Race, Brunch, Repeat

Out in pitch black due to an early start to work. Must be the fourth straight day of recovery pace. Foot perhaps feels better with the wind-back.

8km tracking Paramatta Road then George Street. Normally road crossings are a pain, but it's a non issue at 6am.

Rode the bike back after work. The 6km to Lilyfield is simply too short. Hence I detoured via the North Shore. Lots of little rolling hills through Waverton and Longueville - good for smashing up the quads. Finished by crossing Gladesville Bridge and circling the Bay Run.

 25km all up taking over 1 hour... so slow I could almost beat it on foot...

Thursday
A little gap at lunch left me a great opportunity to circle the Opera House and shoot down to Rushcutters via Garden Island. Went solo today and it truly was unplanned. Foot continues to feel a little suspicious. Everything else, particularly the quads felt great.

12km all up at 5 min/km.

Late finish and evening rain prevented a cycle home (light not working). Slapped on the new Mizuno Hitogami shoes, now in black and pink! Felt ridiculously amazing and the niggles were gone.

Amazes me every time - same model, but switching from 500km old shoe to a fresh pair makes such a difference. Suppose you don't notice the slow deterioration until it is too late.

Add another 7km home at 5:30 min/km.

Almost pitch black at 6am, but that did not stop me from flapping around at Drummoyne pool for 2km. Embarrassingly slow as always, but works wonders for the ITB.

May look to join HuRTS swims from next week - suspect I'm too slow to actually participate.

On the running from, 2nd week in a row I've skipped intervals on Tuesday. No reason to by myself up given the need to rest my foot. Headed out with Chris to Blue's Point at a pace that barely justifies a run. 8km all up and I suspect my HR barely exceeded 120bpm.

Looking to get a massage this Saturday. It's been over 2 months.

No surprise that the left foot disliked 30km of pavement on Sunday. Woke up to a little swelling plus that little tingling above the toe.

I'll certainly have to keep the mileage low this week and substite with swimming / cycling.

Hence today was just a 7km recovery home.

Ordered another 3 pairs of shoes from Eastbay which was delivered today. A necessary evil of 100km weeks means one pair per 6 weeks...

Set me back $220 including delivery.
- 2x Mizuno Hitogami - light weight training shoe
- 1 x Saucony Type A6.

To call this a race is a stretch. A hard training run is more appropriate.

HuRTS nice guy Brendan W (Wongy) pitched an offer on Friday too hard to refuse.

'A nice little club run down in Smithfield'.

Throw in (i) a free car pool, (ii) the promise that the 'regular' is about my pace, and the real clincher... (iii) food at the finish. All for a reasonable $25 race fee.

5:45am pickup and sticky conditions with high rain risk. Must also admit I have NO idea where Smithfield is.

The 10km is an out-and-back that combines rolling grass hills (sports fields, power station) then a few kms inside a pretty unremarkable reserve with a 5km turnaround. Only nasty bit is a 400m stretch where you climb 30m just after the 2km mark. Nothing to lose sleep over.

SMC 10km course map

If you rinse and repeat this 3x ... that's the 30k race.

No taper (obviously) and no plan (as always). Simply wanted to bank a LR with some mild curiosity over my fitness levels.

4 guys form the front at sub 4 min pace. I'm a VERY slow starter so I sit 40m behind as 'thatAsian guy from Cabramatta who has gone out too fast'. A little hill surge at 2.5km leaves just one (Tim) pushing 3:40s upfront.

I eyeball this guy and think ...'fit no doubt, but broad shoulders tick, awkward upper body rotation tick... he's a triathlete, not a runner'. Unless this is Crowy, very few other ironmen can run a sub 2:40 marathon. I should have this guy covered.

Next 5km is about bridging the gap, which I do bang on 10km. The clock shows 37:05 (slowest split).

Being 10-15kg lighter has advantages - i.e. hills. I put a good 50m on Tim on the ascent (12km), leaving just a lead bike to chase for 18km.

Post this, the race just became one to enjoy. A 30km PB is certainly not on my running bucket list. With a few hi-fives to Wongy, the only thing keeping my pace honest was random cheers plus my watch.

20km is passed in 73:35 and funny enough, all I can think about is what I want for breakfast!

Watch is relegated to the back pocket. I start soaking in the views and ponder property prices in Smithfield. An hour later I mentally wake up with 2km to go. Crossing the line, I conclude that were this a marathon, the 4th lap would really really hurt at 3:30 pace.

