Week 4: Highgate Hill to Manx at Portside Wharf- 13 km (time 1:21)



route details

The weekly commitment was looking a little shaky on Friday night.  Cyclone Marcia, having devastated Rockhampton and Yeppoon, was drenching Brisbane with 150mm of rain in 24hrs. I am not ashamed to admit the weather conditions were presenting a potential obstacle to the weekend breakfast run.  My husband, usually a reliable source of information, was consulted on two aspects of the run.  He was accurate on one element, which was the weather.  It was still conditions and clear skies that greeted us this morning.  The second element, regarding the estimated distance of 12km to Portside, was not so accurate and proved a little problematic for my running companions.



Caitlyn's dream home

We stayed on the south side of the river out of South Bank and followed the path past the picturesque Kangaroo Point cliffs, up and over the Story Bridge with a quick descent to the newly refurbished floating board walk.  This 3-4km section was the fastest section of our run. The water front towards New Farm Park is beautiful and the park itself, with the historic Powerhouse,  is quite special.  On reflection, there were early warnings signs of the mutiny to come with Caitlyn contemplating the benefits of joining the morning Tai Chi group as opposed to continuing.  The group did look peaceful and pain free!  We persisted on past the upmarket Wool Store apartments towards Teneriffe and Newstead House.  At this stage, we had reached 11km and the distant towers of Port Side did look a little further than the contracted plan.  Negotiations on a further 1km were made ,with some members of the party working on some more positive self-talk.  My laisse fare approach to distance and destination was a point of difference and created additional dialogue by some in the group.  We did, nonetheless, achieve an advance to 13km before a gentle ‘wind down ‘walk ( of another kilometre or so) eased us into the Port Side Wharf to make the important decision as to breakfast location.

Eggs benedict

eggs, avocado,tomoatoes

Port Side has a variety of restaurants; however, at 7:30am we were not overwhelmed with choices for breakfast.  Manx Bar and Restaurant was open and had comfortable seats in its favour.  The menu choice was a little unimaginative; however, Bronwyn and I have a weakness for salmon eggs benedict, while Caitlyn selected sourdough, poached eggs with avocado and tomatoes on the side. Caitlyn did note the sourdough was toasted to perfection with none of the occasional chewiness that can be associated with this bread.  Bronwyn felt her eggs were flawless; she is not a big fan for undercooked yolks.  The food was safe, standard and tasty, however, not my most memorable hollandaise experience.  Meals were around $16 with pots of tea for $4.

Brisbane city

The return trip was considerably faster and more leisurely via the City Cat from Bretts Wharf.  A sense of accomplishment enveloped our small group, as we glided past the runners and walkers treading the well-worn path, enjoying the morning sunshine.

Week 3- River Loop-Highgate Hill to Lucky Duck (13km / 80min)

  

Locals at Lucky Duck

An overcast sky and a very light drizzle was a welcome relief this morning, despite it feeling more associated with perspiration than precipitation. My daughter, Caitlyn, joined me in place of Bronwyn, who is currently partaking in a pink triathlon.  Our commitment to the earlier start has continued with a 5:30am departure time; the motivation being the more temperate running conditions.

It would be premature to suggest I am finding the distance any easier just yet, but my attitude towards it has improved.  My additional mid-week shorter runs have felt quicker and easier over the last 3 weeks. The distance of 42km does, however, continue to seem like a distant and questionable goal.  Perhaps a good form of monitoring could be heart rate measures on the Gladstone Road (aka Heart Break Hill) climb?



Street front

Lucky Duck cafe is positioned at the bottom of Gladstone Road prior to the intersection with Vulture Street. Even at 7am on a Sunday morning it appears to be a popular coffee stop for runners and cyclists.  The sense of self -righteousness that came with my early morning athletic feat is a little overshadowed when I overhear the accomplishments of some of my fellow café patrons. A couple of lycra clad cyclists had just been on the ‘Bay loop’ – I can only assume they were referring to Morton Bay, 30km away via crow flight!  

 

Bulls eye

Duck Bate

The menu selection is fairly homogenous, a result of all meals apparently prepared in a fairly small area on one toasting grill. What arrives at our table is, nonetheless, attractive and delicious. The breakfast stalwart is a base of tasty crusty sourdough and house relish. Caitlyn selected the ‘Duck Bate’ which is topped with bacon, avocado, egg, tomatoes and sprinkled with basil leaves and lemon dressing. My ‘Bulls eye’ had my egg submerged in the sourdough bread and topped with avocado and bacon and similar dressings. The menu is a little limited but the bacon is crispy, the leaf tea just right and there is a comfortable neighbourly feel that suggests Lucky Duck is maintaining a reliable standard and solid customer base. I had a little bit of change in my pocket from $20:00 for my meal and pot of tea.

