Becoming Catherine: All in a spin as countdown continues

MacTodd solicitor Tanya Surrey with a couple of catwalk choices at Decode. Tanya has just 10 days until her big reveal on the catwalk during the finale of the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival Alpine Health & Fitness Ladies Fashion Challenge. Photo supplied.

With just 10 days left until MacTodd solicitor Tanya Surrey struts her stuff alongside 11 other Queenstown women in the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival Alpine Health & Fitness Ladies Fashion Challenge, she is learning the life of a model is no holiday.

Juggling work between training sessions, catwalk rehearsals and "design meetings" leaves little time to worry about the biggest challenge of them all... the catwalk.

There's been no time lately to think about Becoming Catherine.

At the moment, Being Tanya is more than enough.

In the past week, I've had three RPM classes, one stretch class, two weights work-outs and one personal training session with Funktional Fitness, along with a quiz night, film society, the musical Grease, an outing to Barney's Version at Dorothy Brown's and of course clients to keep happy.

I've also walked the Lake Hayes Track.

Then there was the Zumba class I dragged my friend Lisa to.

Afterwards we laughed about Lisa's mother in Scotland, participating in a Zumba-thon.

We were exhausted, while on the other side of the world in Durisdeer, Mazza and her mates were enduring an entire day of Zumba.

Then there were two fashion fittings, one shoe fitting, and one meeting with clothing designers. The life of a model is all go. I've taken to the prima donna personality quite easily.

It's only a matter of time before I throw a cellphone at someone if I don't get my own way about what I'm wearing.

Before the "design meeting" there was a yoga class.

I arrived too late to participate so I sat at the back gorging on chunks of broccoli and celery sticks. The calm voice of the instructor implored the group to relax.

I resisted interjecting to shriek that I don't have time to relax.

In addition there were catwalk rehearsals.

I missed the first rehearsal so was on the back foot, while others are clearly naturals. Laura moves on the catwalk as if she's been doing it all her life while I keep turning left when everyone else is turning right.

At my dress fitting, the lovely Maree Cross, of Decode, informed me that RPM gets results and with this in mind I did more "spinning" classes in a week than in the past 10 weeks.

I'm determined to wear an outfit that is, to put it politely, a tight fit.

The Friday morning class was the worst.

I stumbled through the doors of Lakes Leisure having been up at 6am to cook my breakfast.

The eggs were fried in healthy olive oil but fried nevertheless.

I need some pleasure in my life.

I took over a bike MacTodd partner Jayne Macdonald had been using in the 6am class. I should have been grateful to have a bike set up ready to go but it was all I could do not to tell Jayne this entire challenge nightmare was her fault, as she'd been the one who persuaded me to apply.

I was exhausted at the end of it.

An instructor with a sense of humour thought a track named Show Me Heaven was inspiring. Gym instructors are clearly a separate species.

My idea of heaven is never going to involve RPM.

After the class I could barely move and was grateful to the knight in shining armour who packed away my bike.

I decided after all that I deserved the luxury of a massage at Hush Spa.

Such is the life of a model.

We must be indulged.

People keep asking what I'm missing and how I'm feeling.

One of the biggest changes has been my reduced coffee intake.

It's now one or two cups a day as opposed to six.

I had previously scoffed at friends holding forth about starting the day with a cup of tea.

Now I'm pouring cups of English Breakfast tea every morning.