Saying that, a strong finish brings a tidy 3 min course record and a maiden 30km time as a future benchmark. I had the course a touch short.

1:49 for 30km at 3:40 min/km. 
- lap 1: 37:05
- lap 2: 36:30
- lap 3: 35:45

Also did this run with no breakfast, no gels and no water... pulled through fine.

Great monthly event all round, and the highlight was a little prize money! Enough to buy a box of donuts for example.

Wongy apparently blew up in the last 5kms, but banked a respectable 30km in 2:27.

114km for the week. Reasonably light on with no speed Tuesday, but two swims (Wed and Sat). Foot needs a rest and I should start the taper soon.

Copo 2011 was where my love of brunch was first conceived. I return perhaps 10% lighter but with a 30% larger appetite and greater propensity to criticise.

Either Drummoyne has been through Zimbabwean-style hyperinflation or the cafe is trying to eye gouge on price.

Crowds are thinner and a lack of 'Surry Hills' buzz is disconcerting. This is important, - the anticipation of feed can be as memorable as the feed itself.

Copo 2nd level terrace

20+ menu choices capture almost every imaginable food group. Too large a menu can be bad sometimes ... e.g. my local Lilyfield pub claims to serve 'The Best Laksa in Sydney'. Move over Malay-Chinese on Hunter Street!

The smoked trout salad comes out quickly. This is apparently the most popular non-baked eggs dish.

Smoked trout salad with cabbage, apples, radish, coriander and almonds - $19

Now let's disregard the protein first, and acknowledge this to be chopped bits of greens and apple. At at a princely $19, I was expecting a whole trout from Norway plus a fishing rod.

My anger over trout-stinginess is quick to dissipate. The smokey flavour is AMAZING; I feel sorry for the forest that was cleared to wood smoke my fish. Excellent texture and the greens to protein ratio was spot on.

The almonds are nowhere to be seen, and the dish is much in need of a poached egg. The lightness almost left me craving something creamy.

Incredible crumbled smoked trout with a rich woody flavour

No different to my maiden 10k race in 2011... a horrible pacing strategy left me in a bad state. In this case, an empty plate in 4 minutes.

Dish one-liner - a delicious appetiser that should be round 1 on a 10 course degustation.

Onto the baked eggs... of which there are three cuisines to choose from.... Spanish (chorizo), Moroccan (eggplant) or Turkish (lamb).

In the last 3 weeks via our brunch adventures, Lorie has already mounted a camel in Morocco and waved the Spanish flag clutching a chorizo. Today, she takes on the ANZAC tradition by invading Turkey.

Turkish baked eggs with minced lamb, yogurt, tomato and toast - $19

Baked eggs first principle - a well executed tomato base which is thick, rich and generously seasoned carries the dish. By skipping the sauce, Copo failed.

The general flavour and seasoning was OK, but the real bore was the composition. A hard egg layer above the lamb was more distinct than cheese on a beef patty inside a McDonald's cheeseburger.

A food date gone wrong between the eggs and lamb; they didn't even get to first base. Lack of component interaction was not helped by a carelessly chopped tomato and a dump of yogurt.

I find great joy in how an oozing yolk can seep effortlessly throughout a multi-faceted dish to marry flavours together. This was missing, along with any such sauce to scoop with a fist of bread.

Bunless lamb burger with fried egg on top

In effect, we paid $21 for a lamb burger with a fried egg, served in a little iron pan but missing its buns. The single little rye slice was begging for a twin.

The $4 upgrade to a Neil Perry Rockpool Wagyu Burger is too small to ignore. At least NP gives you two buns. Photo below from Rockpool website.

Imagine this Rockpool Wagyu Burger in a pan without the buns...

Today was a missed opportunity to explore other great brunch bucket-list destinations.

Food - 6/10 - mixed bag with a great light salad but a mediocre baked eggs.
Value - 2/10 - horrible bang for your buck.
Other - 7/10 - fairly unremarkable setting offset by nice staff eager for feedback.
Overall - 6/10 - good dish unsatisfying, bad dish infuriating.

I often lie in bed dreaming about wakening to the waft of baked eggs with a thick slab of bread.

Being no closer to this fantasy, my advice is to ignore the Food Critics and resist the temptation to dine at Copo.

Feel free to comment if (i) you've tried Copo and have a view, or (ii) recommend a place for me to try next! I need some ideas. 

