Curse you / bless you September Strava MTS, the kilometre challenge has inspired / inflicted new motivation. Another daily double on the agenda for Saturday, a 45k Couldabeens lap as an entree. PistolPete, Shorty, Trav, Cougar, AvantiTrev, HBK, Jase, Vince and AvantiChris were in the starters hands for a 6am off, Rocket recumbant and resting for the arvo DECA dash. A light souhwester helped our Channel Rd journey, September's windy weeks unavoidable. AvantiTrev's respiratory restrictions limited his pace, I was more than happy to comply beside him at the front. HBK was in his usual abbreviated kit (shorts) but the sarcasm and inuendo was typically long. Cougar was having a good go driving the train, the rising sun aligned to blind all head on for the Old Dookie leg to the toaster. SuperMario was found Emu bound on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, an alarm malfunction forcing his shortcut clockwise to intercept. Much of the usual Saturday banter (suprisingly nudging the speed limit) on the west leg home, Vince u-turning to cohabitate with the Cats bearing east. There's allsorts of road surfaces heading to town, the smooth soothes and psychologically speeds, the rough ragged on the rump. A few adjustments to the pace as we made our way to Rudd Rd, BigMat bolting on the Boulevard to score first sitting at the Lemontree. Just a brief infusion of caffine for me to allow the jump aboard the Goat train at 7.30 for extra clicks, today on an anti clockwise tour de Toaster. A casual crank down the main drag with the deck shuffling vs traffic lights. Rotations got sorted for Raftery Rd, almost catching Vince on the trek homeward, a bit of chat with Bazz, Bickers, SpecialisedSteve & Snowman amidst the strengthening southerly. Better to be in Mitchell Rd with the breeze at the starboard, 16 making the burden lighter. Turns longer than normal midweek Goat specs allowed a chat while making good progress on River Rd and Boundary, I paired with Brendan near the bridges and capitalised on the tailwind. To keep on the clock, my route was Old Dookie Rd home, several on a likewise course. I felt enthused enough to drive into the 28km/h southerly and tow the lads home (Fee seen solo knocking out the long k's in Tri Melbourne preparation), Snowman breaking into a city limit sprint (uncontested). Chuffed to tick 1000k's for September MTS with 10 days left for more.
High time to harden up and join the Cats for a Monday thrash, but I miss timed the start by a minute. Thankfully Travis was dragging the chain in Knight St too, a strong lad to work with to claw our way onto the bunch as it departed in Old Dookie Rd. Phil, Sly, GentlemanGraham, Eddy, Tum, AvantiLeigh, Dipper and others set a rapid cruising speed toward Boundary Rd, collecting Mo and Vince en route. Track turns aided the velocity, the air a little fresh (and foggy) at 3 degrees. One had already established himself as tailgunner by the figfarm, I'd rather concentrate on the wheels ahead than find out who. Had an interrupted chat with Vince on Saturdays DECA dash, a few words each rotation gradually built a sentence over a few k's. Much focus was on keeping my roll overs smooth, avoided watching the Garmin for fear of seeing the heart rate and snapping the mental limits. Full steam ahead in River Rd to the tune of cranked carbon, crossing directions with the Breakaway quintet breezing east. The turn into central Kialla had me off the Fizik and stomping on the pedals to stay in touch, no considerate pauses for tailenders to catch up with these lads. Into Mitchell Rd and still on the gas, I inherited the nervous lead for the climb up Mt Nicolaci (always feel i've crawled up). A clear run over the highway and ramped up for Roubaix, the little mental gremlins started calling for reartirement but I defied the defeatists to push onward. Numbers working the front were thinning by Conrod, my tank was almost dry cresting the dipper so sat happily on Travis's wheel, nicely timed with only two left heading to the front as the tempo turned toasty. The last 400 metres had many hit the red line and expire, me and Tum picking off those who kaboomed to happily score 5th & 6th, a 39.4 km/h average worth all the huffing and puffing.
A growing group of Goats gathered at Friars Tuesday morning, Hommy firing sledges in all directions. With Coggo headed for the hills and Tum on the crook couch, 18 still filled the seats on the 6am daylight train out of town, suprised to see Sooty and Comet on the passenger list. All bar one (staying in the rear seat) took a drive out to Boundary Rd, Kate, Comet & Sandy keeping the lads behaved and working. The newbie (?) tail gunner went unceremoniously OTA at the Pub but the rest soldiered on. River Rd was the limit for a couple now content at the back, the sun highlighting the half kilo of dirt on BigPaul's Colnago in contrast to Principal Skinners clean cassette. Another reartirement or two by Central Kialla still left a dozen contributors to the velocity, the ease of throttle beyond intersections a noticeable difference today over yesterday. I scored the front for the Mt Nico ascent again (but minus the pressure today), BigPaul cursing the climb to tuck in for a tow. The dozen drivers soon evaporated with Arcadia Downs coming into view, down to just AvantiLeigh and I left as the sacrificial lambs for Conrod straight. A long line of lads, suddenly refreshed from a long tow, came out to play in the closing 300 metres, Hommy taking the chocolates (but we'll see just how those aforementioned sprinters will toast on the front next time).
