Lane Cove 10km - 3rd in 33:40

Got picked up by Ben, Dickyboy and the Hamburglar and arrived at 6.30am to park next to Andy with his personalised number plated BMW X3 and walked over to meet a beaming Timmy. CT was getting the excuses in early, something about Greta making him clean the apartment this week. Thamal was looking confident and the Horne was looking mean.

Set off and I felt great for the first 2km, just tracking whoever took the lead. CT took some of the pace, then the Horne (who seemed to have splashed a fair bit of Old Spice on this morning) and then Thamal. Then we hit Scribbly Gum. Pushed quite hard going up it to stick with Thamal but then coming back down my legs were struggling and Thamal and the Horne gapped me. They were about 3 seconds ahead at 3km but over the next 2km up the hills they must have turned it into 20s. I was on my own from here. CT was about 10s back so it was a time trial. Occasionally I'd feel I was slowing so would try and count to 100 to keep the pace up. But otherwise it was a bit dull. A bit like an Ultra to be honest, just running through the bush with only myself for company. Tried to keep the pace honest but was a bit disappointed to cross in 33:40. I was expecting something sub 33 today and had the runners who did that (the Horne won with Thamal second, both just under 33) but I just didn't have it in the legs. Sole consolation was beating CT, but given he had an off day it's a bit of a hollow victory.

Perhaps it's a lesson that if you want to run a good 10km you've really got to be putting in the mileage and the big Sunday runs. I seem to do best over 10km when I'm doing the big Sunday run and backing up with a tough Wednesday run. The speedwork is great for the shorter stuff. Interestingly, I ran a very similar time at Lane Cove in November 2008 before backing up 4 days later with 17:23 at the JPMorgan CC, again off the back of more speedwork.

Timmy took $20 off me nudging under 36 with a gutsy 35:45. Binfield ran pretty well for 5th place but otherwise the times weren't great. Conditions were perfect at the start but pretty warm by the time we finished.