Week 47

FeltMat, Rocket, Walshy, Jase, Temple, Steve (with newbie Luke) & Daniel were loitering with some intent at the Archer St shops in the 6am light of Saturday, Shorty & Trev arrived to launch the pack out Channel Rd. The regular cool morning and the usual south wester gave a Groundhog Day feel but some interesting  & varied discussions made it entertaining. (speculation of GG's attendance prompted a chuckle or two) The speed limit needed close attention with a slight breeze behind, the Toaster / Emu leg route back on the agenda this week. Turned for home at the Emu to find Dalton & Cranky heading east, following a few k's back the Cat collection. Onto Ford Rd (and approaching Mouser) we were honked & squeezed by Mr Angry in a red ute (too much effort to use the empty right lane to overtake it seems) Rego duely noted for constabularary consultation, way too close for comfort. A clear run home thereafter, easing off the throttle in Rudd Rd for Luke showing signs of wear. Had to skip the post ride coffee and conversation with a hectic weekend, will overdose next week.

Lent a hand at the Shepparton Ironman 70.3 on Sunday, sidekick to HWK and missed most of the race, but caught up with several local legends pre & post event. Awesome efforts over the 1.9 swim, 90k bike and 21k run by Tommygun 4.51.28, Grasshopper 4.54.07, Greendawg 5.08.32, Weapon 5.12.07, Goose 5.31.06, Kylie 6.03.14 and Princess 6.11.25 (great maiden effort)  Lots of bike bling in the compound to lust after, an impressive winners bike leg of 2.09! (fighting strong winds)

Legs were well worn Monday (worked overtime Sunday and sleep deprived Saturday) so took a gentle and short lap Monday morning (yep, cold, and that south wester still blowing) A fair sized Cat pack in Boundary Rd the only riders seen. Lacking any form of power today, quite the jelly leg syndrome.

Tuesday mornings weather was a toss up, couldn't decide on longs or shorts so played safe with 3/4's and long sleeves. The 15 Couldabeens who rolled up were a mixture of both kits (Daniel of course in the minimum), a suprise visit from Greendawg and Goose, fresh off their awesome efforts on the 70.3, even has JB come along, blowing the cobwebs off the classic Cannondale. Rocket and Dalton gave us a gentle build up to speed out Channel Rd, all set about performing very smooth turns (and considerate pace out of corners and intersections)  for the course, the lack of rubber band effect making a faster speed almost comfortable. 40 for most of Mitchell and climbing higher by Arcadia Downs, I'd scored the favoured wheel of Greendawg (with a few retiring from turns in the closing k or two) which allowed me a jump to the sprint silver medal, behind Rocket (untouchable despite my 440 watt 53km/h) The 37 average worth recording.

A proper warm Spring Tuesday arvo at 28 degrees (with accompanying 20k warm northerly) brought out the usual hospital starters with chalkie Nick a suprise inclusion, hadn't seen legalSteve for a while either.  The usual vultures were circling out Ford Rd to pick at the bones of the weary. Young Scott fuelled some angst with a kilometer of half wheeling me, so I lit the afterburner into the 40's to dish up discipline. Robbo, Bomber and other peak performers got wheels humming toward the Emu (young Scott the first to go o.t.a) The northerly favoured heading down past the church, pretty handy down Boundary too. A bit of speculation on the Midland highway closure (fatal car accident earlier) but the long arms of the law were on duty to ease our highway crossing. A big attack was launched in River Rd (Tel Aviv?) some serious legs pushing mid 40's into a cross wind fractured the bunch into lots of little pieces. Caught up amongst the tail enders, a big gap had opened up by central Kialla (attempts at carrying a few along for the chase failed) so kept up a solo fight to stay in touch. Nearly caught them at Melbourne Rd but was baulked by traffic. Mission impossible, so tapped home in the low 30's in the interest of survival (45k's at 36.3 was enough) but rejoined at the first set of traffic lights in town for a brief social discourse. 

A pleasant 16 degrees started Wednesday, a chanced intercept with Grasshopper on the way to the P&W lap (we'll miss the little fella when he immigrates to Wang). Irongirl Jo, Liz, Chris the Pom, Al and newbie Rob (hereafter named DrugRob, a pharmacist) were at the usual startline, and set forth just as Fee, Fox and Meags arrived from an earlier 30k. A little bit of a drag against a light north easter out Old Dookie, but thereafter plain sailing. The little bunny and an owl who had met their maker on Boundary drew some Aww's, otherwise a bit of chat for all but the engine drivers on the front. Just beyond the Mitchell dog-leg we could make out a long 51 train turning west from Central Kialla Rd, 3 being excommunicated off the back. All kept it steady until the excitement grew with 2 k to go, Liz & DrugRob running short on horsepower pointing into the strengthening northeaster. Inherited the long slog on the front for Conrod straight, thankfully the smooth Fox saved me from expiry in the last 100, clearing the decks for Grasshopper to lead out Irongirl Jo for a win.

