Groundhog day Saturday, awake in the wee hours again, pondering how much kit to wear and what to leave behind, tyre pressures, the state of the road, who was turning up and who was turning over in bed. A relentless addiction this is, but there's worse to catch i guess. Down to the car park with a little more light to show the way, navigating the empty streets (apart from a cute ponytail jogging, a bedraggled bloke trying to light a fag and a dead shopping trolley in the bike lane). Participating punters pruned to just Trav, Rocket, Shorty, Cougar, Tim, Jase, AvantiTrev and FeltMat today, much reduced from last weeks 15. Jase the Cheshire cat on a (loaner) Avanti Corsa, most sinister and slick in matte black, old faithful Giant layed up in the workshop. 4 degrees was nothing to celebrate, but the Tassie highlands had -7 and F.N.Q. had +40 during the week, so we shouldn't grizzle. Off at 6 bereft of breeze, matching Jase's stealth like steed proved to be an early ask, warming up the limbs quickly. It's the same old familiar stretch of road but at least its a known quantity, updating the social side with the crew along the way. Up to the front again after the pub, a long haul with Trav to Old Dookie Rd, then another long stay with Jase to the toaster, certainly happy to relinquish duties to others by then. Spied Fitzy (solo as per usual) on the east path toward the Emu, Russ repeating the role as advance party to the Cats again. The friendly little felines forged east with Sprinter as bonnet mascot as we crossed Boundary Rd, i'm sure the fuse would have been lit in River Rd to earn their breakfast. There were a few discrepancies on our pace which didn't draw the attention of the regulator, landmarks came and went as all did their bit, eventually arriving at Rudd Rd, spotting THM and his running harem bearing north. Much lampooning and sarcasm at the roundabout recalling last weeks spill, probably helped by the absence of the wobbly one. A couple had pressing duties over lazing at the Lemontree, just a small gathering this week to cackle over Julia's retirement, jokes and suplementary sledges.
Almost kitted up as the sun rose on Sunday, felt quite rusty in the joints so threw in the towel. A fully optioned cold developed through the day to dull enthusiasm and restrict movement. No thoughts of saddling up on Monday, now in the grip of aches and sniffles, the bout of rain and thunder at 5 would have cancelled the thought anyway. The next few days spent watching cobwebs amass on old faithful with the respiratories wrecked, sooking set in and drive dulled.
Eventually resurfaced Thursday morning, not 100% but the cravings were strong to ride. A lap with the Couldabeens may remove me from the missing persons list (not quite on BigMat status yet though). Felt almost foreign to swing the leg over and set off to the start, not so hot holding a straight line spelt out of condition. Jase arrived early back on familiar Giant ground, Kenworth fronted at full steam and almost airborne in his usual warm up, Rocket, PistolPete, Nick and AvantiTrev rolled in, Chris A and Vince upping the average before we started just by their presence. Copious velocity out Channel Rd with 20 to 30km/h of WNW shoving us east, tempo steadily raised over the next 7k to Boundary, AvantiTrev quick to secure an early permanent rear seat. Speed was keen pointing south too, a tidy little echelon assisting the journey. A great early warning of a car on the main channel bridge diverted a drama, a scattered entry to Mitchell Rd but a considerate regrouping before the hardyards of a 20-28km/h headwind were attacked. A few more took the rear retirement promoting me forward, enthusiasm evaporating with the h.r. already at 174 and not even at the front yet! (HTFU me thinks, but there's a fine line between what the mind believes and what reality delivers) Matching Rockets pace into a headwind proved a fickle folly carrying the remnants of the cold, quickly abandoned to the rear after a 100 metres attempt, and tucked in for a tow. It was down to Kenworth, PistolPete, Rocket and Chris to drag us along for Raftery, the Kenworth digging deep in the closing 100 of Conrod (almost digging up breakfast). The sprint was side-lined, a bunch finish testament to all putting in ten tenths.
A little trepadation heading to the Library lap on Thursday night, mentally prepared to be cast off the back like a Labor leader in my condition. A smaller gathering tonight (a legacy of recent averages?) of Dalton, Robbo, Sam, Ozzie, Travis, Liam, Harpo and Clive, a start with a considerate bunch at least, let's see what torturous tempo is on tonights agenda. Liam's spin is something to behold, a 140 cadence out to Wanganui Rd made me weary watching it! Felt ok doing a few turns while the pace wasn't blistering and helped by the WNW, but resolved to sit on the back if the speed went feral. Plenty of additions as the k's ticked over, Kev, Trent, OlympicSteve, Sticks and Hamish on the east leg, LegalSteve on the west leg of Old Dookie Rd. A chance to update on news as the circuit unfolded but talk petered out when the tempo bumped up after the Pub. The River Rd rumba was manageable from the back seat, difficult to see who were the train drivers but the usual suspects were likely. A late call of a car at River Rd's end had the brakes cooking, on the gas quick smart for Central Kialla Rd to hang onto a burst down to Mitchell Rd, LegalSteve and others resigned to reality at the back too. A fairly bad case of the rubber bands while navigating to Raftery Rd, but took it as a form of interval training (if only the lungs would clear to allow more oxygen in). All my eggs went into staying attached as the pace built toward Arcadia Downs and beyond, no idea who took the honours (such was the concentration of keeping hold of the wheel ahead) but to finish within the pack in 1:19:00 was reward enough. Sam kindly rubbed in a forthcoming Noosa holiday to ponder the current temperatures, perhaps warmer rides are to come here?
Friday's usual tour de recouperation tapped out with Cougar, still with a westerly to make the trip home a chore. FeltMat had shaken off the week long cobwebs to put up a chase, catching for a brief yarn at the end of Channel. Heading north on Boundary we had the spectators seat of Freaky Friday chargers, Supercats, 51 single filed in hot pursuit (ejecting one), a trio of chirpy P&W's then regular Cats with Doc greeting. Our turn west for Old Dookie Rd proved a workout homeward with not a lot of drive left back into town, a reminder of fitness lost and the challenge to regain it.
Week 38 ; 195km (Kununurra to Turkey Creek WA) YTD 12,880km
"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history" Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) British writer, author "Brave New World"
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