Week 45

Quite a roll-up on Saturday, many circled (and salivating) around Weapons' new Avanti chronos.  A long lost Walshy made an appearance in the pack, Christine back again (after a "hydration conference") Chris the Pom venturing out a bit more now that some warmth has returned.  All on their toes for Trev's arrival this week (who got down to business immediately on Channel Rd), 16 set sail eastward, collecting Steve near the kinder.  Quite the social outing with a southerly helping in Boundary, got a hint of a new course about half a k before it happened, a diversion via the toaster and the emu today it seems. All boys and girls carefully heeding Trev's regulations (some within 0.5km/h of it), a careful cross of New Dookie Rd then up to the emu (that's missing.......on holiday in Zeerust appparently) A plentiful posse of pussycats were headed out, leaving Kev behind to change a flat tube solo (nice team spirit guys) Jimbo seen a few minutes behind on his pat malone too, must be popular? Dalton, Ryan and others were taking the speed right up to the point of financial distress, but all arrived back into town without need to use the credit card to shout coffee, but Walshy got a yellow card for a european roundabout excersion. Fryers St is bike central lately, many finding favour as a finish or start point.  Rearranged the deckchairs at the Lemontree to enjoy alfresco verbals, some arranging a long Sunday tour as a test for Tat?

Time the enemy on Sunday morning, an early 30k on the Couldabeens course just in case the legs forgot how to pedal.  A familiar Spring warm north easterly built up gradually (as did the temperature), just Raftery needing a bit of extra effort. Glad to get back to town for a dose of Degani's coffee, need to climatise to warm days and winds me thinks.

A quiet anti-clockwise lap on Monday with Cougs, the now standard north easter at least offering some kindness on the return home. A few new faces out & about now that mornings are milder (just soft hibernators i reckon), half a dozen chirpy P&W's, a large and mostly silent cat pack with Rabbit teasing 'em off the front.  Finally finished the pedometer challenge today, totalled 965,281 steps over 31 days (and kept up with a few young'ns)

Gave the toaster loop a bash on Monday arvo, 27 degrees and that north easter still active. Satisfied with progress eastbound, noticing the HR slowly climbing as the k's clicked over.  Nearing Verney spied Princess (dapper dude in civvies too) walking the pup and the kiddies. Fighting a stitch nearing the kennels in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd (easing the speed about the only cure) ironically listening to Massive Attack. A bit of relief turning at the Emu but not the tail wind i'd hoped for, the breeze tapering.  Not the clearest of views at intersections lately, weeds are like skyscrapers, just my luck there'll be traffic lurking behind them. Approached the Midland at peak hour (well, four cars at least) at least two punters in the pub too.  At the risk of wearing out the usual course, turned down River Rd, damn wind changing direction slowly was going to make hard work of the remainder. Always pleasant to finish River Rd (except the intersection) a short 2k to Mitchell then on auto pilot home. Kept the clock ticking through town (+ a couple of red lights) and up the Boulevard to finish 56 @ 33.1. 

Quite a few expected to tackle a toaster loop for the Cup day holiday on Tuesday, put in an early lap with Cougs (unable to join in with a ton of work at her desk).    Headed out Channel Rd at a steady speed, a distant flashing red light an irresistable carrot to hunt down. Pushing into a 17k north easterly was certainly a warm up, caught and passed the young fella nearing the end of Channel, kept the accelerator down for Boundary too. A big outing of Cats were oncoming near the aromatic surrounds of the piggery, a turn into Old Dookie Rd took the wind off the face. Rolled back into town, a decent gathering of Grasshopper, Fox and company ready to depart from SPC.

A cast of thousands were waiting at the Archer St shops at 7, almost a full compliment of Couldabeens, foreigners Doc & Sam from Tatura drafted by Trev made up 18 to squirt down Raftery, rare with the wind behind us! A whisker past Arcadia Downs, Vince, Kelly and Bo made a comeback.  The turn into Mitchell presented the hard yakka of the wind against us, the toil doubled with Daniel dishing up half a Ridley ahead.  Vince & Bo edged up the velocity at the top of Mitchell, the rotation turned clockwise in Boundary, then anti-clockwise in Old Dookie (just a few of us at the front getting double shifts....paid double-time on a public holiday?) Back on the front again for Cosgrove North Rd trying (in vein) to match Dalton's torque.  Finally some respite in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd re-aquainting myself with many who had yet to enjoy a turn at the pointy end. In the high 30's and low 40's for the journey west.  A regroup after traffic sp lit the bunch at Numurkah Rd, up the Wanganui hill (3rd place according to Strava) and a left into Rudd for the excitement to begin.  There were seperate finish lines for many, some before and some after the roundabout. Swamped by Bo, Vince, Dalton, Kelly and others, visitor Sam had a moment tram-tracking his wheel at the concrete edge of the roundabout. Had a bit of a dip at the traditional finish line (with Bo untouchable 20 meters ahead) if only to tow Daniel into a podium finish.  53.7km/h at the end of 65k was enough to earn scrambled eggs at the Lemontree (Trev kindly laying on the OJ) a collective Couldabeens chatted, consuming coffee, creating comedy, clocking calories, cruizy carefree cupday. (voluminous verbosity virus victim)    A photo shoot for the Tat 200 gave a few laughs too.  

