For the sake of change (or challenge, or chance) imagination chartered a different Saturday course, but chimed an earlier alarm awakening. What feeds this crazy obsession to rise before the sparrows? The ache of achievement, cravings for kilometres, a Stravenous appetite? Fed and kitted, the wheels turned south at 5.10, a reverse Toaster lap plotted with abbreviation options up the sleeve to time joining a Goat gyration at 7. Glued to the 17 sprocket to spin (77 rpm) into a hint of southerly, still relishing the new found Fizik comfort (funny how real appreciation is only found when it's lost). A little regret at not arming myself with armwarmers against 12 degrees but a psychological cup of concrete cured the cold. A tail-light pair blinked in the distance when I turned into Mitchell Rd but there was no urge to chase with a few k's yet to cover, but an itch at the competitive edges started at River roads' dip, closing in on Frido and Rabbit cruising. Passed at the ripple strips as Mexican Anthony u-turned, I settled into Boundary Rd managing to comfortably flat-line the h.r. at 138, calculating which short-cut would get me to the church (Friars) on time. I took the knife to the Toaster and Emu, slicing up Boundary to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd to keep on schedule, feeling the SSW breeze on the turn west to town. Ones and twos rolled reconnisance to a mass Cat pack assembled at Matilda Drive at 6.30, I ummed and ahhed on timing approaching town, but committed to tour via the golf course, making a perfect 6.55 arrival at Friars. Greendawg, Tony and serious Tri's assembled ahead, a menage of Muppets behind, the sixteen Goats had a reverse Toaster circuit on the agenda. To hell with variety, I put the BM on auto pilot for a repeat performance, a social soiree through town, a yarn with GiantLen, MeridaAndy and SpecialisedTony till the rituals of rotation got sorted. Navigating Mitchell Rd was oppresive on the occular with the sun up and head on, a high dew point fogged the specs but I was safely compassed by Comets' company and headed Heady. On the front, young bucks MeridaAndy & GiantLen elevated the pace and heart rate relegating some rapidly rearward, a sole licorice allsort (MexicanAngelo) caught at River roads end. Beside Belly then MeridaAndy to the Pub, I was well amongst the tall timber to Old Dookie Rd where Baz, Deb, Tina and others chose the short shift home, the mass turned Toaster bound. Out of Emu corner, rolling turns were shared to cut into the southwester, MexicanAngelo, RetiredDave, SpecialisedTony, GiantLen, Carl, Comet, Belly, MeridaAndy and Kathy (copious conversation curtailed) nudging fourty in a smooth, co-operative grind west. Kilometres were chewed up quickly, soon back to town to chew a second breakfast (Friars bruschetta, only just finishing in the points against Lemontrees' win) to compensate the 110k and 2300 calories lost.
Only Belly and Sootie keen to tap a 7am lap on Sunday, a tad early for most it seemed. A steady lap mapped, Sootie's knee recovering from a grease and oil on Thursday, a fresh 11 degrees to start out Old Dookie Rd (minus armwarmers again, silly!) but rare to be without wind and with sun to light the way. An automated yet unspoken protocol of swapping turns commenced, easy on acceleration and smooth on pace, agreeing on an abbreviated route to keep Belly on a MadCow schedule and get us back to Friars for the late shift start. A right exit at Rivers end, short cut via the truck route to Archer, then a single filed tap north made perfect time to Friars, the 8 o'clockers (Snow, BigPaul, Jan, Sandy, Bickers, RetiredDave, Brendan and LegalAndy) still comfortably cocooned in convivial cruise conversation, consuming coffee, carefree. Eventually legs were swung over bikes, a Raftery start (here we go again on auto-pilot) set an anti-clockwise course, BigPaul feeling the slog after a two week cruise, RetiredDave rattled by rattles. Sun in the eyes again in Mitchell road, a hint of northeasterly to take the slack out of the legs, a distant bunch to chase in River road kept us occupied. The breeze had built in Boundary Rd, the bunch (BUG's Browns' cows) ahead caught and passed, gave a moment to reflect on the early days aboard a road bike, how far I'd come.......and gone. RetiredDave and LegalAndy were in for long and strong stints at the front, BigPaul (crushed by cruises) bellyaching at the bow. Sandy, Brendan and RetiredDave turned toward the Toaster for a long lap, the remainder west. Turns had quickly shortened by School Rd (Sundayitis?), so I took to the front to drive the crew home, caffine craved.
