If running is life, then coffee is its fuel. – Internet
This blog site stopped running, and went hibernating for months. And, just like how I want to start a run, this is how I will start again this website, with a few good cups of coffee.
Before anything else, is it owkei to mix coffee and running together?
It’s a duh question, I know. But just to make this post relevant to runners so I’m posting the above question.
If you want to use coffee as a way to keep you up in your long runs, especially in ultramarathons, is that you need to abstain from it for a week prior to race day. This way you will really have the best kick when you needed it most. This is the advice I heard long time ago from Atty. Haidee Acuna.
So in short, it’s owkei to mix drinking coffee and running. But just keep in mind that coffee is diuretic. So you might need to pee and poo2x more; these are both true based on my experience. =)
One of the things I looked forward to when joining fun runs, especially in faraway places, is the coffee I would have after (including the pre-race coffees too). We’d call it “coffee surfing,” or “coffee crawling” like pub crawling.
Malaybalay, Bukidnon (from the 1st ever out-of-Cebu fun run)
I may have stopped running for some time, but the “coffee crawling” did not. So I want to share the spur-of-the-moment coffee crawl I did all in one day this week. Lately, there’s quite a few hole-in-the-wall kindish coffee places opening in Cebu. Hopefully, Cebu’s coffee scene will be more interesting.
Bo’s
I started at Bo’s in BTC. This is probably my most favorite Bo’s branch in Cebu; it’s interesting with it’s being friendly to remote-working people. Bo’s is a big-chain coffee place brand, which originates in Cebu. Just like any big-chain brand, they somehow need to maintain a mass-appeal taste to their coffee, which can be leaning to the frap drinks. You know when a coffee place serves too many fraps, they are very good at fraps and their non-frap drinks making skill can be rusty. So it can be a hit-and-miss with their good old coffee drinks, but nevertheless, it’s more of a hit.
Their new interesting offering is their local beans series for their pour-over and french press which you may want to try if you want to be experimental.
In Bo’s, my go to coffee mix is cappuccino with extra shot.
Coffee Factory
From Bo’s BTC, I walked a few meters to the that new instagram-y coffee place in AS Fortuna, near Foodland. People said that owners are architects or designers (not sure), and it shows in the physical aesthetics of the coffee place.
As for the coffee, based on their menu choices, you would know that the owners do know coffee; they may be passionate about it. But then it’s not the owners who are serving the coffee. So you know what I mean? It’s like an Italian restaurant with a very talented cook with a “karenderya” experience — the pasta would end up as delicious “sweet jolli spaghetti.”
But for the few times I’d been there, they did not disappoint though. It’s just sometimes with all the beautiful architectural aesthetics of the place, you somehow want to see something solid coffee statement from their staff but it’s just not yet there.
In Coffee Factory, my go-to coffee is their Kenya beans.
Kapehan Ceferina
From Coffee Factory, I walked and rode a tricycle to Cabancalan, Mandaue to this “coffee purist” coffee shop, Kapehan Ceferina. I call a place “coffee purist” when I don’t see a frap on their menu.
Everything in this place is handcrafted, from their furniture to their coffee. They create coffee with lots of manual labor of love (no coffee machine): from V60, aeropress, french press, etc. And, all their beans are sourced locally (You can also buy beans from them. They can grind the beans for you if you want to.).
So what’s with machined and manually-made coffee? There’s always something romantic seeing the steps after steps of creating your coffee right before your eyes. And, maybe it’s because also the owner, who is also the barista, is very passionate about coffee.
To make this blog post related to running, the owners of the Kapehan Ceferina were / are both running friends and are also both programmers. If you’re looking for a coffee shop that serves both good coffee and fast internet in Cebu, this is your place.
In Kapehan Ceferina, my go-to coffee is their special beans roasted by “indie” kind of local roasters. But Sagada coffee beans are always my comfort-zone.
Contact number: 0943 441 4610
Location: Beside Europa Mansionette Inn, Cabancalan, Mandaue
(They are still in soft opening so business hours for them is 2pm-10pm. Though Tuesdays and Thursdays, they’re open already in the morning. Anyhow, feel free to contact them.)
Like a real pro blogger, I will post next a “Top Favorite coffee places in Cebu” write-up. So check back, or subscribe to runroo.com — there’s a box somewhere in this website where you can do so.
How about you? Care to share your favorite coffee places?
* Featured photo credits to Ara Lim.
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Posted by:
Rose Buenconsejo. Fun run, trail, yarn, coffee crawler.
Thanks for the post! I wanted to go to coffee factory and kapehan and reading your post gives me an idea about it na. Yey!
thanks. what’s you favorite coffee spot?