Keen to put in a few k's after missing Saturday's lap I took up Temple's temptation to revisit the Karramomus circuit for a Sunday scenery change. Wozza, Cougar and SuperMario made up a quintet to share the southerly assault, hopes pinned on a tailwind home. Temple was keen to throw curry into cruising speed on the long haul of Central Kialla Rd, 7k's seemed an eternity on the open plains. It was great to escape the headwind and turn east onto Karramomus Rd, memories of Saturday laps two years ago were jolted on this rough stretch of tarred stone. Barren but for one walking a dog, the 6 k's rattled by, a mild 17 degrees, the sun shining and not a car to do battle with was a bonus. Political policies were hard to digest northbound on the corrugations of Shepp-Euroa Rd, at least the wind was palatable behind us. A recent reseal a few kilometres up made peace with the posterior, votes being taken for the route home decided a Mitchell-Archer course would keep SuperMario on agenda. The breeze had considerately swung south east to aid and abet, dodging a few bush turkeys a minor aside to the now rarely visited Mitchell Rd leg home. Back to civilisation and a Degani fix of caffine and convoluted conversation on bunch preservation.
I began to regret suggesting a Monday TTT just 400 metres into my first turn on Old Dookie Rd, ye olde engine was groaning under the strain of just 38km/h. Delivering an equal contribution with Wozza drove me on toward the bridge, the Wozz blood worth bottling for the desperately needed tow (too many eggs into my first basket?). The tow to School Rd came up too fast for my blast to Boundary, wished the heart rate was at 82bpm as displayed. Wozz kindly wound up slowly over the intersection, my wilting legs barely keeping up, his big turn to the Toaster gave my lungs a chance to renew. A tailbreeze to the church turned my tepid turn to tolerable, back into the draft to be dragged to the Emu. The 7km/h breeze had doubled to a nasty SSW making Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd a chore, but made it to the bridge with just enough left to kick onto Wozza's draft. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" bounced around inside my skull, but this was almost killing me! What possesses the spirit to push the mental/physical boundaries I don't know, maybe a bite from the competitus maximus insect? (known to cause sprintus cadencus, Stravitis and inflamation of the kilometres). We were both showing signs of the 'noddies' in Ford Rd, begining to headle as our legs rubberised, the finish line finally visible inspired the last drops of energy to be used reaching Numurkah Rd. A short yet sharp start to the week, legs struggling to climb stairs at work all morning.
There was a mixed bag at Tuesdays' Couldabeens, Bo, Ron & Kelly aquainted again, Ange and a better half along on a matched pair of Lampre Merida's, Chris A back into the fold too. 15 set sail into the orange sunrise on Channel Roads' horizon, the sun shining out of Rocket and Kenworth (f.k.a. Heavy G) front of house for leg one (an indulgent Sydney weekend for Rocket and Queensland break for Kenworth have done nil to slow their pace). Nath was a rare inclusion on a weekday (sleep deprived?) at the kinder, I had the textbook wheel of Chris A to draft, and paired with him for Jameson Rd to the S bend then with Ange to Boundary Rd for a 3k heart starter (h.r.monitor working properly again), timing a Boundary Rd tow to River Rd (into a 15km/h southerly) perfectly. Don't you love apexing a corner fast, only to have a stone kick a front wheel sideways? Crowbar needed to get off the seat! A steady build up to speed in River Rd kept all in touch, the cadence kerfuffle ahead of me put the nerves on alert. I was a little under-dressed today, noting arm-warmers were in vogue, Kenworth rugged up for winter but some heat was coming from a marital melee on the back of the bunch. Ron & Bo cranked up the Central Kialla leg, my position mid field elected me as tow truck to rejoin the split bunch entering Mitchell. Up Mt Nicolaci to the tune of Ange's valves rattling in carbon, a smooth cross of the highway and an achieveable pairing with SuperMario to Roubaix. The usual rush to Conrod straight was driven by the higher wattage lads, all by chance line astern. I'd been shuffled to the back of the bunch, and nudging 50 at Arcadia Downs put me well out of odds. The now familiar scenario of picking off those expired off the front sprint pack gave me a string of riders in tow to the finish line, an ease off the gas to the bridge (measuring the heart rate recovery) then the collective roll through town analysing tactics, excuses, weather and what if's.
Tuesday evenings' Renegade formula seems to be working, 13 assembled at the Library to take on a Toaster lap. Wozz and Oz opened the account to Wanganui Rd, LegalSteve then Dion rounding up the bunch numbers. A SSE breeze toiled my legs till MeridaAndy provided a draft from Lemnos North Rd, Birchy emerging from hibernation at Ford Roads' end. Shane is slowly getting into the groove since the shifted vertebrae and punctured lung prang, Carl is rising quickly up the ranks in three short months, Lance scooping up Strava trophies by the bucket load and Kathy back from a four seasons Bike Vic tour. Scott poured on the pace as we turned from the Toaster, Birchy soon putting him back in the box to conform. My luck to cop the headwind in Boundary Rd, MeridaAndy a tough cookie to keep level with, tucked up in the draft to River Rd was easier to survive. Had another crack at the front with Wozza (if only to justify a decent dinner) to the River Rd dip, Kathy taking a rearmost resolve. Scott got overenthused at the helm again, he and Birchy battling it out ahead while the bunch sat back entertained. Senses were restored at Kialla Central for teamwork to resume, long turns to the highway and Andy's youth draining my tank. Luke and Dion set a toasty tempo in Raftery Rd to catch the solo Oscar, all stops were out into Conrod straight with my task doubly difficult to get round the Columbian. All watts were expired reaching the front, nought left to respond to Wozza's "jump on" so rolled in mid-field, satisfied with a decent lap to warrant a later desert indulgence.
