Race, Brunch, Repeat

Always a tough back half in the 45 min tempo, made worse by pretty hot conditions. The set has us 60s on, 30s off with a 22.5 min turnaround.

Encouraging to see Richard Woo and Matt Ingram now regulars with HuRTS. No doubt, the impressive team performance at JPM has played a part.

Run saw us set out from the stone pillars. Glad Timmy was around to call the set, else I would've had to do it.

Still feeling rubbish from Sunday, meaning this was suppose to be easy. Enthusiasm plus JFen / Ray up front saw this plan quickly derail. Felt obliged to lead the front pack, which is what I did. Ran to feel the whole run.

No watch, but it felt conversational tempo (3:20s / 3:50s). I reckon I did 60% of the front group pacing, JFen the balance. Got to 300m after the entry to Barangaroo gates. A good future benchmark.

Coming back hurt more. I pushed it much harder and left no survivors. Passed the bulk of the runners by the time we hit the hills past A.B.C. Wooey and Matt looked like they were hurting. In time, they will learn to pace this better.

Final two to chase on the long 800m home straight was Birchy and Pete Walker. Pretty spent by this stage but dug deep and managed to scalp Birchy.

An impressive 70s to space (thanks Birchy). No watch but JFen was kind enough to give me details:

12.5km in 43:50 at 3:30 min/km ave. pace.

 - way out - 3:36 ave pace
- way back - 3:25 av pace

A good negative split in hot conditions, fighting elevation gain. Ave pace in line with my marathon pace. It felt a lot harder than that!

Next few days will see soaring temperatures. A pool session or two is in order.

Impressive turnout for Centennial. However, the notable absences were Timmy Lindop and Paul Birch. We assumed TL fell victim to questionable quality curry (in Manly) and the beefs that followed. 

I'm feeling stiffer and more sore than expected. Very broken sleep off a heavy Thurs/Frid the main culprit.

Anyway, I strapped on  fresh NB Zante shoes, bringing shoe purchase YTD to #10 (I've lost count). Lucky I have a secret account where such naughty expenses go unnoticed to the misses.

This AM was a half, and a strange one. Planned run date with Brendan Yum Cha (7:30am kick-off) meant I enjoyed a cruisy 60min beforehand. We started at King George Park and I had no idea what he had in mind.

Well, after 5 min of YC fretting about pace, elevation and finally, distance marks I managed to get him to actually run. Anyway, we settled on 2 x 3km intervals at 4 min pace. Still recovery for me. I distracted myself with the mansions bordering the Drummoyne side of the Bay Run.

I had full expectations my legs would be shredded by Wednesday's race. Not so. In fact, not in the slightest. At worst, a tight right hip.

 HuRT Squad populates the top ranks at JPM CC like the Africans in international marathons. My main goal? Beat the 2014 PB (18:17) and watch some fiercely contested head-to-heads amongst my training partners. This is THE social event to do year in year out.



By virtue of my aversion to red-zone training, I still believe 5.6km is scarier than 42.2km!

Day-time lead-up is one of deflation the whole day. Finally, it's 5:30pm and a stop-start ride down to CP with Charlie and Matt (from work) tires my quads out needlessly.

Physically – I’m expecting a stand-still mid-race - a big last week and lingering niggles.

Mentally – seasonally low racing hunger.

A rushed warm-up involves 2km with Craig / MBA team then half-baked strides.

Upfront, this is how it should play out - Jeff Hunt, chased by the HuRTS elites (Quentin, Barts, Tom, CT), then a dribble of other HuRTS (Crossy, JFen, myself). Throw in the mix guys I know can race - Alex Rogers and Neil Pearson. For me, the hope is JFen or thereabouts.

This front line has some serious talent. Begs the question, what the hell am I doing there? The fear escalates and we are ready. CT nudges me out for a 30cm head start. Critical.


Surprisingly the first 150m sprint has few in front. I’m tucked behind JFen, just coming off the green section.



Up the hill, JFen slows and I climb onto the RH sidewalk. 1km pacing 'feels' like 3:15s. The gap to Andy Cross (Crossy) is a good 30m. All alone, what now?

At 1.5km, the downhill allows breathing to settle. A quick hi to the spectators (Conway, Renaud, Laura) before taking note of my competition. Rogers and Crossy are getting away! Even further up, Hunt has amassed a gap on a chasing pack.