A quiet prelude Tuesday morning attempting to shake the last of the cold that put me in the pits Monday. The depths of thought erased sections of Rudd and Wanganui Rd, just idling along for 10k to warm to a Goat track lap. A dozen filtered to Friars for the 6am exit, Coggo's absence excused after an epic 236k, 4701m, 8071cal 3 peaks Sunday. Against normal convention (and in BigPauls' absence) a clockwise roll commenced against the SSE, Darren and Georgia new additions to the procession. Lungs were lame from Mondays' cold, I wasn't looking forward to the Boundary Rd effort, at least turns were short and smooth with JamisShane to the fore and RetiredDave to the aft. A few chose to reside rearmost, a bit disconcerting without a roll call and the odd one rejoining the rotation randomly. A few ripples of variation as ten shared the driving in River Rd, Georgia departing a short cut home as we waited for David at wait for David. Ten still sought active duty as Conrod came into view, turns timing JamisShane nicely to wind up with 400 metres to go. At his invite to jump on, I sat in the draft but restricted respiratories ruined a real effort, hanging on for third when AvantiLeigh pounced in the closing metres.
An 80 rpm spin south had little warm up effect against Wednesdays 9 degrees (yep, arm warmers forgotten again) but a 20k prelude to the customary Couldabeens circuit would at least loosen the legs. The Raftery-Mitchell-Archer loop timed the 5.45 start perfectly, but traffic split the roll out to put a chase first on the agenda. Rudy flew into leg two while the rearmost were still on the brakes for the truck route, it was half a k before the bunch were re-united. Pairing with Trav on Mitchell Rd calmed the seas, we added Choppy to the bunch at River Rd's bridge, a chance to yack to newcomers Ash, Westy and BH Paul as AvantiTrev set a manageable speed. Cats swinging into River Rd ahead of a northbound truck in Boundary baulked several as the front runners wound up the tempo, another chase reforming the bunch at one tree dam. Chops and I had the lead role into Channel Rd, Jase and Rudy scoring the lead out contenders for the Cha Cha championship (my 100% put into hanging on wheezing at 50) Speech returned to the pack for the roll back to town, holidays allowing a rare chance to enjoy mid-week coffee and toast at the Lemontree with Jase.
Quite a slog to the Friday Couldabeens with Wozza, southerly winds (20-35km/h) burning up breakfast before the lap had begun. It was short shifts amongst the dozen to Mitchell Rd, a call for slow so Choppy's chase could catch on at the truck route was more than welcomed. A 3k long haul on the front with Wozza in River Rd rounded off my edges of endurance, steering skewed by the starboard breeze, but it was gone with the wind northbound on Boundary as a pleasant second shift. Excitement brewed in Channel Rd for the Cha Cha but Pistol's puncture near the kinder quickly deflated the punters. Not rattled by the heckling, calm, cool Pete had the tube changed for a steady tap back to town, a Macca's infusion of caffine and chat as a closer. Added another lap to top off the week, finding Tina and Col en-route to an Adams circuit. Familiar old faces of Norm, J.T. Jimbo, IrishTony, Lindz and Brizzy assembled with others on Adams Rd, flagged away at 8, I rolled up to take a turn, all instantly into indian file behind me, out of the relentless southerly. There were assorted turns in assorted lines up Mitchell Rd, reliving the sights on the tarmac less travelled. Switched to high alert in Boundary with a Fi-Fo fear factor, thankfully the tail wind relegated Dennis OTA before damage was done. Bid my farewells left turning into Old Dookie to grind home and finish a holiday week.
Week 11 375 km YTD 3,211 km
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