A break with routine and a rare weekend off the bike, a break too from this blog for a week, low on nonsensical nouns, vicarious verbs, lacking literary lucidity, somewhat saturated in semantic satiation. (A big glass of icy cold motivation mixed with sarcasm thanks barman). Apologies to those who missed the weeks' babble, a relief for many to have gone without i'd say.
A customary lap on Monday morning relieving the rigormortis (self imposed from the 48 hour sabbatical) and climatising the posterior to the Fizik instead of a couch or Toyota. Funny how quickly the engine de-tunes, I can't do a Ronnie, 3 months off and just a few days to get back to speed. The mild 23 degrees was a positive, the northeaster was a negative on the legs. Thankfully the pace wasn't frantic. Summer is slipping as quick as a politicians promise, the sun not out of bed till 7 (can anyone remember riding at 6 without need for lights?) Hope sprang eternal with a tail wind home (always a great recipe) just had to match Cougs' enthusiasm to reach the finish.
The bureau radar painted a dismal picture Tuesday morning, the BM sat static and I got up to date on household chores (Rocket, Temple, Daniel & Nath went out to play.....as boys do). Tuesday arvo was
far more agreeable, so off to the hospital to see who dared. Jamie, Robbo, Axel & Harpo were starters, Simmo found loitering with some intent 10 minutes out of town. Some exertion needed against the light north easter, Axel content to be towed after 6 weeks of leisurely laps. Trudi, Tony and two others made up the numbers as we passed the Pine Lodge church, all directions homeward easier going so tempo was adjusted accordingly. A lot of regulars seem to have abandoned the Tuesday night ship for some reason, maybe the invasion of big guns has a few concerned. (there are very few canons in the armorery now and teamwork is high on the agenda for anyone planning to re-dip a toe in the water) Axel's (former?) anti-clockwise group plied north in Boundary Rd as our tenacious ten headed to River Rd and beyond, temperature dropping to a very comfortable 28. The usual procession to Mitchell Rd then Raftery, something amused Jamie, cackling away like a cockatoo out of Roubaix, but no steam in my boiler at the end, o.t.a. by 4 lengths at the finish was a bit disheartening but will put it down to an off day. 42k's in 1.10.50 wasn't too bad though.
Not many TT'ers on Wednesday, good numbers for the regular P&W lap though. Stace & (happy birthday) Fee led us out admirably for most of Old Dookie, I'd inherited Al for the run to the pub, a smoother line to be had with less chat. A bit of disaray today, (happy birthday) Meags had quietly u-turned, Cougs had taken Channel Rd homeward, HWK and Tommygun opened the throttle stretching the pack long, all the big k's of tri training have lots on a mission for forthcoming half & full distance IM's. I took the Archer option to get a head start to the working day, intercepting the Couldabeens on the last few metres of Channel Rd. Timing was just a few minutes out, a brief shower a km from home settled the dust and put squeak into the chain.
Thursdays' atmostphere dampened the ground and dampened thoughts of a ride, it's almost down to winter kilometers this week but to be honest, i've enjoyed the lesser laps . Friday's southerly made a 25k loop of Channel-Boundary-Old Dookie very appealing, little incentive to belt the thighs to a pulp, 12 degrees feeling like 10 not helping either. Headed south in the main street watching the passing parade of northbound victims to the battlefields of 51 and supercats, like lambs to the slaughter, but there's always a wave from gentleman Graeme. A young fox sprinted across Channel Road in the near darkness, quite a sight approaching Boundary Rd to see a super-long stretch of supercats, like watching a long string of flashing Christmas lights towed south. A few hundred metres back, the howl of carbon wheels and singing singles signalled 51 in hot pursuit, it's freaky Friday for them and F#&% Friday for the Couldabeens on a similar but anti-clockwise mission.
Week 9 165km 5775 calories (1.2kg Aloo Gosht Kari curry) YTD 3023km
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future" Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde
Irish dramatist 1854-1900
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