If a cafe scores below 7, I show my wife's image rather than my own.

Despite a very hectic work week, I managed to sneak out quickly during lunch.

Ordinarily 3-4 weeks from a trail marathon should typically be a peak mileage week. Trying to ignore my lack of prep here and just bank easy miles.

So today was 5km around the Opera House down to Garden Island and return. Pace was intentionally slow, but coming around Mrs Macquarie's Chair I decided to switch to 4km at MP. Hence last few splits were around 3:50.

11km all up at 4:26 min/km average page.

The miserable 4km at tempo is all the speed I'll be doing for the week.

Jumped on the bike and headed down to Drummoyne pool for some early morning laps. Very slow, embarrassingly slow actually. Does wonder for the tight ITBs though. 1.6km all up freestyle, before heading off to work.

Starting a new routine Wednesday's with some ex-School buddies which included Ben D and Tom. 2nd week straight. We started from Bridge Street, followed Hickson Road before tracking the water around Pyrmont. Final leg takes us through Blackwattle Park before I broke off to head home.

12km running, pace around 5 min/km.

Did the right thing and avoided intervals (4x10min). I do normally enjoy this a tingling in my foot is a little concerning.

Completely disinterested in another easy trundle at lunch. Headed to Hickson, where an elongated set of stone stairs rises towards the Rocks. It's a good 5 flights of 16 steps

One rep consisted alternating from double leg hops to simple single stair jog. So each rep was in effect 3x16 mini jumps. So very tiring; so much so I was almost falling over after 10 sets of this.

Finished the stair session, then added 6km jogging with 8 sets of 15 push-ups and 15 dips.

A good cross-training block all round. Not sure it does anything for the running though.

Sunday - Birchgrove plus Pancakes
With my LR banked on Saturday, I simply intended to add some very easy base miles. Shot down to the Bay Run and headed out to Balmain along the water.

Threaded through the streets towards Birchgrove. Great suburb, well hidden and deceptively close to the city as the crow flies. To keep things interesting every 1km I did 10 push-ups. Covered 16km before my arms could take no more.

When I got back, I made the difficult decision to indulge in some pancakes. Add the mango and some almond spread and it was happy days. Sadly I had to share one with the missus.

Sunday pancakes

Later that afternoon, Lorie called me out for a short trundle. She only runs once a week, so I was happy to plod behind her. Add another 6km or so.

22km for the day, all easy.

Weekly total around 120km. 4 weeks out from Six Foot, so this is where I want to be.

Monday
Getting a suspicious tingling on my left middle toe. Could be a sign of dogey shoes or PF? Hope not.

Had a meeting running late, so went solo down to Blues Point in high 20s weather. Kept the pace easy. Certainly don't want to injure myself right now.

Tomorrow speed is in doubt.

If you count a 5km walk / jog home, that makes 15km for the day.

Valentine's Day and the first time eating along Glebe Point Road in almost eight years. Little has changed, included the wife's stature...

4 ft 10 inch wife next to a 2 ft sign saying 'life is too short'

Brewristas has such an expansive drinks selection that food is almost an afterthought.

I fail to convince myself that the 'ultimate nutella frappe' with added coffee and cookies has the same post-run recovery powers as chocolate milk. Hence I start with quite a nice soy cap.

Soy cappuccino - $4.50

Five of seven food options are quite novel. Two Korean-inspired dishes hilariously include honey jam-filled pancakes (within which lies bacon) or ramen-crusted 'Kevin Balls'.

Like everyone, I love delicious-sounding food beyond a simpleton's DIY ability. Unlike many, I eat healthy and can vicariously enjoy certain dishes (e.g. pancakes with extra bacon) through my better half ....

My last quirk is I will always arrive famished and sporting an inexplicable infatuation with eggs. Any bad 'eggsperience' leaves me in a state of distress.

Coconut poached chicken salad is a specialty. Adding a $2 poached egg is my prerogative. This dish looks pretty good ...

Coconut poached chicken salad with spinach, fennel, coriander and watercress plus a poached egg - $16 + $2

An ice-cream scoop of coconut cream-infused chicken is plonked on top. 80% plate coverage, but still a 20% chance I'll leave satisfied..

This is no ordinary chicken-mayo. A strong coconut flavour is helped by lots of salt plus the creaminess. Quite flavoursome.

The egg on the side is mobilised on top and then burst with magical satisfaction...

