Race, Brunch, Repeat

Middle East meets hipster Sydney East in a homely yet different feed at Kepos & Co. This is a welcome injection of modern Israel into an otherwise student overpopulated, culturally confused Waterloo. With a peak price of $29/dish, deep-value diners should stay away.

I may discard my bulk Twinings chai tea-bags after warming the throat with this $4.50 aromatic Masala Chai blend.



Spicy tea connoisseurs are no match for this Warm Spiced tea. Asian lactose intolerance suggests this a wise second choice.



Onto the food. Stomach cannot keep pace with my eyes - wood-fired breads, in-house hummus, complex salads and of course, the standard-issue B&E offers. I'm hungry.


Chef Michael Rantissi has one intrinsic quality that I will never boast. He resists the temptation to stock produce from the adjacent Aldi store. Implied in every item is quality and detail.

Trout and Freekeh - a healthy, non-bread option where the sea is the hero.

Smoked trout salad, freekeh, asparagus, coriander and hazelnuts - $21

Smokiness is undeniable. Price and first forkful confirms this is no Aldi vacuum pack. Unlike the young ladies stumbling out of a Newtown pub at I pass on my run at 6am, dressing is just right. Freekeh is so chewy and 10x more filling than a leaf base.



Mouth craves a poached egg. Already north of $20, budget is breached and I'm hungry and heart broken. Score is a tug-o-war between uniqueness vs. questionable value. I feel I'm on a diet upon finishing but still remain in good spirits. So confusing.

KSK classic bacon brioche roll with chili jam - $15

Lorie gave a first rate massage on my quads and I now have a new pair of legs. Perfectly content putting easy kms into the legs today. Conway, Charlie, Nathan and Sammy had similar ideas at lunch.

Flat elevation, easy pace and sunshine made this a real Spring treat. We skipped Hickson wharves and headed to Barangaroo Point. Cut the run short at CQ for 12km all up. Felt 50% better afterwards, albeit off a low base.

Spirits were so high I added 6km in the evening around Blackwattle Bay. Pristine twilight views.

An all-male turnout for Centennial loops in fabulous Spring weather. With the likes of Jerome, Timmy, Enda, Eoin, Jeet, Wiseman and Glen all finding late season form, the 4:30s pace was going to be tough.

My brunch cravings often oscillate between (i) rustic and hearty, OR (ii) fresh and healthy. The pre-requisite for both is value, satiety and uniqueness.

Cornersmith's 'garden-on-a-plate' concept is deep in camp (ii). Unfortunately, small portions are no deterrent to a beehive of Inner West hipsters and aspiring dieters alike.

9:30am Sunday kick-off starts with a seriously smooth skim flat white. Cornersmith: 1, home Nespresso machine: 0.



Eyes wide open on the food - order wrong and you'll go home hungry. My mistake per initial 7/10 visit.

There's a $9 or $12 trap to get off first base. Start with eggs-on-toast or a egg-on-leaves. Stand-alone, this is an insult to any thrill seeker.

Real Intellectual Property (IP) is the blackboard 'add-ons' for $6. Choose fresh ham,  picked veggies or some type of green goodness.

In effect, think of chasing down a Mr Whippy's van only to eat soft-serve ice-cream without the choc-top. Mandatory, not optional.

Christina, a seasoned Melb-based bruncher is lured by the ham. She's ventured all this way for eggs, onion relish and ham on toast ....

Poached eggs with relish on sourdough with pasture raised ham - $9 + $6

Fresh protein is dwarfed by the carbs. My interstate friend does not deserve to be down $15 a DIY staple. Relish feels a touch too sweet.

The dormant coeliac in me calls for the salad; one comparable in size to a local pub grub side dish.

Poached egg over breakfast salad - $12

Unsure the composition, but the leaves and herbs are complex. I love it. Is the value salvaged by a divine poach? No. Egg is left too long and the golden-ooze disappoints.

Chef apologises with 34 sesame seeds. This is not divisible by 5. Unacceptable.


For me, size trumps freshness in scoring and this bowl is soul value destructive. 3/10

Stomach cannot leave empty and I circle back on the Ploughman's Plate. Choice is largely based on a fascination with the word 'plough'.

Ploughman's Plate for two - snow peas, apple, ham, pickled veggies and some cheese - $30

Good produce should never be over-worked. This plate takes it one step too far. No excuse to serve chopped apple. Once again, the sesame seeds mark an apology.