Week 2: Highgate Hill to Pear Café- 12.6km (elevation 166m, time 1:24)

 It was Brisbane at its best this morning.  The touch of cooler conditions added that little spring in one’s step. It was a 5:30am start , due to my daughter,  departing on an early flight.  I believe Caitlyn has headed to Sydney for some additional marathon training before she joins me on the rigorous weekend breakfast routine. The Coronation Drive section was markedly cooler before the impact of the direct sun!  I may be a convert to the earlier wake up time. Notably, there are more ‘serious’ hard core runners pounding the pavement at this time.  Obviously the early shift is where we belong!
Based on some queries from friends and family; I might digress for a moment to fill you in on a few more details about this project. The longer term objective is to finish a Marathon (42.195 km) in Queenstown on 21^st November 2015. Specifically, to be able to run (hobbling is also accepted) over the finish line. Between now and November, there are 39 breakfasts (not including today). There will be no repeat café visits over the year. There is, additionally, an intent to road test the body on the Redcliffe Jetty to Jetty half marathon on the 19^th July. A taster, if you like, for the pain/ hardship/ agony and ecstasy to follow.  
Significantly more preparation for the run occurred this week!  I downloaded the Runtastic App onto my phone (please note, this is not intended product placement, this blog is all about journalistic integrity). I now have greater confidence in the information I report back about distances and elevations.  
We followed a similar path as last week from Highgate Hill and across the Goodwill Bridge, turned left and wove our way along the river.   There is still a little, unfortunate, deviation off the path across coronation drive, due to the flood repair work.  The hills commence at St Lucia towards the University of Queensland.  Four hills became 5, with the addition of the Gladstone Road hill climb, a stand-in for Heartbreak Hill in the City to South run. The reward of breakfast on the other side was enough motivation to keep our legs propelling onwards and up and over.

Pea & corn fritters

Breakfast salad

It was going to be a hard act to follow last week’s breakfast, but the Pear Café didn’t disappoint.  The Pear Café is nestled in the lee of the Gladstone Road hill.  Gladstone road can be fairly hectic during the week and could potentially detract from the dining experience, but once sitting down, the vibe is casual and laid-back. The food is imaginative and very tasty; combined with the requisite good quality leaf tea brewed to perfection, it made for a delicious stop.  Bronwyn ordered one of the ‘specials’: sweet corn and pea fritters with crispy pancetta, mushrooms spinach and a poached egg, of which the highlight was the delicious tomato salsa.  I had the breakfast salad, equally appealing with spinach, haloumi, avocado, poached egg, mushrooms and tomato seasoned perfectly.   With my pot of tea breakfast was $21.00.  Great food and friendly service.

Week 1: River loop to ‘3 Bowls Café’ (12km)

3 Bowls Café: 43 Gloucester St, Highgate Hill
 

Tea for two at 3 Bowls cafe

I will confess- the idea of waking early on a Sunday morning is going to take some mental fortitude. It is not that I am a night owl, but, it is nice to not feel obliged to meet a timeframe two mornings a week. Bronwyn on the other hand is what one refers to as a ‘morning person’, an exuberant disposition and usually awake at 5am with a plan to conquer the world by 5:15am. We compromised for a 6am departure.

Our route was a well-trod path for runners and cyclists: Highgate Hill, across the Goodwill Bridge and along the river towards Indooroopilly, the University of Queensland campus, then across the Eleanor Schonell Bridge to Gladstone road. There are 4 hills to conquer. Prior reading about running up hills suggests one needs to maintain a reasonably upright posture and lift the legs. This advice seemed to help this morning with a sense of achievement after each of the climbs. It was sweaty but satisfying to reach the park at the top of the bridge in 65 minutes.

Given the running is really secondary to the eating, let’s begin:
The 3 Bowls Café is new to the neighbourhood. It has some cute street appeal, and one can sit on the footpath or keep cool in the air conditioning. What a happy choice for our first running breakfast!

Mo and Lynne, the owners, are warm and welcoming and the food was delicious. The café is unique and non-traditional in many fun and positive ways. Cast aside any preconceptions, sit back and enjoy.


Savoury Open mind

We ordered ‘Savoury Tempters’ and ‘Savoury open mind”. I suspect we could have asked for more detail about our food, however, it seemed more ‘Zen’ (you’ll know what I mean when you visit) to enjoy the surprise.
Very reasonable prices ranging from $7.00 to $13.00 for the meals.
Definately breakfast with a quirky tasty twist.
Really recommend this one!




Rationale

Not all resolutions, made in the convivial moment that involves the imbibing of fine wine, need be bad decisions.

Just prior to Christmas, in the delightful company of good friends-some of whom run very well! I found myself agreeing to a marathon in Queenstown! I had never really given a great deal of thought or aspiration to exceeding my annual excursion to Sydney for the 14km City to Surf. Without much consideration and with the appeal of a holiday in Queenstown, I agreed.

I will be in excellent company. My 19 year old daughter has committed to the half marathon (something about the bungee jumping and rafting has her attention). I will also be accompanied by Bronwyn (three half marathons under her belt, and Emma (multiple marathons, otherwise known as legend!). What better way to spend time with friends!
A public declaration is probably a good thing. It is not as easily manoeuvred out of or forgotten by those around you. How to make the whole experience more enticing and self-fulfilling? A love of eating breakfast out, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that I should reward myself with food after running.  Here in lies the rationale for the Blog: ‘Breakfast on the run’. The concept of linking my training programme with breakfast at a different cafe every week seems like a perfect project for the year