Mahony, 30, is training for the Surf  ‘T’ Surf six-kilometre run on January 6.

She juggles training in between looking after her children — Maddison, 10, Roxy, 8, Jesse, 6, Charlie, 3 and Alfie, who turns one on Christmas Eve.

The three oldest children go to Merrivale Primary School and will complete the Surf  ‘T’ Surf  3km event with their classmates. 

“It is a matter of fitting in when you can. My partner has cricket on a Thursday and he gets home about 4.40pm and heads off about 5pm,” Mahony said.

“(Last Thursday) I was dressed and ready and as soon as he walked in the door I was like bang ‘I’m going for a run’ and I went for a 25-minute run and as soon as I got home he’s off to cricket training.

“It is a matter of doing stuff like that or getting up early in the morning, like at 5.45am and going for half an hour.

“But it’s good. I have good reason to keep healthy because I have to keep up with the kids.”

Mahony is a strong supporter of the annual Surf ‘T’ Surf event and has used Friendly Societies’ Park to prepare for the 6km run.

Sometimes she runs alone, other times she has the children in tow.  “I used to do the 10km when I was fitter, before I had kids,” Mahony said.

“It’s a pretty tough track.

“When Charlie was about one, I did the 6km.

“It feels like years and years ago, getting out for a run again.

“It really hurt but we’re getting there. I’ve been training three or four times a week but nothing massive distance-wise.”

Mahony said she started with a “run a lap, walk a lap” approach and had slowly built her fitness base. 

She said she’d always had a love of sport.

“In school aerobics we (Brauer College) were the first team from here to get through to nationals years ago and I rode heaps and umpired footy.

“Any sport, I did it, but as you have kids you realise you have to do more than just sport. 

“It is good to be getting fit again but it’s twice as hard to fit in.”

Mahony said the Surf  ‘T’ Surf was a family-friendly event which catered for all ages and abilities.

“It is good fun,” she said.

“I think the first one I did was 15 years ago and it’s just gotten bigger and better.”

For more information on the Surf  ‘T’ Surf, visit surftosurf.org 

justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au