Another minus 1.3 started Saturday, like banging your head against a brick wall, it's nice when you stop. More iced cars served the reminder on the 5k roll to the start, calculating the temperature to attendance ratio equation. Only 7 made of the tough stuff today (a big change from last week), Rocket, Cougar, Tim, Jase, DiscoSteve, Shorty and Trav took on the Antarctic expedition trekking east, a 9km/h south easter gave a chilled challenge to Channel Rd. Captain Trev was on a hiatus helped by the Honda hiccup during the week but all abided by the law of speed vs survival. A vote on the course question was in favour of the usual Toaster/Emu leg, and no Nath or Smuggler to persue today. The southeaster strengthened for Rocket, Shorty & Jase to conquer in Old Dookie Rd, somewhat pleased to get a hint of a tow (and be 0.2 degrees warmer) at the back end of a small pack. 2 bikes approached the Emu as we turned into Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, only 4 Cats (single file) near Boundary Rd today, the Tour de Cats Melbourne weekend drawing the numbers. An unseen bread & butter plate sized pot-hole punished four sets of wheels (and posteriors) in Ford Rd, no mechanical damage thankfully. A fair workout today with less than half of last Saturdays crowd, reckon the incentive was the Lemontree heaters, coffee and plenty of warm seats to go around. All felt the chill as the sun got out of bed, Rocket put some urge into Mt Wanganui to ensure blood didn't freeze. Good to get a lap done, better to finish and enjoy the post ride rambunctious ramblings of warm wear, BigMats' comeback odds (46:1 the latest from Tom Waterhouse), "admin" Fridays and Temple's alarm clock malfunctions.
A big dose of the c.b.f's on Sunday (the temperature to blame) but took to the tarmac Monday morning to ease into the week. Cougs had the Garmin paired and sorted for the usual short and spirited squirt, a balmy -0.3 temperature in comparison to the last 4 days wasn't a help though. Good to achieve the Mack target again in Boundary, Cat numbers good as they strung from east to south (how many were over .05 from the weekend I wonder?) Pace was cranked up in the closing k's to put some squiggles on the graph and warmth in the legs, a hint of conservation for the week that lay ahead though.
Bit of a push down the main drag in the wee small hours of Tuesday, a southerly at 18km/h to make me earn breakfast but at least 6 degrees was bearable. Just a handful of tenacious souls at the shop to clock up 30k.. Kenworth horsepower to match for leg one, Rocket warming up on leg two. Jase, Nick, Cougar, FeltMat and FujiTrev made up the rest of the team, with a little education for FujiTrev on why we sat up the road for a side wind. Boundary Rd took it's toll on a few, by Mitchell Rd FeltMat had taken a vacation from the front and FujiTrev close to expiry at Central Kialla Rd. (I wonder if that's what the Wrigleys Extra in the back pocket was for?) A long delay for traffic allowed most to revive, then set off to the highway. Some half baked moron (oncoming in Nissan with horsefloat) gave us the highbeam and driving lights treatment for a few hundred metres, such a clever thing to do. (well navigated by our Kenworth to steer us in the right direction) Another wait for highway traffic at Melbourne Rd would murder the average (i'd rather live to see another ride though) but a none-too-shabby speed was held away from the intersections. An easier run out of Roubaix and up to Arcadia Downs with the breeze almost behind us, Rocket, Jase and Kenworth started to open a gap in Conrod. Cougar, Nick and I held pace but cheeky buggers FeltMat and FujiTrev in tow had remarkably found new legs to sprint for the finish (FeltMat's undertaking will need a reminder on ethics)
The usual cast of villans gathered at the hospital boomgates on Tuesday night, the big stack still in discussion, Robbo's scale model constructions a refreshing change of subject. Traffic at Graham St split the starting pack into two, a bit of a chase was on to catch Robbo, Nath & co. When we finally attached in Ford Rd, some serious strength had swelled their ranks (and aspirations), Bomber, Mitch, Trent and others had the third leg into the roaring fourties with many putting all eggs into the hanging-on basket. A brief committee meeting with Axel resolved to let the big guns go, 8 others on similar thoughts grouped up to share the load. A handy collection of Dion, Gools, Sprinter, LegalSteve, Harpo, Tony and Clive set sail to the Emu and faced the southwesterly task (there was 25ks till a reprieve at Roubaix) watching the 8 ahead steadily open a widening gap. The rare chance of spare oxygen struck up a few conversations, news of Tour de Cats and geography lessons for Dion made a sociable night. The serious firepower ahead turned into River Rd as we cleared the Broken bridge, Stew rejoining us after a good effort hanging onto the higher calibre. LegalSteve, Dion and Stew ramped up the urgency at the end of River Rd, spying Bomber & Sticks dismounting at the Kialla hall meant we hadn't lost a lot of ground (the lead lads apparently thinned down to 3 at the finish with little left for a sprint). Just like the morning, wind was more behind us for Raftery Rd, so the accelerator was squeezed further. Into the first dip of Conrod it went suddenly single file, Dion on a big torque curve was hard to hold onto. I felt sorry for the young bloke dragging the whole team along, so went around him to assist with a tow, Sprinter follwed suit soon after but was flogging his own fairly dead horses in the closing 100 metres. My almost dead legs just managed to sneak past before the 60 sign, 190bpm the rev limit for this old engine. Unfortunately it's adieu for Stew, off to the greener pastures of Geelong (just as we'd gained a great wheel in the bunch).