Happy to concede to the home-feel of ham, chunky chutney and rustic sourdough. Pickles are way too salty and I feel this needs an egg.

Mr Ploughman's verdict is good balance but no magic. 7/10.

I do leave satisfied and land on 7/10. There is no disingenuous menu over-sell and I credit the Ploughman for saving the day.

My advice?
Provided you come to Cornersmith with acceptance (i) locally-picked produce is priced accordingly and (ii) chef's want you to lose wait, you'll feel right at home.

WIll I be returning?
Yes, the set dinner menu looks fascinating.

AM: woke to some pretty tired legs. Recovery has not been quite as expected. Enjoyed an easy 7km through Glebe on my way to work.

PM: the crew today was just four - Jerome plus two new guys Matt and Andis. The lawyer count was three. Good to see some new faces joining the squad. Pace was an easy 5 min/km out to Barangaroo. Retraced the steps to Opera House before jogging back with Jerome. 13km all up

20km for the day.

Rookie error yesterday post a humid lunch run - did not hydrate. Paid the price with a scratchy throat and an under-recovered set of legs (today).

Skipped a morning run and even then almost didnt turn up to the 2km intervals with HuRTS. Start at Park Hyatt, finish at Barangaroo Point.

Session turned into a progressive one, latching onto a few trusty pacers with 30s standing breaks.

#1 drafting behind Sonya at 3:50s warm-up
#2 worked with the Frenchman at 3:35s
#3 sat on FJen's heels at 3:17s
#4 all alone here, eased off at 3:25s.

8km in 28:26 at 3:33 min/km.

Must have bee hard work for Barts all alone up front. Did a short 3km warm-down around Opera House with Sammy before hanging up the shoes.

12km for the day.

An ad-hoc recovery out to Centennial with Conway. Pace was remarkably easy, but the disruptive nature of road crossings, uneven paths and undulating hills removed any changes of a recovery run. I love the park intraday.

14km all up in 70 min.

I'm in that place where I need to nail consistent speed but struggling with flattish legs and no races in the pipeline.

AM: found a weather gap and took my chances with an easy 8km commute. 6 min type pace.

PM: lunch session a nasty 45 min fartlek, 60s on, 30s off. Decided I'll do half the set at higher intensity. Gave the heads up to any who dare follow (i.e. Fenton, CT) and was all alone in front. Lonely days. The 'ons' hurt big time. Sustained effort pushed me well into the red zone. I need to spend more time here.

Come 22.5 min, found myself at the end of Hickson (MAQ building). Little to benchmark against, but that's a pretty solid effort.

Km splits: 3:30, 3:26, 3:33, 3:34, 3:22, 3:36, 3:51 (300m). 'On's were 3:15s, 'offs 3:45s. Mid to high 170s bpm. Must be a record.


6.3km in 22:30 at 3:32 min/km. Re-linked with Brendan for a 5km warm-down around Barangaroo ad CQ.

20km for the day. Legs are tired.

Battled mother nature alongside Charlie, Conway and Sam on horrid conditions. We checked out the new Barangaroo track. Nice set-up, but not wide enough presumably for large group intervals. Good company all round.

Pace was bang on 5 min/km. Felt so sluggish at the start, then magic from 7km. Charlie thrives in such conditions. Wet weather specialist.

12km all up in 60 min.

A return of the Centennial routine with HuRTS. Sticky weather, on-off rain no deterrent to anyone aspiring to Blackmores, Melbourne or other 2H races.

Vege Patch - quinoa, chickpea and sweet potato slab with vegetables,  egg and truffle salsa verde - $18

The Majestic - 3 poached eggs, ham, black pudding, baked beans, kale and toast - $19

Eggs al forno with chorizo, mixed beans, potatoes, sugo & sourdough - $12.50

Eggs benedict on sourdough with serrano ham - $14

Out across the Bridge to Cremorne Point and Mosman Bay in cracking midday weather. Beautiful views of the city whilst accumulating junk mileage with colleague Matt. Too hilly to be a recovery run.

13km all up in 70 min. 5:26 min/km average pace.

Soreness with some minor swelling under left arch. A sign I need to switch shoes, or stop running. I'll probably try to X-train tomorrow with a view to a Centennial LR on Sunday.

I'm slowly try to reintegrate double speed. Yet within 5s of waking, I knew my legs were not ready for the Rushcutters intervals at lunch. Tuesday 2x20min left me flat, a feeling that a 6km jog to work did not erase.

