Week 39: Highgate Hill to Little Clive Café (12km, 76min)

Choc fudge pancakes

This morning’s run was marked by new discoveries in familiar territory. The Husband set the course and unveiled little spots of gold in the nearby neighbourhoods.  The BOTR team was reunited for this run with our International runner back from her acclimatisation in Singapore and Milly the Labrador invited along for the shorter 12 kilometre distance.
It’s a mini - taper week before a long run next weekend.  Despite being a shorter run, a signature of the Husband’s trails are the meandering undulations that make it feel a lot tougher and further.  I am sure I will thank him for it when I encounter the first mountain in Queenstown.
We departed home and immediately ascended Gladstone road towards Dornoch Terrace and then into Dauphin Terrace and so around the terraced laneways high above the river, looking down onto the University of Queensland.  Rosecliffe Street park was a pretty little pocket of wilderness before we re-emerged onto Gladstone road, gratefully making our descent, through Dutton Park onto the river and the Brisbane Corso.  We tracked the full bend in the river and enjoyed new territory on the Esplanade towards Yeronga.  A pedestrian path took us up onto Heritage Close and past Rhyndarra – a beautiful colonial homestead which functioned as a military hospital until the 1990’s. This beautiful riverfront location, hopefully, was making for a peaceful spot for recovery and rehabilitation after the ravages of war.  Riverview Place led us back onto the usual circuitous cycling/ running route along Kadumba Street.  We crossed Fairfield road onto School Road and ran down the Avenue of Remembrance into the Yeronga Memorial Park.  The last couple of kilometres seemed like a progressive hill climb through Fairfield and Annerley to Clive Street and, at the summit of the steepest climb, the Little Clive café for breakfast.  The prompt service, in providing our weary four legged runner her own bowl of fresh cool water was a big tick in my book and set a positive precedent which held throughout the dining experience.

map

Avocado and feta

It was all about the food today. The Husband needed little encouragement in ordering the house specialty of Choc fudge pancakes ($18.50).  Who wouldn’t love a triple layer of pancakes with choc fudge sauce, blueberries, raspberries, crowned with bright pink fairy floss and popcorn, with a surprise stash of caramel immersed inside the pancake?  We noticed the envious looks from the children at the other tables.  He did kindly share tasters with all of us as a means of sharing the calories around.  His only con was the popcorn had gone a little soggy.

We spent our walk home pondering a suitable alternative to the popcorn settling on an optional macadamia or some derivation of nuts.  Having difficulty making a decision, Caitlyn and I negotiated splitting the Little Clive Breakfast board ($21.50) and the Avocado and Feta plate ($13.50) between us.  Both meals had great plate appeal and followed through with the taste.  The mix of coriander, fresh chillies, macadamia dukkah and lime made for zesty and delicious flavours.  The, not so little, Clive breakfast board had perfectly cooked poached eggs, mushrooms, chorizo, pork belly and tomatoes.  Bronwyn, fresh off the plane from Singapore, ordered the Smoked Salmon ($17.00) on turkish with beetroot creme, poached eggs, pickled onions and soft herbs.  She enjoyed the dish, however, would have liked some more of the beetroot crème.  The coffee authorities advised the cappuccino and double shot long black were great quality.  Milly enjoyed bacon rind, pork belly skin and a morsel of smoked salmon.  Her demeanour conveyed great love for her dishes however lacking in her preferred portion size.
Little Clive provides friendly, professional staff, an enticing menu and a laid back seating area on the deck or inside the café.   The food was on the more expensive side of the BOTR’s breakfasts to date, but the portion sizes and culinary expertise meant we didn’t feel short-changed.  Little Clive café provided an enjoyable and positive breakfast like Goldilocks’:  neither too big nor too small; neither too rich nor too lacking in flavour; and all-in-all it was just right.
It is with trepidation we look towards the closing training weeks before race day.