Gave the bike a miss on Wednesday, a 4k walk a nice change and a chance for the sore bits to recover. Spied the tough cookies Sooty, Princess and the Comet, slogging along the main drag in minus 3 degrees. Rocket, Jase GG and Pistol Pete drank the concrete to put in a lap too i'm told.
Almost climatising to this minus stuff, one below for Thursday with Rocket, Cougar, Jase, Kenworth, GG, PistolPete and Nick the only ones tough as nails to turn up for Couldabeens duty. (promised attendance by Temple and HBK seems as sure as BigMat turning up) PistolPete's knee is on the improve (after a minor driveway demolition), rolls over like a bullet again. Great to see GG back having a go, motivation is the hardest thing to find at this time of year. I had trouble matching the Rocket in Mitchell Rd for any decent distance, seems others were struggling too with the rubber band syndrome setting in, due consideration taken at the chicane for all to excercise solidarity. (we're not the Labor Party!) A great effort by all to endure the chill at a good pace, ten out of ten for those who are giving it ten out of ten for the whole lap. There was a little more pace in Jase, Kenworth and Rocket at the end to thrash out the finish, nice (as always) to end with a good yarn on the journey homeward.
Just Robbo and Nath at the library Thursday night with 5 minutes to go, relief to have other helpers Dave, Clive, Harpo and Sean turn up in the dying moments to add assistants for assistance. The duck and weave in the first few metres landed me beside Robbo yet again, grit the teeth and bear it I guess (only because his warm up speed is my flat out). Glad to swap for Clive beside me for the Wanganui leg, a little heat off the pace helped recovery. Mitch joined in beyond Verney Rd, LegalSteve soon after. Nath punched the go button nearing Boundary Rd with OlympicSteve attaching to the bunch. Half a k beside Robbo at the front was enough, Clive the saviour again with just 2k off the speedo guaranteeing survival. Dave went to the front for the run to the church to be toasted both sides by Mitch. It was head down, shut up and hang on for a quick squirt to the toaster, a similar speed half way down Old Dookie till I suggested to LegalSteve we let the guns loose. Easing back to 38 was a relief, stopped the bunch rubber band breaking too. Soon after the turn into Boundary, Nath and Mitch eased back to rejoin us (Robbo on a mission 50 metres ahead). OlympicSteve played towtruck with Nath to reel in the rambunctious Robbo, thankfully things settled down after the pub (OlympicSteve and Sean exiting via Channel Rd). Robbo and Mitch kindly took the lead role till the River Rd dip (i'd focussed on Mitch's 3 degrees of toe in on the left foot for some reason). Itchy feet had the three go mucho pronto again out of the River Rd dip, LegalSteve and I again using the let 'em loose theory, Dave, Harpo & Clive behind us in silent approval. All worked well till Archer Rd, Harpo, Dave and finally Clive retiring from active duty till Conrod straight. LegalSteve and I earned our dinner to the end, I managed a short blast to the finish but had only given Clive a decent tow to hand him a win against my rubber legs in the last 30 metres. 48k's using 1,130 calories had me dreaming of dinner.
It's been many moons since a P&W lap so fronted up at SPC to find Stace, Sooty, Wizz, Comet, THM, Lloyd and Andrew on the familiar start line. Stace was minus headlight volts, THM minus the motivation, but a steady roll around ensued. Strobing headlights were a distraction, Andrew's tailight was strong enough to melt the retinas (the super sauve TT Cervelo worth looking at though) but good to catch up with the crew. Like many other groups, motivation is in short supply in the winters' chill, 'bout time Powerbar released a motivation gel shot. (concrete flavour?) There was just a whiff of wind to take the slack out of the legs in Boundary Rd, patches of mist to cloud the view too. It was Lloyd's turn to have negative volts in Mitchell Rd relgating him to the rear, the little Comet still tapping out a super smooth turn. That high beam half wit from Tuesday was back (between Archer and Central Kialla Rd) , the dazzle causing a couple of close moments of navigation nightmare., all survived without disaster thankfully. Something in the Arcadia Downs atmostphere provokes prestissimo, Sooty had the boiler stoked, Wizz wizzed up the dipper and signalled my turn for action. All the eggs went into the one basket with 400 to go, Andrew's headlight close enough to keep my wattage happening. Only just managed to keep him 2nd crossing the line, not a great career move to discover he's my works' CEO.(there goes a pay rise)
Week 26 : 335km (Childers to Rockhampton) YTD 9,092 km
Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades" Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx (1945- ) 5 times winner Tour de France
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