There's a strange social gravity that draws us to our respective bunches, each with its unique microcosm of social structure and boundaries, each with its own top gun, motivator, character and battler. Some comfort I guess in the shared passion, laugh, struggle or sledge, at least to isolate the real world for a while. Faark! Foss's fickle philosophy fortuitously freaking fellows? Forgive? Finished.
Down to the customary Saturday start with participants aplenty, Jase, Rocket, Cougar, Shorty, Temple, HBK, Nick, PistolPete, RidleyTrev, GG, Tim, Dion & Stew (on a brief parole from Geelong) A bit more daylight today, patchy fog a bit out of season though. Got to work immediately for the first leg of Channel, PistolPete warming up the pace against the 4 degrees (I was a bit presumptuous ditching the winter base layer in the kit up this morning). Got an insight into most people's week with plenty of chat in Channel, Nath and Smuggler linked in at the Boundary Rd fig farm reported our babble was audible from a k away. All calm in the wind department yet GG and others were pushing the limit, at least all had their glory at the front. A little show of Spring with canola in blossom (and daylight to see it) put a positive into the day, maintenance man Vince coming into the fold after the Emu. Cat pack was fat this morning, a few heaped in horsepower were recognised amongst the blur of 20+ faces. A good run west in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd with no hint of breeze, just the odd chilled patch to negotiate. Back to Lemontree base it was politics, finance, politics, bunch etiquette, politics and politics being chewed over in the wait for coffee, 15 at the table swamping the Lemontree for a while. Nice to have PistolPete join in, Dion & Stew switched camps joining the Muppets on a 7 bridges ride for some Fruitloop distance.
Plenty saw the Fb post for a Sunday lap, lots of fathers choosing to blow out zeds instead of k's at 7am though. Just HBK and Temple at the Kialla start, 7 degrees reducing HBK to short sleeves and legs, my heart sank at his Karramomus course suggestion (it's as enthralling as Bells-Armstrong Rd) but I guess it's something different. Temple quickly assumed the role at the rear to leave me at the half bike mercy but all was well for a steady lap and to enjoy a calm start with sunshine thrown in. The short warm up in Archer and Mitchell, then the lengthy leg to Karramomus Rd, 6 k seemed like 16. Relinquished the lead to Temple on the turn (dropping 35 beats with his draft) for a couple of clicks, familiar sights of distant hills a distraction from the narrowing track. Back up front for the northern trek to River Rd, just a hint of possible northeasterly to work against. There was a solitary TT rider (complete with teardrop hat) on a sedate southerly near the main channel, we continued on then into River Rd, scenery to see for a change, not possible on a Tuesday or Thursday night thrash. Daylight seems to draw out the tarmac longer, but finally to Central Kialla, old faithful's odometer ticking over 160K. At Mitchell's end and into Raftery the NE wind turned on, a fair push from Arcadia Downs, the previously spotted TT bike became the carrot to drive us to the finish. A convivial post ride yarn at Degani put a great finish to a good start for Fathers Day, warranting the mid arvo sofa slumber.
Keen to taper after a rather obssessive last week, a short and quiet lap Monday just to keep the legs familiar with rotation. Joined Cougs to roll out Channel Rd, taking in the pre dawn light. Up near the cypress trees a large grey skippy sprung suddenly across the road, took a few weeks off the lifespan being just a metre or two away. Less than a k travelled when ducks took pronto flight from the roadside to kick the h.r. again, t'was a strange form of interval training. Good to arrive in Boundary Rd free of wildlife suprises, the familiar passing parade of Cats and P&W's brought us back into the comfort zone of familiarity. No records to break in Old Dookie Rd either, eyes were on the tabledrains though for the next suprise.
Milder mornings are becoming more motivational, a fair showing of Couldabeens GG, Rocket, Kenworth, Shorty, PistolPete, Cougar, FujiTrev, FeltMat and AvantiTrev at the shop on Tuesday. A steady first leg with Rocket helped all climatise. No skippy's to dodge today, Darthvader staying off the tarmac has been a bonus too. A good run up to Boundary, pointing south showed a bunch at some distance, maybe Hurt Locker laying bait? Our usual guns (ironically nearly always paired) stepped up the speed when at the pointy end, all others were allowed to do their bit though, keeping teamwork alive. Westbound in Mitchell we got the news (from a small pack eastbound) of cows ahead, so eyeballs were sharpened and distances guesstimated. Beyond Central Kialla the culprits were spotted, a bovine buffet breakfast on buffalo at the roadside, cows content chewing the cud. Back up to speed and Mt Nicolaci crested, highway crossed and Roubaix rounded, FujiTrev took a rear seat retirement while the throttle slowly opened. Round the last kink with Conrod open for business, heads went down to the business, Kenworth and Rocket motivating the motion. GG ran out of GG's, Nick unleashed the fury and there was a sudden and miraculous recovery by FujiTrev to bolt for the sprint but with 500 to go he'd had too much optimism for breakfast and was swamped by most, Rocket and Kenworth taking the 1 2. A tidy little lap in less than 50 minutes.