An oozing egg yolk is a critical addition to the salad...

Two negatives:
-  undersized egg, implying a defective chicken or more likely, loss of my prized egg white in the poaching water.
- salad portion was so light that my stomach thought it was only eating a heap of chicken-mayo.

This is as tasty as a simple chicken salad could ever be. It is no match for say a crumbling of wood-smoked salmon, per LS&B in Bondi. I've repeated that dish below ....

My all time favourite smoked salmon salad from Lox, Stock & Barrel in Bondi

Onto the grilled eggplant stack, Lorie's choice.

Grilled eggplant stack with zucchini, tomatos, mushrooms, pesto, sweet potato puree, boccocini and chorizo - $14 + $3

Chunks of charred veggies atop potato mash seems to be a winning combo. Can anyone resist adding chorizo for a princely sum of $3?

I do ponder denying the missus the simple pleasure of such a salty Spanish sausage. Trying this on Valentine's Day is probably an automatic relegation to sleeping on the couch for a week.

A smile that can quickly turn upside down if chorizo is denied...

I was immediately shocked with how mild all the elements were. My fault for initially avoiding the (not so) optional chorizo.

Egg plant stack would be very lonely without the sausage accompaniment...

The issue is these veggies are simple 'carriers' for the pesto, which was lackluster. The heartbreak is not too dissimilar to popcorn without butter, or xiao long bao (pork dumplings) without the soup inside.

With a 1/10 pesto score, the saltiness from the chorizo became an overwhelming hero. Dish was moderately satisfying post the sausage.

Overall, the chefs get a pat on the head for good innovation, a wrap on the knuckles for bad execution and a poke in the eye for high pricing. Coffee was the only standout.

Smooth tasting soy cap takes dish (or mug) or the day...

Taste is king and today there was no castle, just a nice moat. If a simple cappuccino was so good, I can only imagine the delight of a nutella frappe with coffee and cookies.

Score summary below:

Food - 6/10 - eye opening combos that don't quite work.
Value - 6/10 - with not so optional 'add-ons', you lose $20 per person.
Other - 8/10 - good setup, fast service, nice waiter. Can't complain.
Overall - 6.5/10 - acceptable local spot for semi-hungry adventurers seeking a frappe thrill-ride.

I do admit all my reviews have one commonality. I'm almost always (and often unfairly) scathing on portions. Today I left hungry but not angry.

Leaving the cafe hungry, searching for my next meal.

Want proof there will be no repeat visit?

The moment I got home, I married a fresh sourdough loaf from the local market with a three-egg omelette. Only then did I smile for the first time ...

Bakery stand at the Saturday Glebe Markets.

Friday
Effectively resting today. Took the bike into work, but not without a fun little detour around the Bay Run and a somewhat random out-and-back across Gladesville Bridge. You can't beat the views around 6am right now....



No run at lunch and just a short jog into Pyrmont to meet Lorie. We poked around the Lunar Night Markets, ate a few dumplings and walked home.

In effect, the ride plus a dumpling-fueled walk was the best training I could muster today.

Saturday
Initial plan - run 3km to Drummoyne pool, do a few laps and jog back home. With the pool effectively closed from 7:30am due to some silly Carnival, the actual activity was quite different...

A relaxed pace took me northbound across the Gladesville bridge into the heart of Lane Cove.

Coming out of Hunters Hill, I joined a middle-aged bloke John D (JD) sporting a camel back wearing a Six Foot Track shirt. No surprise what he was training for. Left him behind on River Road and headed to Lane Cove pool for 2km of freestyle. This did wonders for my right ITB.

Decided to make the return journey via Harbour Bridge. Somewhat coincidently, I ran into the same JD along Hickson Road. This provided some welcome company for the final 7km via Blackwattle Bay.

Run summary - 12km to the pool (65 min), 2km in the pool (43 min) then 19km back home (102 min). Not a bad effort for 31km running on no gels / breakfast.

Let's just say I turned up to brunch with a very healthy appetite.

Seem to be accumulating some serious right hip tightness. Could be the recent race and my lack of race fitness. All I could manage was 7km at 5:30 min/km in the morning, followed by a plod of shame later in the evening.

15km for the day. Body needs either a good swim or massage in the next day or two.

Heat plus humidity as bad as it was yesterday. Joined Jono for a midday recovery starting at Macquarie offices then down Hickson to CQ. Returned the same route to make 8km.

