A change of scenery and of time, a later start to join the Goats for some Saturday socialography. A large congregation racked their bikes and filtered through Friars doors, many requiring a caffine starter prior to saddling up. 17 finally rolled away for an anti-clockwise Toaster circuit, a greet to Couldabeens already landed at the Lemontree brewed a little Judas sensation. Once sorted through the traffic light sieve, the Goat herd eventually formed then rotated, a southerly to grind into till Mitchell Rd's direction made life a little easier. Long turns at the front allowed more than the usual fleeting word, learned a little of Liam (now more suitably positioned) and his six week bike apprenticeship. RetiredDave's Trek rattled, Rosco's bearings whined but Kathy's cobwebs were cleared to have a dip at the drivers seat. Socially updated from AvantiAndy and SpecialisedTony, we'd worn down a late shift Adams family faction in River Rd, Axel, Iggy, Chily and another who quickly partook a tow. Sootie, Stace, Tina, Coggo and Snowman kept the tempo upbeat, all grins with a southerly at our backs but the hard yards were yet to come. The chat tapered and teeth clenched as the Emu came into view, a long 16k stretch back to town (into the now southwester) instantly switched us to rolling turns to minimise the stress. Reartirements came quickly with the pace nudging 40, whittling down to the determined drivers. Performances were peaking in Ford Rd as nine were left to face the wind, a baulk at the Verney roundabout for a bike minus helmet (and intelligence) and a Territory stopping for no one. By DECA there were just four tow trucks, suprised I got the KOM on Wanganui hill (about as steep as I can manage) but it was Coggo's vigour victorious at Rudd Rd. The bunch reformed for a tap down the Boulevard, a post ride caffine at Friars for a yarn on that thin line between toil and titilation, fun and futility, success and sucks.
A short solo lap Monday, pointing out Old Dookie after the Cat train had left. On the gas through the traffic lights bumped up the heartbeats to 165, toured to the Toaster treated to a tempting tailwind, easy to hold a good rate of knots but pushing too hard up to the church plunged a knife under the right ribs. Eased the effort a whisker to the Emu, hoping to hold low thirties into the headwind home. It was pleasing to hold 35 on the speedo but the heartrate rising to 175 was going to limit the legs lasting. Feeling the stitch return dropped a k off the tempo, no hiding behind trees or passing cars for any respite. My heartrate hovered at 172 for the slog back to Numurkah Rd, speed dropped another k as the engine ran out of urge. Pleased to put in a short but solid ride, home early for breakfast part two.
A late arrival at the Tuesday Couldabeens grid meant a rare and restful start at the rear , recovering from the southerly torment of my commute. Pleased to have Choppy's charismatic, chatty and considerate wheel, but we didn't get the call of duty till the Channel Rd S bend, 14 others to share the workload prior. Chops chartered good ground and speed, wearing me down to a short one k turn in Boundary with BigMat to the Broken bridges, ten minutes now to recover till the next shift. Bo, Ron and Kelly were the N guage loco's in our HO guage trainset along River Rd, thoughts of this weeks shopping list, work production targets and the state of the nasdaq were filed away in the cerebelllum, the frontal cortex overloaded with thoughts of survival. The liqourice allsorts colours of Mexican Daniel came into view at Laws Drive, another driver added to the pack. Bo and Ron suprised with a short shift, Chops charged the last k, out with my shovel out to dig deep at zone 5 levelling with him. Traffic came from all directions for our swing into MItchell Rd, a bonus for those rearmost to slowly build back to speed, but a few unhooked on the blast up Mt Nicolaci. (a wait for traffic at the highway reformed) Down to half turns as the pace became urgent to Arcadia Downs, Rocket toasted Mexican Daniel in a frenzy of cadence down Conrod, I got lucky picking up the crumbs of those with wained wattage to collect 3rd.
Joined a renegade ride Tuesday night, a rebel alliance formed to tap out a toaster lap below the warp drive of the current Hospital hit squad. Specialised Tony, Oz, Clive, Wozza, newbie Hendo, Kathy and Ricky (re-emerging after a 2 year hiatus) were the inaugural inductees intent on preserving the head gasket, perfect conditions (23 degrees with a light S-SSW breeze) to set the wheels in motion. All had a go at the pointy end (with small adjustments to the cruise control), Kathy applying the accellerator till talk tendencies took precedence, back to the previous pace post haste. Sprinter joined in on Ford Rd, Axel was added further out, a steady tap to the Emu then some muscle applied for the southern leg to the Toaster. Hendo has taken to the bike like a government to a new tax, Ricky coming to terms with the respitory requirements after a two year absence. Glad to get the headwind done and dusted turning into River Rd, workload on the familiar track shared amongst most. Seems there's a few votes for a regular lap like this, time will tell if it's infiltrated by those on a missile mission. By Raftery Rd a few were keen to crank up some Conrod competition, Sprinter unable to supress his primal urge, bolted to victory.
Got Goating to Friars Thursday, many forming a footpath grid to hear Hommy's humour (Coggo stole the show with the cheesecake choked chain ripper retort). Tum was awol on a three peaks prep but the usual characters and characterettes assembled to make a long line legging it out Old Dookie Rd, the Cat pack tail light show still visible ahead. JB had done his usual suprise appearance in the ranks, I scored the BigPaul paused wheel (three lengths in arrears) in the rotation. Snowman and Snow-woman (?) climbed aboard the two dozen train at Channel Rd, a northeaster assisting our passage clockwise. Up a cog into the mid 40's for the up line, then ease off just below for the recovery down line, round and round the team turned with the odd one opting out for the comfort seats at the rear. The length of River and Mitchell roads soon slipped below the wheels, arriving at the highway for the usual brief pause for consumption of oxygen, thanks to traffic. A steady build up to speed then airbourne moments over Roubaix corner, the steam of speed brewed in the bunch to Arcadia Downs. Conrod's sprint spinning wheel turned in my favour with an AvantiLeigh & Dipper lead-out to the 100 metre line, a glance back on the line spied the Hommy pursuit train 10 metres behind schedule. Speechless till the bridge but verbally recovered thereafter for sprint tactics on Hommy and Liams Trek set-up.
Just love the two minute kit up time in the midst of a mild Spring (17 degrees at 5.30) , long forgotten is the multiple layered rigmarole of winters proceedure to shield from the frost and cold. Found Fee, Meags and Princess at SPC on Friday morning, the triathlon truely tried, tested & tortured the titanic triathlete trio, Toolamba's torrents & tempests trialing tenacity tenfold, tormented thighs, thought tanks toasted & turned to turmoil, today's tap to trepidly trial tenuous thirties tempo, the tri troupers troubled, taxed torso's tiptoeing timidly to traverse tremors & tribulations. An easy introductory roll out Old Dookie with the breeze behind but time shortened the lap to warrant a Harpo shortcut home along Channel Rd, facing a wearying westerly (20+km/h) back to town. It was a pleasant change of pace to put in a lap at aerobic levels, variety the spice of life for this superceded old engine. Almost in the last metres of the Bonanza when a dozen Couldabeens caught and passed, caffine awaited.
Week 47 262km YTD 13,023 km
Word of the Week
"DisTNTce" (noun) The perceived (and often variable) length of a turn at the front of a bunch at the point of physical or mental explosion
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