Four months has worn the best life from a pair of Michelins (just one puncture a good record for 5800k) so two new ones and the annual cleat change performed (have made it a habit since Beery once pulled his shoe out of the pedal beside me in a 50+ sprint....the stuff of nightmares, all down to a worn cleat.) Down to the hospital to find a big cast of players, any wonder with 22 degrees and the lightest of breezes. Back in short knicks now, booties retired and fingerless gloves back on the agenda. Great to have new dad Craig back (shaking the rust off) Axel back on sensible hours and regulars Dalton, Tony, Dion, Simmo, BigBen, Coggo and Brett, FujiTrev & AvantiTrev doubling their dose for the day. The customary additions of Sprinter, Nath, Robbo, Trent, Trudy, Bomber & Sticks added the numbers up to 25, and added the tempo of course. Not the savage attacks of last week but the light NE breeze kept up the velocity in our journey south and west. Only got to the front three times in 43k, accounts for a lower average hr. Speed kicked up when reaching Archer so didn't venture up front again, content to sit it out. Into Raftery the gaps opened (being near the back wasn't the place to be) and the rubber band stretched, Axel & I digging deep for a k to tow a few back on. Job done by Arcadia Downs a moment was taken to settle the heartbeat and draw a bit more oxygen for the last gasp of Conrod. In a carbon copy of 12 hours prior, several unhitched in the effort to stay at the business end, wound up with just 5 ahead crossing the line, the ticker settling from 185 to 120 by the bridge.
Had a day off Wednesday and succumed to a sleep in (going soft?) Chose to walk on Thurdsay morning too, part of the resolve to taper a bit. Gave Thursday night a whirl though, another large assembly with almost a warm night to enjoy. At the library, Jamie was on release from the metropolis, Hamish, Robbo, Tony, Jase, Dion, Mike (from the popular town called Hibernation) AvantiTrev, Dalton, Oz, Nath (and more) rolled away at 6, a helping hand out the Boulevard from a hint of a southerly. All tapped away nicely with social chins wagging, crossed Grahamvale Rd where Nath launched the grenade to blow Mike OTA and stretch the pack out. After a minute of huffing and puffing Robbo assumed the diplomats role with an envoy to the front for some peace talks, the pace returning to sensible so that most could at least survive the distance. Sticks and OlympicSteve (fresh back from european victory) attached beyond the Channel, turns rolling over well. I'd become the meat in an OlympicSteve and Nath sandwich, fast expiring into the wind southward beyond the Emu. Stuck it out till 185bpm dictated a roll over to gain a draft, but it took a few k's to regain composure with the speed continuing unabated. Back to survival mode by the time we'd reached Boundary Rd, Sticks driving Jase hard for the length of Old Dookie, LegalSteve climbing aboard, almost over his lurgy. Jamie, AvantiTrev and OlympicSteve took the Channel Rd alternative home, maybe inspired by a few spits of rain? (but nothing serious came of it) Sticks was driving Jase hard again at the bridges, my turn came but the GST (great speed tax) took 10% off my legs. River Rd went by quickly, at least a gradual build up of tempo didn't murder too many. Chris A had intercepted the group, a great driver to join Robbo, Hamish, Sticks and Nath doing the majority of the toil. The bunch started to fracture at Central Kialla, a few lending tows were the glue that kept things together. No thoughts of me taking turns at the front with the big guns (this old engine hasn't got what it takes) , just hang on for the remainder. A long thin line whittled a few more down, Sticks peeled off homeward, just Nath and Robbo left providing the pace as we approached Arcadia. Took pity on their turns ever shortening and gave a small contribution to Conrod, a few more now clawing their way forward to share the load. Lost my grip with 500 left, a black hole opening to the 5 ahead. Stuck at it till the end, a few came past in the dying stages to preserve their honour. Suprised to count only 10 left, the 37 average culled quite a few losses along the way.
A short and quiet lap with Cougs on Friday finished the week, a long train of SuperCats flew south on Boundary as we topped off Channel Rd., a welcomed cheery P&W greeting, a smaller regular Cat pack, then the turn west back to town, all kept at the hearts' zone 2 so that it may survive to ride another day.
Week 36 345k ( Katherine to Gregory N.T.) YTD 12,262
"Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears" John Lennon 1940-1980
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