Per my running OCD, felt the urge to round to the nearest 10. Luckily Wongy popped up on his return from Pyrmont. Headed back again to CQ with Wongy at a slightly faster pace.

This made 11.5km all up at 5:17 min/km.

Later after work, caught up with school and uni mate Benny D; back from 2 years in Berlin. To my surprise he's a lot leaner having taken up running. Joined BD plus 3 of his mates for an easy one around Hickson (again), across Pyrmont Bridge then through Blackwattle Bay.

Great run, adding another 11km for the day at 5:15 min/km.

Legs quite sore now... Tomorrow rest or recovery.

Boy has my body almost forgotten what it's like to do a hard session in the heat. With the quads still wobbly from 10k race plus 33km LR on weekend, I had little need to push hard.

Big turnout, but from the outset I let the front group including Crossy, Tucks and Jono go and did the pacing duties for the 2nd group. 4:10s to start, moving 10s/km faster every 10 minutes.

I kept the pacing honest to the turnaround. At this stage I was fully farmed up, ditched the group and surged on the return. Good job to Jamie for keeping pace on the back half.

Last 15 min was around 3:30s, so I was 85s too early. To make amends, I did a mini-out and back until the clock hit 45 min.  

Happy to be the first to return. Surging the last uphill segment is as fun as going to the dentist.

All up 11.6k at 3:54 min/km. Surprised how slow my last splits were, felt a lot more painful.

Sunday - Centennial
Centennial group out in force this morning. A promising late night email goes out suggesting an 'easy and flat' trundle around the park.

I was not sure what to expect today. Easy week of training, but first race in 10 weeks and no doubt non stop feasting and less running over the break has not helped.

Poor Lorie was dragged out of bed and forced to drive to Homebush all before 6:30am. The allure of a post-race brunch did the trick.

Reasonable turnout from HuRTS - Tommy, Timmy, Enda, Macca, Andy, Biggsy, James and Renee. However, where was Charlie D and Wooey, who only 12 hours earlier were keen?

I negotiated a 2:15 head start for Timmy and put $20 on the line. Although this is a great deal, you never know that day where you faint, roll down a hill and run a personal worst.

The first few km was a little confusing and I had no tactic. To my surprise I just manage to latch onto a group of 5. Even more surprising was the presence of Tom and Macca!

Only guy in black

3km of 3:20 pace did its damage, and the group fractured leaving Tom, myself and a third guy later revealed to be Lewis. Naturally I'm very nervous here, as Tom even being in sight should be a sign I've gone out way too hard. Perhaps my watch is wrong and we're running 3:10?

As we pass the slower runners in the opposite direction, I noticed a happy Lorie who gives a smile of encouragement. The best I could do was a sweaty grunt then a grimace.

Hiding at the back of a three-man group at 4km

We  passed half way around 16:40 and around here I was happy to do pacing duties. The bloke in front was clearly tiring, but there was still at 30m gap to close.

Turns out he was incredibly stubborn. So much so it took until the dirt track loop at 8km for Tom and I to shake him. It's always at this stage you realise racing is just an exercise in pain management.

For about 1.5km, I sat on Tom's shoulder thinking, 'jeez a PB is probably a given, but what do I do about this skinny Pom?' I pondered too long and ascending the final ramp, it came down to a 200m sprint. David vs. Goliath here and what a poor tactical decision by me. I lost a good 6 secs to a much better runner.

Shocked at the time - 33:15 at an average 3:19 min/km. 4th place. This is a good minute on the same course in October, which itself was a 90s PB.

Splits show a very mild negative split. Not my usual style but this could be the new norm.

First 5km in 16:42 (3:17, 3:20, 3:17, 3:23, 3:25)
Second 5km in 16:33 (3:15, 3:20, 3:19, 3:22, 3:17)


Best thing from today is a huge confidence boost to race more aggressively.

As always Tommy is in a league of his own with a 33:10, whilst Macca and Enda went sub 35. Biggsy plus James E are both now back in action, Timmy did a predictable 37ish and is now $20 poorer. I missed Renee at the end but I was expecting her to go sub 39.

HuRTS group after the race. Great morning all round!

A 5:45am wake-up and 1 minute PB at the Sydney Striders 10km race provides the perfect reason to celebrate. My choice is in the brunch hub of Sydney, Redfern.

