The Battle of Lane Cove
Well, I was strangely a bit psyched for this one, despite it being a BAU Striders 10km. This was mainly due to:
(a) laying 4 bets on the outcome of the race;
(b) the fact that a large number of the HuRT Squad were going to be there; and
(c) the finish line cheer squad of LJ and Fiona making a special effort to be there.
So I had an easier week in the build up which fitted in nicely with the training plan in any case. The bets were as follows:
(a) Head to head with Jerome – $20. Now, the handsome Frenchman has been training very well and looking super smooth. His new training group (The Delta Running Project) is up and running and has given him more focus on his sessions and some quality training partners to run with. So I was a bit worried.
(b) 6:15 head start to Timmy – $20. This I was more confident of. It was based off his time at North Head. Lane Cove is far hillier, Timmy doesn’t like hills and I expected to see him walking at some point. Was fairly confident.
(c) 90s head start to Enda – $20. This one I was super confident of. Enda is only ever a 50% chance of showing up in the first place so the odds were stacked in my favour. Plus I figured I had him covered in any case.
(d) A second head to head bet versus Jerome, this time Timmy backing Jerome and Mrs H proudly backing her husband – $20. Poor form Timmy backing a Frenchman over an Englishman, particularly from Mr Brexit himself.
Woke up bright and early at 5am and had my race ritual of a banana plus a glass of water. Did some stretches, showered and jumped in the car to pick up Erika on the way through. She’d been persuaded to race at the last minute, not least because she had a $20 bet with Timmy that she’d beat him by at least 1:10. She was explaining in the car that she’d had to raid her poor daughter’s piggy banks in order to fund this bet lest she lose. All I could think of was that I hoped Timmy was aware of what child heartache he could be responsible for. Arrived. It’s pitch black. Why the hell are we doing this? Register and head out for warm-up jog with Erika and Elle. I need at least 3km warm up these days before I can get the legs moving otherwise when I start racing I tend to go a bit lactic.
It’s a great turnout with a great HuRTs contingent towards the front. A bit of a limp starting call “Ready, err, go” and we’re off. Criniti eases out front and that’s the last we’ll see of him all morning. I tuck in behind Barts (as was the pre-race plan) and it’s quite quick but not uncomfortably so. Until we reach the first little incline. The Garmin’s are all over the place on this course but I pass the 1km marker in 3:18 and 2km in 6:37 so it’s consistent. But then starts the climb up to Scribbly Gums. Barts eases ahead and I almost immediately hear footsteps behind me and have not one but three people come past – top triathlete Travis Shields, king of the mountains Mikey Litchwark and the beast from the East Brendan Fink. At least that is how I’m categorising them at this stage where I’m going backwards and about to call time on this ridiculous race. We circle the hairpin and you get the first opportunity to gauge where everyone else is. First up, where is Jerome? Crap, only 15m further back. Timmy? Don’t see him, this one must be in the bag. But do see Benny Streckeisen, Sammy, Ray Wareham, Elle, Renaud and Pete Walker. Reach the bottom of Scribbly Gums and almost slip on the wet road turning the corner. Then Mikey L hits the front of our group of four and start pushing the pace. Trav comes around me to latch on to Mikey and they get a bit of a gap. This is my first “pull yourself together, Tommy” moment. Tell myself to fight back on and just get through another km. Every extra km with this team of four will pull me that little bit further ahead of Jerome. We hit a little hill at 4km and I drift to the front – they’re struggling on the hills a bit. This is good news. At this stage, Barts has relentlessly pulled ahead and is starting to get out of sight on the twisty course. We reach the nasty hill up to the turn at 5.4km and I decide to try and get a bit of a gap on them. They’ll catch me on the downhill but at least it will give me a bit of a breather. Turn the corner at the top of the hill and again get a chance to see the rest of the field. Jerome is about 25s back and running solo so I’m feeling confident on that. Elle looking super strong up the hill and putting a few of the boys to shame. A nice shout from Ray and Pete as ever. Round the mini roundabout at the bottom and, crap, there’s Timmy! The gap is no way big enough to cover 6:15!
I don’t check but from 6km I think it’s just me, Mikey and Trav with Brendan having fallen off a bit. Mikey is again pushing the pace and I’m just telling myself to hold on, secretly thinking that I’ll make a move at the nasty hill after 8km given they’ve been struggling on the hills. Then at 7.5km Trav just suddenly surges ahead, like we’re standing still. Literally puts 15m on Mikey and myself in the space of 100m. He doesn’t know the course I tell myself, he doesn’t realise there’s a bastard of a hill just around the corner. I slowly bridge the gap, he turns to me and Mikey and says; “Well boys, I had to have a pop didn’t I!”. Christ – how can he even speak I’m thinking. Then the hill comes, I make a big effort, get a gap. But as my Dad always told me when I was a kid, don’t let up at the top, hammer a bit further to avoid looking weak. So I do. I can’t hear feet so figure I’ve got a gap. Can’t lose 3rd now I tell myself, what would LJ and Fiona think. The corners come thick and fast here which is good. Less time for those behind to see you. Cross the line and think woo-hoo – 33:12! Shortly after realise it’s over a minute out. Trav comes in next followed by Mikey and Brendan. Shortly after Jerome glides across looking smooth as ever. Then others I recognise including blasts from the past Charlie Low and John Binfield. Elle has a very strong run as first girl just beating Renaud and Sammy. Second girl is Erika in low 39 and, FFS Timmy just behind. But it’s 3 bet wins and 1 loss for the day.
Great brekkie at Charlie and Sonya’s afterwards to cap off a great morning.
You win some:
You lose some:
The HuRT Squad:
