Living the simpElle life: Chi-Chi

Welcome again to my mini series – Living the simpElle life – where I talk to someone who has inspired me with their story. 

I heard a great phrase recently – 

“The Universe is made up of stories, not of atoms”

– so that is what I want to share with you, stories, to open up the Universe to us all! 

Each individual we meet embodies what this blog is about. They have dug deep to find motivation, they have sought inspiration and in doing so become inspirational to others. They have been empowered with knowledge to change and that is what their story will do for the rest of us…

Meet: Chi-Chi Agu 

Meet Chi-Chi

– {THEN} –

Elle: What made you decide to start training / running? What was your plan / goals?

CCA: The major driving force that started my training was the urge to get fit. I used to be able to sprint for a bus, but during and after uni, my eating habits became dire and I spent a lot of my time reading and researching, leading to poor fitness. There had been quite a few unsuccessful attempts to workout at the gym, but I didn’t start taking steps to improve my fitness until 2010 when I started power walking classes with Elite Evolution. 

– {HOW} – 

Elle: What’s your favourite way to work out? 

CCA: I have learnt that I prefer to work out with other people in the great outdoors. Sometimes a solitary run is good for me too….a good opportunity to clear my head!

Elle: What’s your typical weekly exercise schedule? 

CCA: I used to attend Nike Training Club (NTC) classes 3 times a week plus a NTC yoga class; however this year has seen a slight switch up. I now do NTC on Mondays and Saturdays, with Yoga on Tuesdays and Run Club on Thursdays. I may try to fit in an extra run on Sunday, but this is usually a rest day for me

NTC group picture

Elle: What / who has been your inspiration? 

CCA: Hmmmm, I can’t really one who or what specifically. My inspiration has come from various sources, from the girls I train with, to the instagram and tumblr accounts dedicated to fitness and health, to Beyonce and her great figure!

Chi-Chi and friends

Elle: What was the first big difference in you, that made you feel proud and excited? 

CCA: Honestly it was when  some of my clothes started to become baggy on me. The weightloss was a definite bonus and I noticed this about 6 weeks after starting NTC classes at the end of November 2011. The most significant difference for me was probably running 5km without stopping in January 2013 – up until December 2012, I refused to run/jog, believing that I could only run up to 3 minutes before my body would scream stop and collapse on me. That first 5km took about 36mins to complete. My 5km runs now average about 30mins.

Elle: Did you make any changes to your diet once you started training? 

CCA: I’ve cut down on the takeaways and now try to incorporate more fruit and veg on a daily basis. My diet could still be improved though – as a lawyer I am often busy and tied to my desk. My office is right next door to a kebab shop and Chinese takeaway; when it gets really busy in the office it’s all too easy to just get food from the nearest source! For the most part I resist, but I could be helping myself more by bringing in food from home.

– {NOW} – 

Elle: How do you track your progress? 

CCA: I use the Nike Running app to track my runs and sometimes the NTC app. However a lot of the time, I just do the workout

Elle: Have your goals changed since you started your journey? 

CCA: They have slightly – I now want to maintain the consistency of my workouts and lose a bit more fat. I also want to complete a 10K run in an hour or less; that is currently a work in progress.

Elle:  How do you keep yourself motivated? 

CCA: My NTC girls and trainers keep me motivated. They are very supportive; when I think I’ve given all I have to give, they get me to give a little more. Plus there are many sporting and running events going on almost every month, whether they be competitive, for fun or social.

Elle: If you could go back and give advice to the “before” you…or any other person contemplating changing their lifestyle…what would you say?! 

CCA: Working out is not all about pumping iron in the gym or running on a treadmill. It can start off with something as simple as power walking (thanks to Elite Evolution!)

See?! …inspirational huh?! 

If you’d like to leave Chi-Chi a comment below please do! …you can also check out her blog – That Good Girl Chi

…and if you have a story you would like to share just get in touch! {Contact Elle}

Keep living that simpElle life 😉 

Elle 🙂