Member profile
By: Jaron Blackie

Claire Frost Member Baulkham Hills

How many sessions to you do a week with SiL and on your own.

2 sessions a week with SiL (Tues and Wed).

On my own.... normally1-2 sessions (in the form of a run). At the

moment training for a marathon doing about 4 extra sessions.



How many classes a week do you rebook or miss

I try to never miss a class, but when I do it\'s only because I physically can\'t get there (usually because I don\'t finish work in the city until 6pm). I always try to make these classes up ASAP, usually in the form of the Monday 730pm class. I\'m accountable to Jaron for the classes I\'m booked into, so mentally it\'s not an option to not turn up "just

because I don\'t feel like it". As soon as I start the training session I forget about feeling tired and just enjoy it!



Is training a priority in your week. Do you focus on yourself and make time

for you.

YES! Going to the SiL classes is a constant in my week. I have never thought otherwise. I know if I didn\'t make training a fixed part of my weekly routine I would end up slacking off. With my lifestyle I don\'t have any issues with making time for myself, but it\'s more with what I do with that time that is important. Thankfully I have great friends and family that also enjoy getting off the couch and outside on weekends, doing things like bike riding, "surfing", dancing...      



Results: Tell me about your fitness and weight loss results to date.

When I started training 3 years ago with Jaron/SiL my main goal was to get healthy. I had just come back from living overseas, and saw the positive effects training has through Naomi - she was so

enthusiastic that I couldn\'t help but sign up! Since then I have lost 30kg, but more importantly I am now the fittest I have EVER been. Now I find myself setting a new fitness goal each year for me to train/work towards. When I started training it was the City2Surf, the next year a half marathon, last year was the NZ duathalon, and now I am training for my first marathon. Of course in between I like to challenge myself with other events - a favourite is the Tough Bloke Challenge which tests my upper body strength more than just running (and of course it has great eye candy so that\'s always a bonus!)      



Do you feel that training with SiL and achieving the results you have, has

in any way improved any other aspects of your life. Work, social life ,home

life etc

DEFINITELY! I have gained 110% more confidence and really feel like I now know who I am. Knowing that I can set myself goals, and complete them, has made me a much more self assured person. My friends see it when we go out dancing, and I feel it when I am trying out new adventures that I wouldn\'t have tried before (like surfing or dance classes!). It\'s been a few years since I started training, but every now and then I see an old friend who hasn\'t seen the new me and it keeps reminding me of how much my life has changed, and most importantly how much happier I am now  

Was it easy to commit to 3 or more sessions a week.

When I started training I was doing 3 sessions a week with Jaron. It was easy for me to include this into my life, I had spent so much time previously doing nothing that if just 3 hours a week was putting me onto a path of a healthier life then I couldn\'t complain! It was only last year that I went down to 2 sessions a week. The reason for this change was due to me moving out of the Hills to Gladesville, but despite the 45 minute drive I still make training twice a week!  

Is it worth it the effort you put in each week.

Absolutely! I feel a difference in myself when I don\'t train even for a week. Training gives me so much energy and I love the "happy hormones" after each session. The harder I train the more my mood boosts so it is 110% worth every ounce of effort!

What keeps you going each week? what gets you to class.

The goals I set myself at the beginning of the year gives me a physical date/event to work towards which works really well for my training. As for what keeps me going to SiL it\'s the style of training (never knowing what you are going to be doing!) and the fact that it\'s outside and not in some air-conditioned gym. I know I could join a SiL class that is closer to my home, but the

biggest reason I am still training at Baulkham Hills is because of the people in the classes and Jaron. I have experienced

different trainers doing one-off classes over the past few years and it has made me really appreciate how important the trainer really is at each session. Anyone can tell you to do a sit up or sprint 100m, but it\'s a talent when they can do that and keep you smiling!

And lastly why do you train as hard as you do.

I know the harder I train = the better I feel. Also, I set a goal for myself every January that I work towards for the year which pushes me that little bit further at training sessions. My goal is usually one that will push my ability, but the more difficult the goal, the more rewarding it is when I finish it - this is what I try to remind myself when training to keep pushing myself!