Kepos Street Kitchen (KSK) is immensely popular; yet I am as nervous as I was before the race. 'Must trys' are prone to disappointment - e.g. Cumulus (Melbourne) does a 63 degree poached egg that comes 2nd to microwaved eggs in a two horse race. That chef should be publicly shamed.

Kepos Street Kitchen, Redfern

I find it difficult not to attack the below display with my face ...

Display counter with all sorts of sugar-induced happiness

Clipboard menu, 1 page. I'm appalled by the lack of baked eggs but find excitement elsewhere. Try mentally digesting 'wood fired hot smoked salmon' or 'lamb with pine nut cigars' without salivating.

Personal philosophy - avoid DIY-like dishes at brunch. Why would anyone pay $12 for eggs on toast?

I like KSK's menu because I don't own a wood smoker, nor have I ever shoved pine nuts into edible tubes.

Kepos Street Kitchen, Redfern

Waitress has a thick European accent. Not to be deterred, I convey my portion expectations by imitating a teddy bear with my arms and blowing up my cheeks. Finally I point at my wife and describe how she does not feed me  at home.

Two items are recommended:
- roasted cauliflower fritters with smoked turkey (one of two signature dishes); and
- open omelette with zucchini salad and toast (daily special).

Because both sound so good, we agree a feeding prenuptial - 50/50 split regardless of dish of the day.

Double order of open omelette and cauliflower fritters.

The mystery of an 'open' omelette is no more. This is basically a pancake omelette with feta, pistachio and some zucchini spaghetti. Note the mint randomly dancing on top. Being $17 less well-off and 22 minutes older, I'd love to hate this simple dish but there is nothing not to love.

Open omelette with zucchini salad - $17

The omelette is strangely dense, which makes it filling. Garnish is rarely more than an annoyance. However, I discover fresh mint with an almost overly salty feta is a perfect match!

Toast on the side was at best a stomach liner and at worst a waste of table space.

After hitting the half-way point, I transition to the cauliflower fritters below.

Roasted cauliflower fritters, chickpeas, cumin, smoked turkey and poached eggs - $18

Served in pan, there is two layers of thick, chunky cauliflower fritters sandwiched between three sheets of turkey. It's almost like a reverse, double layer bread-less turkey sandwich.
I do wish my career was popping poached eggs and watching them ooze. It is disturbingly relaxing...

Bursting yolk from perfectly poached eggs.

A great morning is finished off with a creamy flat white. I'm no caffeine connoisseur, but taste was smooth, didn't need sugar and the mug was empty in half a minute.

Thursday

Little to report today. 7km in the morning at 5:30 min/km.

I'd say my left foot still feels strangely numb, which means the next few days should best be taken cautiously. Had a nice 6km walk home with Lorie across the Anzac Bridge from the CBD. Forgot what it's like not to run... painfully slow.

Consistent with my four weeks on, one week off, I continue to somewhat sheepishly avoid anything hard so far this week.

Left foot feeling a touch 'funny' after Sunday, not painful but perhaps a mild tingling. Mentally very willing to do the HuRTS, but did not want the risk that a tingle becomes a stabbing pain. Seems quite a few people are getting hit with Plantar Fasciitis (PF). Struggled with this last year and don't want a repeat.

Anyway, sub'ed the 8x5min with a more mild jog out to Centennial at lunch with Renee. Pace pretty relaxed at a touch under 5 min/km. Tracked Oxford St then down Anzac Parade before doing a single loop of the white fence.

Centennial is great mid-week, feels like you're on holiday.

13km all up at 4:48 min/km. Add another 5km home to make 18km for the day.

Rest of the week will be light. Even may consider a rest day.

Possibly the best cookies I've ever made. Three key ingredients make this a winner (chickpeas, almond spread and almond milk)

All-natural, high protein and if you leave the honey out it is vegan-friendly and sugar free.

So easy it is hard to stuff up with 5 min prep time. Texture comes out very soft, tastiness guaranteed.

High protein almond cookies with honey

Very happy with how the body is feeling with the mileage slowly building so far. Despite this, I'm due for an easy week. Still looking to do a speed session or two, but I'm able to cut out a lot of the junk mileage.

Marrickville has a formidable line-up of cheap-eats: pork sausage roll (Bourke Street Bakery), Vietnamese pork roll (Marrickville Pork Roll) and beef noodle soup (PHD).