Started with the usual HuRTS Wed crew but quickly lay down the opposite of the gauntlet. Declared I was running 5:30s (vs the usual 4:30 pace). I find this pace (Mon, Wed) is a key ingredient to better quality Tues and Thurs efforts. I did stick with the core group to Mrs Mac Chair, before dropping back.

This time, it was Wongy (as always), FJen (new to the 'junk' mileage) and James who formed the Brigade. We covered the wharves then backtracked to Farm Cove.

15km all up in 70 min.

I normally LOVE the 2x20min but today really hurt, in a good way. HuRTS turnout continues to grow (may 30) with now good spread from 32 to say 42min 10k runners.

Upfront CT was absolutely smashing it, leaving Barts, JFen and I doggedly chasing. First half felt OK, helped by verbal and drafting assistance by my go-to training partner of late in JFen. Pace felt sub-3:30s and I was dreading the return journey uphill.

By the turnaround, three of us were 50m from the Hickson overpass where CT was all alone. Largely on my own back to Art Gallery. I maintained pace, picked off a few, gapped JFen and successfully held off Barts.

CT (clearly on something) came flying back around Farm Cove and I failed to respond. I'm always able to hold my own on the hills. Doing so today meant digging deep into the reserves. Battled a huge headwind and got back with a 12s positive split. Stoked that I finished the set (in one piece).

 11.6km in 40:12 at 3:27 min/km average pace. 3 min rest at 20min.

A planned easy one with Conway, Timmy and Sam. Guest appearances also from Jerome, Enda and Wongy helped by the 'main' crew catching us at Hickson Wharves. Generally a chat-type run and a good chance to stretch the legs. The return took me to Opera House before I called it a day.

12km in 57 min. Sore lower back has flared up again. Very frustrating.

Cross Eatery emits the seasonal produce, healthy vibe more at home in the Inner West. Long tables are a safe-place for a food-loving finance professional - sip a 3/4 latte, munch a breakfast salad whilst after taking iPhone egg-yolk shots. Try this in Martin Place and you'll be arrested.

Sydney now boasts a sophisticated brunch at mid-range pricing in an office perimeter. Historically, this is why Melbourne exists. Bowery Lane is no longer my inner-city pick.



Owner Marcelo is the white knight fighting an epic battle against against exorbitant rents and the insulting palates of white-collar food criminals. Every day, the offenders choke down buttered toast alongside a double-shot espresso.

One choice combines three fabulous words - Truffle. Baked. Eggs. It's a dream to be realised next time. Breakfast salad bowl is a good base but too light. These add-ons have flare:

- Avo plus chilli salt. Creaminess, saltiness with kick.
- 63 degrees egg. My imaginative envelope bulges but I order a 2nd.
- Feather and Bone Ham. Freshly sliced and in theory, one putting Aldi ham to shame.

Similar to a Bunning DIY shop; basket price starts to climb but guilt-level does not.

Feather and Bone Ham and Avacado with Chilli Salt  - $6 + $5

Instantly smitten with this platter and so are the ladies struggling with eggs on toast nearby. I'm not sharing.

Breakfast Salad with Ham, Avo and Poached Egg - $12 + $6 + $5 + $3.50

Sobered by the price, but drunk on my own drooling from every element here. Thumbs up to moist ham, clearly fresh. Aldi pigs now have one less predator to worry about.

Add a 2nd egg. Critical. The slow poaching gives that luxurious, creamy texture. Complexity of salad excites my teeth. I learn radicchio is a crunchy leaf, not a Brazilian soccer player.

Companion can't stop singing praise and almost forgets the best part. The yolk.



Thanks to what remains of Mr Hog, I'm full. My joy is short-lived thanks to an on-tap Kumbucha.

Kumbucha on tap - $10

Winter sore-throat is now cleansed from this chilled hit of ginger and tumeric. Refreshing, notwithstanding my ignorance over the meaning of probiotic.

Mid $20s per head can be remorseful, yet highly forgiven in the finance district:

- Food - 9/10 - clean, sophisticated flavours. Reminiscent of Cornersmith.
- Value - 7/10 - Low teens budget equals hunger plus missed opportunity.
- Other - 9/10 - Owner's a nice guy and a champion for my kind.
- Overall - 8/10 - Yep, a go-to CBD pick for health-focused individuals.

Will I be returning?
Of course.