Clive's breakfast board

Smoked salmon

Week 38: Highgate Hill to Denim Co (28km, 2hrs 49min)

It’s all new territory now.  Running distances which I would have dismissed as fantasy in my pre-marathon goal life, are now a reality.  I was in hallowed company this morning; having gleefully agreed to running with local running identity, Emma, in her ‘wind down’ to her 50km trail run next weekend!  Bronwyn, my usual BOTR team mate was Singapore bound to acclimatise her training to more humid locations.  Both Emma and Bronwyn will be running the Queenstown Marathon in four weeks time.

With Brisbane summer around the corner we determined a departure of 5am to beat the heat.  There is something mystical about being awake to see the sunrise with the heady scent of jasmine in the air.  Never one to go without food for too long, I conducted a small trial of pre-breakfast before departure and set the alarm for 4:15 to fit in some weetbix and honey to sustain me on my long journey ahead.

Emma has a catalogue of routes around Brisbane and we completed her ’28’ Gateway Bridge loop this morning.  It was a great benefit running with Emma for her ability to maintain a steady pace.  I am yet to perfect a consistent velocity and run a hare –tortoise affair based on emotions and undulations.

In the first few kilometres we followed our reptilian river via Kangaroo Point, Dockside, Mowbray Park and onto Wynnum Road towards Balmoral and Morningside.  Having passed at least 3 fellow runners in the opposite direction who all greeted Emma, I was provided an insight into the sub culture and community that represents running.  Emma was able to provide detail as to who was training for what event with the New York Marathon imminently approaching for some of her running family.  We made our way towards Lytton road with the slow build towards the Gateway Bridge. My lovely companion even provided food supplements along the way with pleasantly tasting Gu Chomps and chocolate balls every 5km.  I had only left home with my small banana stored in what I thought was a discreet position, although others may have thought I’d had some lopsided silicone enhancement.  I discovered that the Gateway Bridge is very symmetrically a 1km rise then a 1km descent.  The view from the top is quite spectacular and something not able to be enjoyed from the car deck.  I finished my banana on the way down and we continued towards Kingsford Smith Drive and the City.

Around Hamilton (17-18km) my enthusiasm began to ebb.  Mentally I was aware I had another 10km to go and our breakfast café seemed a distant aspiration.  On my request, Emma’s chirpy banter and recount of recent films provided a fantastic distraction through to kilometre 23. Her enthralling chronicle of death and survival in the film ‘Everest’ inspired and diverted me through Fortitude Valley towards the river frontage under the Story Bridge.  At kilometre 25, survival relief (and likely a consistent running pace) helped make surprisingly easy work of the last few kilometres through Riverside and the Botanic Gardens and over the Goodwill Bridge into South Bank.

Despite the still early hour, Denim Co at South Bank had but a few seating options left with a line of people gathered to order at the counter.  Despite the busy conditions, the staff maintained a calm professionalism while providing an efficient and friendly service.  It was easy to relax and settle into a beautiful Brisbane morning on Little Stanley Street overlooking the green space of South Bank.

Emma ordered the bacon and eggs ($13.50),  accompanied with tomatoes and Turkish bread; a simple but tasty dish, with the perfect amount of run in the poached eggs, a feat not accomplished by many breakfast cafés in my travels to date.  Emma’s flat white ($3.50) was declared perfect.

My balsamic mushrooms ($15.50), with poached eggs ($4.00) were also delicious and cooked to perfection.  The mushrooms were seasoned beautifully and accompanied with spinach and a little pot of smooth and tasty feta with Turkish toast.

The BOTR journey has been all about finding those cafés providing good food, friendly service at the right price, in a pleasant location.  Denim Co is a great example of this.  Combined with my lovely running companion and mentor, Denim Co rounded off a perfect morning.  

Only four breakfasts to go until the big day!

