Great run out at Dalby Forest with Sarah, my rock! I'm very lucky as she keeps me grounded when I become obsessed with my training and it kind of makes me one dimensional.  She is brilliant though, as she supports me all the way but also reigns me in when I get a bit addicted.  I'm in a phase at the moment where things feel like there going really well and I'm improving at a good rate and I'm really feeling the benefit of the consistency and variety that my training plan gives me plus at the moment I'm loving putting in the efforts as the hard work is paying off.  Since the new year I've an effort to get my weight down, not because I want to be skinny but because I know I'm carrying a little bit more than I should and I know by dropping a few pounds it will make it better for me.  The weight has been coming off steadily and I'm now nearly at my target weight.  I started the year at 94 kg's and I'm now 88.5kg's with the goal of 83.  I now feel in a position to really start getting excited about the race as I feel I have put myself into a position of being able to complete it as long as I can stay injury free.  What I have to do though is remember I have a family who needs me and a gorgeous fiancée that needs me.  So my training needs to be done when it doesn't effect everyone else.  Sarah is great, she supports me endlessly and tirelessly even when I became unbearable lol!  It takes a lot but she's amazing as works full time and looks after the kids.  She deserves a medal putting up with me lol!!!

The training at the moment consists of hill reps to build my strength and lung capacity, speed work to try increase my overall slow pace to a little faster and long run endurance work.  I've recently been using a heart rate monitor purely because it interests me to see what is happening during my runs but also with the idea of it assisting my training.  When Sarah joined up at the gym she got one of these 'Blaze' belts which is a heart monitor with a special app that is used in one of the circuit training classes that uses heart rate zones to judge your level of effort during the class so you can push yourself harder and I guess become more accountable.  Anyway I haven't used it in the class yet although I intend to at some point but I am finding it good for when I go out on runs to see how hard I'm working and whether I can actually try a bit harder at certain times.  It is also quite good to see how hard my heart is working during exercise and the efforts.

What's next?  Well I want to now try and push a little harder in my speed work as I feel this is starting to become more important now I've increased my fitness levels.  I also want to maintain my long run once a week even a little trickier now with work, and I want to get the rest of my body stronger and more able to cope with the rigours of long distance running.  I also need to stay strong with my weight loss but maintain healthy balance of eating enough of the good stuff!

Happy days!!!