Saturday - Centennial
Hamstring certainly tight from yesterday's effort. Jogged from Inner West to Centennial at recovery pace, circled the outer dirt track before extending the loop around Queen's Park. Doubt any km split was sub 5 min. Finished up at Moore Park Golf Course, where I had a pram demonstration booked in at 8:30.

16km in 1:30. Ave. pace too comfortable to admit. Primary purpose was to loosen the legs and work on the tan. Success.

Sunday - Balmain with Dog 
Forgot to re-hydrate yesterday and paid the price this morning. Dragged Molly out for a much over-due long run. Certainly felt sub-par myself as we tackled the hills around the Balmain foreshore. By the time we hit 16km, Molly was starting to lag; perhaps the lack of stops / water-breaks didn't help. Poor thing dropped the pace on a final loop around Anzac Bridge and Blackwattle Bay. In hindsight I should have been more forgiving.

23km in 2:05 at 5:35 min/km average pace.

Upon getting home, she hoovered up a bowl of water and will no longer move from the bed. Now I'm in trouble with the wife...

Beautiful day to be the first to venture down the new Barangaroo track. Last effort at the City Mile Dash in 2012 - 5:10. Had zero plans to race, but then CT throws me a bone on Tuesday with a last-minute fill in for the mixed team. If I paid $45 for every 1.6km run, I'd be in slavery.

With last Sunday's C2S still-in-the-legs, I was so scared. Note also my inability to run sub 3:20 pace, period. Linked up with my team (Jackie, Laura, CT) for some warm-ups down Hickson. They chose a yellow backdrop such that I am camouflaged out of the photo...


1pm, I'm one of twelve at the start. 2nd row, among one dozen that has a selected crop of HuRTS runners Crossy, CT, Quentin, Durante, Timmy (i.e. those not injured post C2S).

Some mild soreness under the left foot, swelling perhaps? Often arises after a heavy week (or three). Took it very easy with 11km around Hickson wharves and down to Pyrmont. Pace was 5:30s, helped by Matt and Wooey also recovering from solid 58 min C2S efforts. Barangaroo still remains closed. Shame.

Will look to run the City Mile Dash tomorrow with CT, LJ and Jackie.

Started with the Wednesday crew at 5 min/km, but quickly dropped back to 5:30s when I realised Wongy had similar slow ambitions. Tried and tested recovery type run down to Hickson, then back to CQ. 10km all up in 57 min.

Still well off feeling 100%. CT has asked me to fill in for the City Mile Dash on Friday. I suspect the 1.6km of red-zone pain will be good for me.

Also from Sunday, Champ's camera caught me in a moment of weakness..

Still scratching my head as to the 30 strong turnout for the 14x3min intervals around Farm Cove, just 2 days after C2S! It came down to a shirtless JFen, leveraging his fresh legs, to led each rep. Notable Sunday survivors backing it up included Timmy, Sam, Macca, Gleeso and Lambert. All with varying degrees of success.

AM: I can happily add 'junk' to the routine with no forthcoming races. 6km to work around Blackwattle Bay

PM: A planned recovery run with Conway, Nathan and Sam starting at Macquarie St. Pace was an easy 5:30 min/km. The HuRT squad passed us 6km in at a faster 4:30 min/km. Got back covering another 12km.

Though Sunday was only 14km, the cumulative stress from racing since May still persists. Thus I felt the legs could and should not handle anything faster. Looking forward to base building over Aug/Sep.

18km for the day.

Without question, the worst course but best social event of the year in the City2Surf. Today a beach-side breakfast, good support and exchanging war stories was well worth my 48 min of discomfort. From the HuRT squad, there were some serious PBs, offset by the usual no-shows, DNFs and some 'tough days at the office'.


Day starts with the wife back on chauffeur then cheer-squad duties. What a willing trooper and one I can probably only milk for 9 more weeks. She drops me at Ultimo, leaving a 2km warm-up to the start-zone. I slot in with the elites, half of which are HuRTS or some derivative.

Expectations are rock-bottom for obvious reasons - the M7 marathon is still in the legs. In fact, I don't even want to race. 10 min of half-baked strides leads to chit-chat with Tucks, Fats, Tom, Barts, Biggsy, Quentin, Lambert and several other friendlies.

7:55am - countdown, gun and before long I'm roadkill on William Street at a snail 3:30 pace. The ascent to King's Cross tunnel is a pitiful one. I lift the cadence and instantly, the quads say 'no-go'. Then and there, it's clear how the race will pan out...