Now comes a consolidation between 2-4km. Darren Moyle pops up at 2.5km and there's my chance. Onto his heels I go (literally) and the gap to Crossy (my main focus) closes slowly. The pace is quicker, sub-3:10s for kms 3 and 4. This feels not so bad!

It's at 4km where the fear picks up - you know the bend at Fox Studios gates means a steady climb. 800m in advance of this, I make my move. Crossy's usually perfect style looks a bit wayward. I push past my three companions. Racing 101 - don't show fatigue, don't look back.

Wow, it's none other than Chris Truscott ahead. Sadly, the gap is huge, maybe 35m! I do smell blood, helped by CT looking back every 100m.

A long long chase through the bend and down the back. Pace slows a little and the gap is closing too slowly. Unbeknownst to me, I'm stalked by Alex Rogers, who has clearly dropped Crossy.


The tank reads near-empty as I emerge onto the grass. CT is a seasoned racer and does well to keep a healthy 10-15m gap.



I cruise into the chute. Suffering is over. Did I really go sub-18?

Some of top 6 are scattered on the ground, semi-motionless as if a bomb went off. Clearly, no one held back and that is reflected in the ridiculous times posted by Quentin, Barts, Tom and Neil. I quickly turn around and see a JFen / Heyden epic sprint finish. Heyden is the victor.

17:47, ave pace is 3:11 min/km. Even better, 8th place!

10 places higher and 30s faster than 2014. Suffice to say, I'm stoked.


Course shows 5.5km, a touch short. Strava splits are slower than official, not sure what to believe:

- 3:18 (uphill)
- 3:14 (downhill)
- 3:09 (flats)
- 3:09 (flats)
- 3:22 (uphill)
- 3:16 (last 500m)

Right feels tight, really tight. I then enjoy a relaxed 3km cool-down with Renee, James and Elle. Back at the Allen's tent, the food, drinks and race run-downs are a highlight:

- A fantastic sub-17 from Quentin. Barts, Tom as reliable as pie.
- JFen happy despite being scalped by an ecstatic Heyden.
- Huge PBs to the MBA team. Charlie takes the cake with a sub-21. Wooey, Matt, A-MB sub-22.
- Sammy J is chicked by Renee on the line!

So clearly I had a great night. Running, eating then chatting. The bonus is another PB to add to the 2015 tally. Lesson for next time? Go out harder. That 2nd km split was too slow.

Here's a photo with Tom, Barts, JFen, Quentin and Neil. I'm in pretty esteemed company.


Another hour with the MBA team and sadly I can't stick around. After a tough race, I'm not the only one that needs a nappy change and a good night sleep...

Darlinghurst locals are falling victim to a new type of crime occurring in the 7-11am weekend window. The ugly side of an ongoing baked-eggs warfare is some seriously high-priced, sub-par offences. Bootsdarling is my lead suspect.

Don't worry, they make bail on ridiculously good coffee trade.

Bootsdarling is popularised by the baristas with a shoebox kitchen dishing seasonal upgrades to Gen Y classics. As shown, the result is highly conducive to social media proliferation.



Seat-space is limited and those with a generous frame (or equivalent) will not be happy, shown below.


Shashuka with Chorizo - $18 + $4. 

An unswerving in a mission to discover Sydney's best baked eggs. Ordering this is no brainer.


Love at first sight. No point reviewing a Chorizo. You’d be mad to hate this breed of salty protein.

The sauce initially impresses with good thickness. Excellent overlay of flaked almonds. Even better is stabbing butter-soft pumpkin on a fork. Hopes are high.


Wow, and not the good type. Cumin, cumin and more cumin! We suspect the cook was hand-picked from an Indian curry house.

First step, douse the dish in salt. No luck. Next I'm left hand-picking pumpkin pillows and almond flakes. This action is as therapeutic as it is frustrating. Everything except the sauce was good. 6/10.

Bondi Bowl with kale, mushroom, avocado, poached egg plus grilled trout - $18 + $7



Yes, $25 for an artery cleanser. Looks small, is small and confirms Boots is tapping into the wholefoods epidemic. Salad for breakfast is a never-ending mistake I make (with some exceptions).

Dish is mainly the un-worked greens, a baby grilled trout with cheeky squirt of lemon. To be fair, poaching execution is faultless.