Chilled down to 10 degrees on Thursday morning but last nights gale force wind had at least calmed down. Numbers were well down for the Couldabeens ride, just 7 today (the wind a factor?) including new dad (again) Trav, an 8lb 4 Flynn arriving Tuesday (realise why he wasn't named after River Phoenix). The big Kenworth was back too (pushed and shoved to get his wheel) to join Temple, Rocket, Ryno, Walshy (with a late arrival pass) and Nick (nearly needs new knicks, not nice nearby, nearly nasty, neural nightmare, nausea nigh) All full of bravado out Channel Rd, but a big slap of reality in the face in Boundary Rd by way of a SSW wind which had cranked up to 18km/h.  Rotations increased to distribute the load (Trav excused from full time duty, Walshy too after a big chase to join us) HR bumped up 40bpm for a turn at the front, the Kenworth started to miss a beat by Central Kialla Rd and developed a missfire that only an Archer Rd exit could fix.  Speed got serious at Arcadia Downs and my legs flatly refused to do what the head wanted. Rocket stopped snoring and wound up for the sprint, Nick & Ryno fighting out for the remaining podium places. A solid lap for a small pack, Cats pipped for the railway line honours, 7.02 would have beaten the trains' old schedule.

Not sure what drives people to tackle the tough stuff. The wind Thursday arvo had built to 28km/h from the south, but out into it I went, knowing some serious speed was on the agenda. (the joy of the pain stopping at the finish line?) A dozen formed up at the library, chalkie Nick back for more, and out the Boulevard we went. a line of 10 on the left and Nath alone on the right. I know he doesn't bite, so went up to take a turn...then all formed up as normal.  Good to have Woodsy back with his re-co hip, seeing more of legal Steve, Paul and Gools lately too. Hoisted the mainsail out Wanganui & Ford, a fair rate of knots took us all the way to the Emu (meeting the Hezbollah guerrillas en route) where the real work began. The big guns played fair but fast all the way south, we even picked up Nico in Old Dookie, his first bunch ride in over 12 months. Stacked across the tarmac to fight the cross wind in River Rd (some over in the gravel at times) the bunch was still intact at the turn into Central Kialla Rd, but the new lad shot to the front (from 5 wheels back) to light the fury fuse. The bunch fractured within 50 metres, ironically the instigator went kaboom backwards just 100 metres later, I quickly scouted for able bodies to help rescue the remainder, but some did an Archer retreat.  Great allies found in Gools, Scotty and Sprinter, we shared the pointy end for the next 9 km even keeping the heavy artillery within a km sight, collecting some of their fallout in the chase. A great team workout finishing 48 k's in 1:22, the Garmin graph showing a rollercoaster heart rate (not sure where the 254 max came from though!) 

Caught up with Keeno on my way to the P&W start Friday morning, seems the Supercats are increasing membership and the ordinary (?) Cats are in decline. Arrived at SPC to find Princess, Grasshopper, Minto and Wizz had joined the usual tribe (Stace, Choppy, Al, Meags, DrugRob and Chris the Pom), maybe as recovery from Tri efforts on Sunday.  A hint of a south easter was the only resistance down Boundary, even picked up an ejected Supercat (a visitor to the town looking for a ride certainly got one!) Birchy showed us what his back wheel looked like, Princess bolting to draft him but commonsense (or sore legs?) brought him back into the fold.  Nicer in Mitchell Rd (thought the TT'ers may need a map to remember that course) but all kept formation till the exertion unleashed nearing Arcadia Downs. I got the shift at the front on the dipper but ran out of nitrous at 50km/h trying to stay with Choppy and Grasshopper (my excuse is they're younger) A regroup to get through town, many with time to enjoy coffee and post ride analysis. 

A great finish to this week with a Couldabeens dinner of 12, lots of tall tales and true.

Week 47   364 km  13,104 calories (75 cups of fruit muesli)  33.9 average  YTD 18,467 km        


"The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself" Michel Eyquiem de Montaigne
French Renaissance writer 1533-1592