Bacon and eggs

Balsamic mushrooms

Week 37: Mountain View Challenge-Half Marathon to Monica’s Café (21.1km, 2 hr 3min)

Maleny is a picturesque part of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with spectacular views of the Glass House Mountains and ocean stretching out in the distance.  Around this time in our training program there was a suggestion we could enter a half marathon to vary our training.  The first local half-marathon to be suggested by Google for the 11th October was the ‘Lions Club Mountain View Challenge’ in Maleny.
The 4am wake up was my earliest running date yet, but I felt surprisingly invigorated with pre-race nerves.  Equipped with bananas and vegemite sandwiches I met up with Bronwyn and we made our way to Maleny.  The pretty drive from Beerwah seemed to involve a substantial gain of elevation, providing a suggestion of what may lay ahead of us for today’s run.

The race is an endorphin happy blur of many hills and gorgeous scenery.  General impressions and learnings included:
• Maleny locals are friendly and welcoming and present as great race companions. The race numbers were small and encouraging.  I would compete in this race again for the ease of parking, frequent and friendly Lions Club volunteers’ drink stations and no waiting lines for amenities.
• This was a race with the quaint echo of yesteryear characterized by pin on cloth bibs, a start gun and a multi race timer at the end of the race with your bib number and time being matched.
• The area around Maleny is beautiful running scenery-with rolling hills, rocky peaks of the Glass House Mountains and contented dairy cows lazing in the richly green paddocks.
• Chocolate melts very quickly and can make one appear a little incontinent if located in a bum bag.  Alternatively it may end up smeared all over ones mouth (in the case of Bronwyn) Melted chocolate, none the less is a very welcome race supplement.
• The Mountain View Challenge is aptly named and makes any previous hilly events pale in comparison for it’s repeated climbs and ongoing ‘undulations’. I am pleased to report that a fellow competitor, who came in after me :),  noted she had competed an ultra -Marathon (50km) a few weeks ago and found this event tougher. She reassured me that I would be ‘all good’ for my marathon in a few weeks!
• A positive associated with hill climbs is the accompanying descents.

There are a variety of attractive café options in the main street of Maleny.  Monica’s café looked busy and the option of lounging in the upstairs loft enticed Bronwyn and I through the door.   We both wearily ascended the stairs and made ourselves comfortable in cushioned comfort.  Bronwyn kindly descended the stairs and ordered the Sweet Corn, capsicum, coriander and polenta cakes, layered with smoked salmon, smashed avocado and topped with baby spinach, dill and sourcream ($16.50).  It was a wise choice and my plate envy extended to the look and taste of her dish.  It’s been a while since I have selected the signature ‘Big Breakfast’ at our breakfast cafés.  With the Garmin watch telling me I had burned 1539 Calories I felt the poached eggs, chipolatas, sautéed mushrooms, hash browns, roast cherry tomatoes, toasted sourdough and tomato relish was well earnt ($18.50).  It was heartily consumed, however was let down by the overcooked poached eggs, greasy chipolatas and bacon which had the texture and appearance of having been sat in a bain-marie for a little too long.  Not all was lost with a very tasty relish and sourdough as well as crispy hash browns and sweet tomatoes.

The Lions Mountain View Challenge in Maleny was a wonderful, picturesque and challenging run which enabled us to trial our running pace in a low-key environment.  We learnt we could compete but still had some promise of even greater potential on the fast-approaching Marathon day.  The café provided sustaining food in a wonderful and picturesque setting which also had a hint of greater potential.  Overall, a successful day and satisfying finish in a welcoming setting.

Polenta cakes

Big Breakfast

Week 36: Five headlands-Narrabeen to Gustos on the beach: (24km, 2hrs, 29min)

Sunrise over Narrabeen beach

I’m flying solo today.  I have no one else to apportion blame for the elevation, exhaustion and pain this morning. On the upside, what better place to agonize than for a second time in the beautiful Northern Beaches of Sydney?   Adorned with a new pair of bright pink compression socks, my newfangled heavily discounted 2XU compression tights ( thanks to Caitlyn), Caitlyn's Garmin watch , a banana and one caramel Tim Tam bite,  I departed at 5:30am.  I was greeted by a beautiful red and golden sunrise peeping shyly over the ocean with the promise of a perfect day.  The first few kilometres were tentatively taken, nursing some new stiffness in my hip and feet. As I warmed up, the lubrication of joints seem to take effect, or possibly, the other body parts deteriorated to establish equilibrium of sorts.