Wednesday morning turned tropical, the overnight rain and 20 degrees creating a steamy circuit. Only Cougs and Meags brave enough to front, so single filed out Old Dookie. Not quite rainforests, endangered frogs and toucans, but it was certainly warm, humid with some fine mist along the way almost cancelling plans, a reassesment at Channel Rd agreed to.  Just shy of Boundary Rd a well fed, but well flattened snake lay stationary for our cautious turn peering through tall grass. The mist had abaited nearing the highway, the bunnies bounding about instead. Long and strong turns by the girls and a great call for traffic (minus headlights, bit dim in the skull) near the turn into Mitchell saved the day. Half way down Mitchell was an escargo overload, saturated with snails to make the post ride clean-up a delight.  51 caught us just after Mt Nicolaci (Col 'd Kialla to some) with some encouraging words from the Eggmeister to train driver Cougs.  Soon after Matho, Sly and assorted Cats gave a g'day passing, but all then chucked it into neutral for the traffic and cross over Melbourne Rd.  A steady finish to the lap, the mist and damp rating between chicken noodle and vichyssoise (certainly not porridge).  Rolling through town the mist became light rain just as Team TT  of Grasshopper, Fox, Minto and Princess caught us (eyes diverted from Chaddy, visual caution; white knicks on a wet day)

How quickly we soften! 14 degrees on Thursday at 5.30am and it felt cold! A dozen turned up to the Couldabeens start, Dave back after a long (political?) absence, Walshy on the comeback trail too.  Scored the first leg with jackrabbit Jason, the next roll was Dalton the diesel, not a lot of struggle against wind today, but plenty of fog to peer through,  the edge off the tempo with many commiting to the Tat ride (even Rocket said he'll be a bystander for the sprint, suprise suprise).  Tim's putting in more rides than BigMat lately (nice work).  All ticked over like clockwork for Boundary and Mitchell (needed a fog horn for the intersections though)  Crossed Melbourne Rd, (Col & Co cruising westward), our subdued tempo allowing the Cats to catch, the honourable member for motors (Matho) wisely delaying their overtake till the coast was clear beyond Roubaix.  A few of ours turned traitor and crossed the floor for the Cat scrap, the majority chosing a combined Couldabeen finish, train at the platform, still taking passengers.

High time I reaquainted with the library bunch Thursday arvo, a dozen or so rolled away, 18 kays of westerly to tackle (and a rattling bidon cage to endure for an hour)  Numbers grew heading east, speed grew too, taking tail-wind advantage.  Bomber, MItch and the big guns grew weary at the low 40's so bolted into the distance, thankfully the remainder stuck it out together for the drive to Emu corner. Back to the high 30's for the southerly legs, minus 5 for the grind of the westward. Some turns short and some turns long, being behind Sprinter is like drafting a toothpick.  Glad to be finished River Rd (and Mitchell wasn't much better) lots of enthusiasm in the last 3 k's (as always) but couldn't match Sean, Hamish and Dalton, settled satisfied for 4th at 53km/h (219 HR max was a bit of a worry, Garmin glitch?)  48k's clocked in 1:19, dinner clocked in seconds. 

A P&W farewell ride for Dutchy on Friday morning, Choppy, Fee, Meags, Al, Cougs, Hayles, Chris the Pom, THM, Jase and the guest of honour of course. 10k's of westerly propelled us out Old Dookie, recalling the Dutchy days of a cleat screwed to the base of a plastered foot (recouperating from a busted achillies). The TT boys (Grasshopper, Fox, Wizz, Sootie, Minto & Sosso) joined in to pay their respects to the Dutchmeister, but itchy feet developed near River Rd for their usual thrash. They'd only gained a couple of hundred metres (but had left Sosso behind) by the time we arrived at Kialla Central, but we pressed on for the Raftery remainder. Choppy, Sootie, Stace and Hayles bolted with 1000 metres left, THM made a keen attempt to bridge but expired early, all had to full stop just beyond the finish line with a pony on the loose (adding to snakes, owls, rabbits, snails, ducks etc on the list that have impaired prgress over the years) Horse whisperers Cougs and Hayles to the rescue, but the spooked neddy bolted to a nearby paddock, at least out of harms way.  Squeezed in a brief brekky with the crew (even Ayto came out of doona retirement) as an adieu to a great character .

Week 45   480km  17,280 calories  (115 Crownies, toasting Dutchy) 32.4 average  YTD 17,679km

You can't stop the future, you can't rewind the past, the only way to learn the secret is to press play" 
Jay Asher  US writer  1975-