I dream of the day when I add a fourth to this amazing hit-list. Specifically, I yearn to conquer the gap between a missed-breakfast and a too-long-to-wait lunch.

Illi Hill is new to the brunch scene and has a 96% urbanspoon rating. Just like a chubby Santa Claus that eats your cookies and drinks your milk, is this too good to be true?

Well lit, open kitchen plan inside Illi Hill, Marrickville

Stepping inside, we are akin to two fat kids outside a cake shop. The treats on display are a visual feast: thumb-thick choc-chip cookies, melt-in-your-mouth brownies and ultra-puffy croissants which could double as an edible night time pillow.

Muffins, cookies, brownies and croissants steal the show

Today's mandate is to try the all-day breakfast. It seems the chef plays with a straight bat to suit the crowd. A breakfast salad sounds interesting enough to try.

The funny thing about Filipinos (e.g. the one I married) is that breakfast is commonly just dessert-in-disguise. Think chocolate porridge, deep fried banana or a pastry laden with butter, cheese and sugar.

Unsurprisingly, the missus eyeballs the ricotta and buttermilk pancakes. I will have none of it and she somewhat begrudgingly elects baked eggs (my 2nd choice). This is a classic yardstick for kitchen competency.

Both mains are served in an acceptable 15 minute window.

Baked eggs in an iron pan and breakfast salad in giant bowl

Brunch salads can be an emotional roulette game, this one with a pretty costly buy-in. Lucky the bowl is as wide as my rib cage...a good start

Breakfast salad with seasonal greens, avocado, poached egg and five-seed toast - $16.50

Sadly I can't call out particular praise for a blob of avocado. Onto the egg, I question if the chef failed year 3 maths or is missing fingers. Two slices of toast, but just one lonely egg. Either this violates the basic principle of one egg to one toast, or it is an attempt to insult my intelligence (and appetite). No customer should have to cut his (or her) yolk in half.

On the flip side, the leafy assembly was refreshing and I always cheer when kale makes a guest appearance. Flaked toasted almonds are brilliant, as is a zesty lemon dressing. Overall, a refreshing but unremarkable jungle of greens.

Baked eggs, braised white beans, peas, field mushrooms, tomato, feta and toast - $17.50

Head-to-head score between baked eggs and my wife is now 10-0, favouring the eggs. Today was a total egg knockout, meaning I enjoyed a double brunch. My (not so) expert opinion below:

- Positive - high bean-to-sauce ratio creates the perfect chunky texture for a beans-on-toast eating strategy. The giant mushroom is succulent and needs careful rationing.
- Negative - taste certainly not bland, but lacked the 'kick' factor. Maybe extra spice would do the trick.

I did end the session with a ceremonious wipe-down of the pan per the below method.

Baked eggs finished off with a rigorous wipe-down using bread

This dish represents my view of Illi Hill. An adept kitchen and an honest attempt to please the crowd. Without a signature dish nor particularly great pricing, I can't see myself returning.

Saturday - Cross Training
Slept like a rock and accordingly woke too de-motivated to do a planned tempo around the Bay Run.

Today's 10km run consisted multiple sets of push-up burpees. Essentially I collapse to the ground for 10 reps of double push-up burpees, before jogging 750m and repeating.

I do this until I lose feeling in my arms.

13 sets in total, before I tapped out. Thrice I've done this now. The next day I am typically in a world of pain, but the good type.

Summary - 10km running, 10x13 double-push-up burpees.

This proved an adequate hunger-building exercise for a subsequent brunch at Marrickville. Review is pending.

Sunday - HuRTS Centennial
8km jog down Paramatta Road to meet the HuRTS crew at the Centennial Park kiosk at 7am.

Usual suspects included Enda, CT, a shoulder-strapped Sonya, Birchy and Anthony. It seems almost everyone wanted to do no more than 20km. Too early in the season to be doing much longer (aside from CT of course). First lap took is around the white picket fence before an out-and-back along Alison Road.

Next lap we hit the trails that trace the inside perimeter of the park. With a few mini-steps, tree roots and sandy trails, this is the closest I've come to six-foot track training. Race is in 5 weeks, how sad.

Left the group after lap 2 before shooting back through Redfern and USyd. With watch-in-pocket and extremely mild weather, I felt incredible and was surprised by my distance covered.

Got back before 9am with a self pat on the back for longest run in awhile (say 9 months).

Lilyfield to Centennial and return

Good close to the week - 130km in total. Most of that is commuting though.