I ran through Collaroy and over the Long Reef headland. This is a magnificent outlook and, for me, one associated with many fond memories, including running with my family dogs and school excursions where we pretended to study the rock platforms that jut out a distance into the ocean.  I dropped down onto the firm sand from Long Reef into Dee Why then began the hill climb to traverse the northern headland of Curl Curl. Forlornly, I ran past my chosen breakfast destination with 17km to go!  I followed the boardwalk between South Curl Curl and Freshwater beach (as mentioned in last week’s meanderings). The swell was quite big, however, not deterring the few rock fishermen throwing caution to the wind and waves.  I cut across behind Freshwater Beach and heaved myself up the uneven and tough stair climb up over the Queenscliff headland.  The view looking towards Manly beach was a comfort to weary limbs. The Garmin confirmed that the road signs are correct in their distance of 12 kilometres to Manly from Narrabeen. Did I have another 12 kilometres in me?  I wrestled off the temptation to bail into the emerald ocean by joining the early morning ‘Bold and Beautiful’ ocean swimming group.  The sheer terror of admitting that I am entered in a marathon in just seven weeks was motivation enough to keep me moving forward.

I continued around the Fairy Bower to Shelly beach, perfecting the consumption of my banana while running, then returned back around to the Manly Cove and crossed to the harbour side.  There is a spectacular trail from Manly to the Spit that is 11km long and follows the harbour foreshore through bushland and beach.  I made a small indent on the more gentrified section of this path towards Fairlight.  I turned around at 17km and retraced my steps towards the Manly beachfront, hoping for a miraculous surge of energy from my mini Tim Tam (it wasn’t too bad and easier to eat than jelly beans while running).  I don’t need much excuse eating chocolate and thought it might be worth trialling on one of the training runs.  Queenscliff headland and more steps were encountered at the 19 kilometre mark.  I dropped down onto Fairlight beach and it’s hard packed sand accompanying the low tide and made my way around the rocks and a little path towards the ocean pool. The final few kilometres involved sheer grit to reach the target of 24km. The best part of the run was the soothing dip in the South Curl Curl ocean pool at the end.  I did lend only a moment to considering whether my fancy tights were intended for saltwater.

Gustos location

Sometimes the food really does take a back seat to the location and Gusto on the beach is one such example.  This café sits within the South Curl Curl surf club right on the beach. They could be serving mediocre food and people would still line up for the view. The menu is interesting with a hint of pretension and prices. Caitlyn, having completed a neat little 10 kilometre run, ordered the Breakfast Burrito ($12), a well-priced

Breakfast burrito

multinational affair of Brazilian black beans and Portuguese chorizo, scrambled eggs and guacamole. It was heartily consumed and declared to be quite tasty. Julie-Anne, a long-time friend, joined us for breakfast and chose one of the current breakfast stalwarts -‘smashed avocado and tomato salsa with some bacon on the side ($14 +$4.00).  It was the prettiest dish of our three with goats fetta crumbled on the top of soy and quinoa sourdough.  Julie-Anne and I both felt there was a lack of seasoning and hearty flavours to our dishes.  I had the two ‘Baked Eggs’ with ‘shakshuka’- a tomato, chickpeas, capsicum, rocket and goats curd with grilled soy and quinoa sourdough.  The dish looked enticing but didn’t quite round off with the flavours.

Gusto’s is an exciting five star location that BOTR will likely revisit for its proximity to the big blue more than for the palate.  A greater focus on seasonings rather than spicy superlatives would really set this location on fire.

Smashed avocado

Baked eggs