Thursday dawned warm, grey and windy, hasn't been 14 at sun-up since May. The clouds looked menacing but I went on gut feeling rather than on studying radars or forecasts. Ten others took the same chance fronting at Kialla's roundabout (Cougar, Chops, Trav, Nick, PistolPete, Shane, Rocket, WhisperingJack, AvantiChris and Wozza) a northeaster to battle but a tailwind home. Plenty of pace toward Mitchell Rd unhooked a few on Archers' second leg, I hung back to help pick up punished pieces of PistolPete's pace. The bunch blended back together for the drive to central Kialla, passing Coggo and Tina on a River cruise. Three peletons westward lapped up the tailwind, I had the manageable eastward pace beside Trav, Wozza seemed to be revelling in headwind hedonism with Pete. WhisperingJack was flogging the big cog on a mission, AvantiChris' rotation intention quickly put on the back burner. Collective relief on the turn west into Channel Rd, that peaceful moment when wind stops blowing in (between?) your ears, but the collective horsepower of Rocket and Pistol ensured rest was off the agenda. Trav and I steadily tapped out the Cha Cha, WhisperingJack took the torch to the next leg (normally a recovery)into the 40's, all avoiding the steak knife (fallen out of Jack's back?) laying on the road at the school. Chops and Cougar's brief chat unhooked them from yet another push to Kensington, so much for quiet Wednesdays.
Just getting to the start of Thursdays ride was a workout, a swift southerly (22-37km/h) and a damp track may have turned a few back under the doona, Wozza and I predicting a slim turn up were suprised to find just PistolPete at the car park. As the starting time struck all agreed to a single filed attack on the lap. My poorly syncronised turn scored the headwind leg beyond the kinder but I was pleased with 36 clicks into it. PistolPete was odds on favourite, Wozz with plenty of wattage too. Steering south into the wind was a slap in the face of reality for all, I mentally divided Boundary Rd into three equal parts to share the effort, glad the others thought likewise. It was a big ask of the legs to get past Pistol Pete for my turn in Mitchell, aiming at an invisible line of my limit, then shifting it one white post further (feeling the weight of inadequacy?). Wozz drove well to the dogleg, Pete taking the 2 kilometre lions share to Central Kialla. My try to Archer Rd trawled the depths of my reserves, legs went to jelly latching onto the last wheel as Wozz took the helm to the highway. A welcome turn at Roubaix to have the wind almost behind us, low 40's was all I could muster after the heart had 15 k's in zone 5. I handed the reigns to Wozz in Conrod, but Pistol loaded the bullet with 400 to go and shot to the line, all efforts went to hanging on to his draft. Pretty chuffed with a 36.3 average for just 3 in tough conditions.
Wind blew away many regulars at the library Thursday night too, only Robbo, Nath, Luke, Kev and AvantiTrev at the start. Similar temperatures and wind speed as the morning, the trip to the Emu was the bonus, bbq aromas tantilising the nostrils on our exit from town . All was calm and collected on the trip east, picking up Juzza, LegalSteve, Liam, Sprinter and Axel, hard yakka for the rest of the lap though. Nath and Robbo, Luke and Liam stretched the limits into the wind on Old Dookie Rd, I took a short turn in Boundary carrying a leg legacy from the morning. A couple of Mexicans ahead were the lure to the pub but they exited into Channel Rd. Axel tamed the tempo briefly but Nath had a mission of mahem to River Rd and beyond. Robbo and Luke wound up the hurt to Laws Drive, forseeing the future I retreated to the rear, the rubber band snapping soon after. The bunch suddenly single filed behind Robbo & Nath's attack, Carl, AvantiTrev, Axel then Kev detached. With little left in the accelerator, I was keen to work with the tail-enders to survive, Kev, Axel and I swapping turns till Axel bailed out at Archer. Deja vu at Roubaix with the southerly almost in our favour, we caught LegalSteve unhooked from the lead bunch at the horse stud. AvantiTrev donated a lead blast into Conrod, Kev saved our bacon to the finish, us weary warriors catching the lead pack as traffic lights favoured the battlers through town.
Had a big dose of Gumby legs Friday morning, they deserved a quiet roll around after the weeks propulsion. Cruised out Old Dookie Rd (another southwester blowing) to slowly catch a solitary bike ahead. Suprise, suprise, it was the resplendant Bourkey, not seen for four years (now Melbourne based) blowing a years worth of cobwebs off the Fuji. A chat for a few k's had us gain on two others (caught just before Boundary Rd) Fee and Princess similarly out for a steady tap. Old days chewed over distracted thoughts of the headwind. Time dictated my Channel Rd exit, noticing an oncoming bunch at the bridges, likely to be a cast of Couldabeens. Fleeing was futile, I just tapped away west till the lads caught me, Rocket, Pistol & Wozza gapping the bunch of Jase, Temple, WhisperingJack, Nick and AvantiTrev. Pleased to get a tow home to finish the week, clocking 1250 for the Strava September (so far)
Week 39 : 352km YTD 10,884 km
Word of the Week
"cyclust" (noun) a person having a deep craving or appetite for riding bicycles
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