A horticultural diversion through Broken rivers' bushland en-route to Wednesdays' Couldabeens lap was a refreshing change, felt as worn out as the GP co-payment scheme though. The morning after a 100k Tuesday takes the edge off. A single filed entourage was waiting at the roundabout, but I braved a double up on the front with Trav, hoping his new stealth Corsa wouldn't bolt on me. The long 8 minute push at the pointy end to Mitchell Rd slowly cooked my cardiac casserole, a few minutes of simmer time needed to serve up a complete sentence in conversation as Shane and Wozz applied the GST (greater speed tax) to Central Kialla Rd. A six pack of HurtLocker cranked south (was that the HardMan on the back?) as we wound up north, Choppy's digestive distress diminishing, Temple and Shorty rare inclusions for a Wednesday, Jay and AvantiChris regular as prunes. Pursuing two early starters kept up our River Rd motivation, Cats, 51 and the all new Genesis alliance (a phoenix arisen from an Area's acid ashes) formed three squadrons steamrolling west. Our bait was finally caught in Boundary Rd, Temple driving the train into the 40's, clearly relishing a light tail breeze. AvantiTrev attempted an eased accellerator in Channel Rd but enthusiasm returned the prior pace soon after, the upcoming special sprint stage (Channel Rd's Cha Cha) itching the cadence of many. I arrived half toasted at the kinder on the front with Trav, Wozz tried a smooth, steady turn up of tempo which (deja vu) merely flung open the gate for Rocket, Jase, Shane, WhisperingJack et al to bolt for the bonus points. (I was more than happy to be just 4 seconds off a PB) There was only minor reprieve to Doyles Rd and on to Kensington, but being at the back and recovered, inspired me to to a bus stop blast (almost airbourne on the rippled tarmac).
The wind chimes tolled toil Thursday morning, a none too easy southerly (28-37 km/h) glueing half the Goats to their doonas. Only Coggo, Sandy, Hommy, Leon, Heady, AvantiLeigh and Principal Skinner (with Di-2 dillemas) were on the start line. Longer turns on the east drive on Old Dookie picked up Tina, but Principal Skinner still had random ratios and turned for home. AvantiLeigh punctured at School Rd, so a halt was called for six hands to de-bindii the rear tyre and tube while heart rates recovered for five minutes. Back underway and single filed for Boundary's belting, all drove the tempo south but none stepped up to the plate turning west on River Rd. I assumed the role and wound up slowly for a long drive to Trevaskis Rd, Coggo then AvantiLeigh taking us to Laws Drive where pack-cracks slowly appeared. A throttle off to Central Kialla Rd reformed the bunch, I signed off (to reach the work timeclock on the 7.30 agenda), taking a shortcut to Archer via the truck route. Thoughts wandered to recall Rockets' fine KOM on the Archer segment Monday, todays' tailwind seemed fair compensation for my 17 year defecit on Rockets youth. Inspired, I cranked up the 13 cog on the turn into Archer Rd, guesstimating the spread of wattage needed over 6 kilometres, leaving a little for the lunge to the Karibok park finish. The rises of the tarmac tortured, the dips a delight, soon into suburbia holding good speed but focus soon shifted to timing the Wilmot Rd traffic lights to be anywhere in contention. They'd faded to a very stale green by the imaginary commitment line (to sprint or to skid, that is the question) so I sunk all the investments into sprint stocks at just the right moment (mid intersection they'd turned yellow). Two passing cars preserved my progress with a brief draft but it was off the seat onto rubbery legs when the speedo slowed, Vaughan St eventually in view just as the tank ran dry. Tip toed home anticipating the Strava upload, more than pleased to be crowned KOM with an 8:41 for 6.1 kilometres. (but would it be king for a day?)
Arrived at the SPC station Friday (Breakaways beginning to board) just as the HurtLocker train had departed, invoking an early effort on the pedals to climb aboard. Fox, Minto, Kev, Meags, Bart, Princess, Sosso and Ian built up a head of steam, the carriages shuffling indian file as the reality of speed set in. Fox, Bart and Minto set a swift standard, Ians first go in Boundary Rd into the headwind faded at the fig farm. Most drove past him on a mission, but recalling the personal dissapointment of being relegated O.T.A., I eased off to group with he and Meags and set about a steady tap of the Cat lap, hoping to finish afore the freaky felines. I quite relish the drivers seat just under the redline, so with no objections received, settled in for a long haul. Sosso had been dropped from the HurtLocker menu like a hot hashbrown, we collected the lathered lad at the two bridges and soldiered on to River Rd. then westbound, watching my cardiac calculus climb to 165. Minto had parked with a mechanical malfunction near Laws Drive, his thumbs up continued our mission to Central Kialla. I handed the reigns to Meags for the leg to Mitchell, a revived Sosso speared us to Archer, Ian towing us to the highway. My weeks' swan song was on Raftery to Conrod's end, consoled to see the Cat pack rising from the Conrod dip 700 metres behind.
Week 50 313km YTD 13,774 km
Word of the Week
"Pilleton" (noun) A group of cyclists dependant on Erythropoietin, Reactivan, Permoline and Salbutamol
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