Though no better than DIY, belt buckle feels less tight. Maybe because my wallet has shrunk. 7/10.

Bacon & Egg Roll - $8. 



Rename this a slider, or impale with a toothpick and serve as finger food. Bun-to-female-hand comparison demonstrates any cheese-bacon induced joy will be short-lived.



Bacon situation? Crispy, fat-streaked and juicy. No wonder St Vincent's Hospital has patient capacity issues. Good flavours, fresh but fail on value 5/10.

Double cheese toastie with tomato relish - $10.

Ingredient #1 is halloumi and we stop reading. No idea what comes after that.



Thick slices but too few fillings. I'm well versed in jaffle making and believe a triple-cheese cheddar addition with some ham will do. Decent value for a staple. 7/10.

Score summary reflects a sentiment of mild disappointment:

- Food - 6.5/10 - per a Chinese kitchen serving spaghetti, a heart-warming attempt to innovate.
- Value - 6/10 - gourmet options priced at non-digestible levels.
- Other - 8/10 - funky staff facial hair brewing amazing coffee.
- Overall - 6.5/10 - better suited for the coffee connoisseurs less picky about food.

On balance, a citizen’s arrest is narrowly avoided. Not a conviction recommendation.

Will I be returning?
Only for the almond milk latte, strictly cold-pressed (unconfirmed).

No speed for me noting JP Morgan CC tomorrow.

Couldn't resist the temptation to duck down to A.B.C. before work. A cheeky 1.5km freestyle all before 7am. Pace was way off my already low benchmark. Around 63s/lap.

Lunch meeting ran late meaning all I had time for was 6km with 10x100m strides. I did this solo around Hickson wharves. The legs feel fresher than yesterday!

Low expectations for tomorrow. 5.6km does not suit me.

My top 6 forecast is as follows: Barts > Quentin > Tom > CT > Crossy > JFen.

Other good battles to watch:
- Richard Woo vs Matt Ingram (MBA battle)
- Renee vs Sammy J (MS battle)
- Mike Conway vs. food truck dinner choices (spectator only)

Another huge Monday crowd for the 12:30pm kick-off. Usual route took us down to Farm Cove before the group split. Even Barts turned up and was happy to boast an incredible 8:46 at the 3km track race (Saturday). He then confessed 10th place behind a bunch of school kids. Frightening talent

Slower group had Charlie, Conway, Renee, Nathan and Andrew MB. All happy to plod at 5 min/km.

Broke off at the entry to Barangaroo to circle back around Hickson wharves. Renee joined in and we later picked up Richard Woo. The two of them recounted an epic race at Striders on Saturday, where Renee dropped Wooey on the key ascent at 5km.

Coaxed Wooey into 8x120m strides along the Passanger Terminal. A great way to keep the legs alive. All up, 11km including the strides.

Circling back on last week's mileage - 130km, arguably with three speed sets. Probably explains the flatness I'm feeling.

Run-date with Tym Blackwell scouting out the forthcoming Balmain Fun Run in two weeks. Thankfully TB showed me the ropes. This is a seriously undulating double loop through the mental hospital grounds.

Replicated the 10km course (2 laps) then added the Bay Run. Despite the 5:15 min/km pacing, my legs never woke up and mentally, I was done after 18km.

The calves have been cramping at night of late. Could be the swimming.

Mild left ankle pain again, suggesting a flattish run with no hills was wise. I penciled a 10km plus strides. After jogging to King George Park near Iron Cove, this plan mutated into a different beast consisting 10km of strides.

This is how it looked:
- 10 x 400m alternating 100m @ 85% effort, 100m float
- 12 x 450m alternating 250m @ 85% effort, 200m float

Initially, I was to stop at 10 laps (4km). Kept the kms ticking over encouraged by decent leg freshness and a not-too-high heart rate.

Splits:
- 100m started at 3:25s (#1) and closed at 3:00s (#20)
- 250m steady around 3:00s for all 12
- recovering floats 4:45s or slower.

10km covered all up in 39 min, 3:52 min/km. Looks closer to a fartlek session. A good set all round because I was able to feel 3 min/km pacing without facing red-zone pain.

Added a 7km cool-down around the Bay Run. Seriously dehydrated upon returning. I almost went for the dog bowl.

17km all up.