (big hill...look out!!!!)

No pictures with this post....next time I will get some organised and hopefully do it very soon.

Chelle xx

Renovate Your Life With Craig Harper 29th-31st May 2009

Friday the 29th of May finally arrived, the countdown timer was nearing an end, it was THE day!!!! The inaugral Renovate Your Life Weekend seminar at Anglesea in Victoria. I left at about 11:30am and arrived to meet Linda at Torquay at 1:15pm. We had coffee then continued on to Anglesea another 20km down the Great Ocean Road.



We arrived at the Anglesea Recreation Camp at about 4:40pm so we were early. We registered got a name tag and a tshirt and Johnny told us we could probably get an ensuite room. So off we went and found a great room and on the other side of the adjoining bathroom we found Jules, Suza and Christina.
















Dinner was not provided on the first night so we went to the Anglesea hotel for dinner. We had a lovely dinner and some hilarious chat about weight loss, mood rings which tell us we're full and worms! Then it was back to the camp for the first instalment from Craig. We listened, we wrote, we laughed and generally had a ball.

Off to bed with the instructions that we were to be on the basketball court at 7:15am for exercise and breakfast to follow at 8:30.




We all made it to the basketball court for a warm up then into the indoor basketball court for a fitness test. We did a 6 part test with a beep test, sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, wall squat and step-ups. I managed to score a 50 out of 100 so have loads of room to improve. Then off to breaky, which was yummo!!!

10am brought more listening, writing, laughing and general fun. Later we did a workout using the requested beach towel....wow that gives an awesome workout. Then some lovely stretches(very soothing)A few of us had a body composition test done by the lovely Rona, my PT from the session at Harper's in February and Mikey. Have a way to go there too!!!

We got 2 hours off from 4 - 6 so I went for a walk (all of 100mt after the long driveway) into Anglesea and had a look about. It was rather cold at that point. Dinner was yummy roast beef and vegies with apple crumble for dessert. Then we had a short session with Craig then he decided we needed some more stretching (thanks Craig) that was fun!!! We broke for the night at just after 9pm. A few of us girls went up to the other rec room with a bottle of port and a plate of the yummiest banana muffins and a load of inane and hilarious conversation occurred (can't tell...secret girls business lol). Wonderful night. We met Craig in the other rec room as we were returning but most of the others had gone to bed.





Sunday started with another workout at 7:15am which went well and once I was moving I was fine lol. I opted for the intermediate group and did quite well. Then off for a yummy breaky followed by the most amazing part of the weekend. Craig handed a microphone (needed for the taping) to the back of the room to be passed to all of us to say who we were, where we were from and what we had got out of the weekend. WOW!!!! It was open and from the heart, reduced us all to tears by the end (yes ALL!!!) and was incredible. Once we had finished that we were taken for a walk. We walked a short distance to a street with the biggest hill I have ever walked up. We were promised an awesome view at the top and.....we weren't disappointed. I am so proud of not only myself but of all of us for making it up the hill. I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath but was encouraged to keep going by Craig's trainers and others around me.























This is the view from the top and Mikey heading back down the hill, and the next picture is of the hill itself!!




We headed back down, had lunch then it was time to pack up. Back to the bbq area for the photo ops and farewells and hugs, before going back home to "normal" life. (with the tools to create amazing!!)




From left to right: Jules, me, Christina, Craig, Nell, Linda and Suza in the front (oh and I got a lovely head massage during the taking of this photo from Craig lol. Thanks Craig!)

It was the most amazing weekend, thanks to Craig, Johnny, Mikey, all Craig's staff and everyone who went for making it such a fabulous experience. I had such a great time and met so many wonderful people. Here is a picture of most of us.



Hugs to all

Chelle xxxx

Catch up and Mother's Day Classic

Well, long time no post...sorry about that...very slow computer. Now I have a nice sparkly new one. YAY!!!



In my last post I mentioned meeting Elaine's son, Andy from Scotland....here is the photo. Pictured with the GYST gals...me of course and the lovely Heather and Bev!!



I also had to have a spot removed from just above my left knee which turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma...not once but twice.

The first picture shows after the first lot and the other is after the second go. I had 4 stitches the first time and 6 the second time. (I am smothering it daily with BioOil to help with fading scar)




I was unable to do much so the lovely exercise plan from the last post took a back seat.





Mother's Day Classic 2009

Anyway the big news was that Erin and I did the Mother's Day Classic 8km walk in Melbourne on May the 10th. We did it in 1 hour and 40 minutes. So proud of us both too.






This is Erin and me on the train on the way to the walk.







It was such a lovely day in Melbourne too. There were thousands of people there and we were started off at 9:30ish am by Premier John Brumby.










Some on the way pics...me amongst the crowd and Erin going past the Shrine.






We met up with 3 lovely ladies from the Weight Watchers Message boards at Flinders Street Station and did the first lap with them...Sam, Ashlea and Jess.





It was so lovely to meet you all.



The next photo shows our time for the first 4km lap. It says 51 mins 45 seconds!!!



The next photo was a sight for sore eyes (or feet/legs/bodies lol)



As we were about to cross the finish line.....woohoo!!!



Then on the other side of the finish line...YAY we did it!!!!




After we crossed the finish line I had a message on my phone from Schelle, a lady from Craig Harper's forum. We had hoped to meet up and she still had about 2kms to walk so we decided to wait for her. So for all on Craig's forum...here we are!!!!



Here is what we got at the end....


It was a lovely day.

Stay tuned for a Renovate Your Life update after my weekend away at Anglesea in a couple of weeks. Not long to go now

luv Chelle xx