Captain Tom (should run 46 min) is shuffling up Edgecliff, even slower than me and responds to my quizzical look - 'my hammy's are !@#$'. I lurch forward and struggle with the rolling hills through Double Bay and beyond. Pace settles at 3:30s, the best compromise between self-respect and enjoyment.

6km, the base of Heartbreak Hill and I slip past Lambert and Frenchman Jerome. Hills should be my strength but not today. I attempt to lift the knees and power through with nil success. Lucky I don't see the watch split (4:04 min). Finally I crawl up to the peak and run through Enda and Macca.

Runners hitting the crest tend to slow, leaving me no one to latch onto. By 12km I've added Fats and then Kiwi Mike L to the scalp list. Though legs are starting to warm, my hammy's suddenly tighten on the descent to the beach (12.5km). Injury risk alert. HuRTS dark horse C Thornton runs alongside me and kicks forward (beckoning me to follow). Though my lungs are fine, I shake my head.

1.5km to go, #3 female Jess Trengrove is 40m upfront. I attempt to re-dignify myself and give chase (some prompting from a spectating Tom helps). Success with 500m to go. With no girl to chase, my pace drops again.



Easing into the U-turn, I comprehend the open road, soft breeze and cracking sunshine. This is why I love running. Lorie screams from the side - 'you are running too slow'. She should have said that at the start...

48:14 at 3:27 min/km average. 61st place! 


Honestly, I'm stoked with this time. No self-flagellation as I kick back a sausage roll at the Allen's tent. My prior PB is 51 min PB in 2012. Today completes a series of 2015 PBs from 10km to 42.2km. Almost certainly, I can run a better race in 2016.

Barts is bored waiting for the rest of us turtles. Contender for Performance of the Year?





I've left some stomach space for the the famous Irish vegetable soup. Chorizo chucks discretely inject life into each warm spoon. Clever use of rice by the chef. Not quite Pinbone-quality presentation, but this is clearly made with love (and leftover fridge ingredients).With 14km of hardship, I'm not afraid to admit inhaling the contents. 7.5/10.

Just 5 months old, this authentic Lebanese roaster-bakery has no blogger coverage and is a hidden gem in the poor-side of Marrickville. This is the opposite of the Surry Hills or Bondi trending cafes.
du Liban is simple - Middle-Eastern comfort food with spice and price aggression. Perfect for those wandering the grungy industrial outskirts under the flight path.

These girls are in the real business of beans roasting and tea brewing. Waitress orders us to order the special.

Golden Milk Tea with ginger - $4.50

I throw back a Golden Milk tea and have few regrets. Spicy, milky ginger tea with a sunset yellow hue. Magic potion best for a flu. Leaves a pleasant burning sensation on my throat.

Salad starter in kale, pumpkin, potato and egg. No morning run and my attempt to be healthy.

Pumpkin, potato and kale salad - $8.50

Sizing is appetiser-like. Being freshly made, definitely better than a potato salad. 7/10.

Two types of big breakfasts and the choice is easy. Do you go a boring sausage-haloumi ('du Luban') or the promiscuously unbeknownst Fatteh and Ful Mademes ('Zahra')?

Initial emotion is unimpressive presentation and confusion. Not sure how to pair known (main) with unknown (sides).

Zahra Big Breakfast - fatteh, mademes, scrambled eggs, tomotoes and pototoes - $16.80

Fairly standard staples in eggs, sauteed potatoes and under-baked tomato wedges. Sides of yogurt-chickpeas and a smooth bean soup cleanse the palate. A touch better than an American big breakfast.

The win is size. Eating takes longer than a 5km run and digesting takes 3 hours. However, I'm no closer to booking food trip to Lebanon. Dish is a play on the joys of choice. 8/10

Next is why we drove 5km under the flight path ... Shakshuka.

Shakshuka - $12

The deepest pan I've been served. Instantly sold on full-bodied flavour without the need for say chorizo for texture and saltiness.

Utilisation of home-made pita is high. Heart sinks seeing watery sauce, which does thicken after 15 min. I'm impatient and prefer upfront chunkiness. Still incredible value, dish of the day at 8.5/10.

A predictably heart warming eggs and spiced beef mince.

French Eggs with sautéed beef with crunchy pine nuts - $12

 Shown below is the Lebanese love child of skilled bakers, quality flour and a love of carbs.

Lamb, almond and harissa sausage roll - $4.80

An artery clogging injection of buttery, moist and crunchy goodness. Really comes down to the perfect flaky pastry. I almost pass out at the wheel en route back home. 10/10 heart-led decision.