An early prologue to start Saturday, a chilled (2.6 degrees) course to the Emu with Wozza and straight to 150 bpm @ 78 rpm to put some glow into the gastrochnemius. We felt some hinderance (SSW wind) on the turn to the Toaster, h.r. climbing to the high 160's, westbound on Old Dookie Rd I treated myself to a gearchange (56/15) and dropped 15 bpm into the bargain. Into a partially shielded Channel Rd a sudden growling at the ankles turned on a sudden sprint, Sellman's Darth Vader (German Shepherd) gnashing at our heels in the darkness injected excitement into the Garmin graph. With the dog dropped, we tapped down to the school and eased the momentum sensing a Couldabeens arrival (Ange, Ron, Trav, Shorty, AvantiChris, Cougar, Jen, Pistol, Rocket, Hollywood, Weapon, Masi Mario, Jase and BigMat), 14 arriving at Doyles to socialise our Saturday. BigMat's attendance wasn't a hologram, out at last after months of retirement (to justify the nights' planned beer and pizza session?), it was a well behaved crew till Hollywood inflicted pain on the truant BigMat and Jase. We're at last over the hump of solstice and downhill to longer days, but there's barely a hint of light till we're crossing paths with pussycats. Cougars light lost lumens (challenged for charge) and the boisterous babble of Ange shattered the morning atmostphere. I was wearing a touch thin with 80k's clocked, how soon we weaken with shorter circuits cranked? Jen ventured forward for her shift at the front just as the heat was applied for Wanganui hill, wisely holding station as the eager beavers bolted for the stage win (plenty of geese cooked well before serving). The commute to coffee had a sense of urgency, all chasing a seat under the heater? Weapon's Cairns attack, turn ettiquette and Linda's lumbar on the chat list while we pondered the chill climbing back aboard the bike to get home.
Seems a spray painters convention had covered cars in a cool crust of white Monday morning, minus one was definitely a ride for the dedicated (or demented). Trawling the depths of the prefrontal cortex against the chilly east northeast breeze, I set course for a solo Toaster loop, feeling like I was dinking BigMat and his beer supply to the Emu, 78 rpm @ 160 bpm and climbing, the turn south to the Toaster was as relieving as a proctology cancellation, so treated myself to a 100 metre calm of cadence. It was a psychological hurdle lept knowing most of the remaining loop had a bonus breeze behind, I gave myself a D for speed but a B for effort, a cranial concession catering for the cool. Vince and another (cloaked by darkness) were in Boundary northward, cruising to create Cat-astrophe as I slipped southward, warmed (?) by the thoughts of a tailwind (albeit a feeble 4 km/h) in River Rd. A trio of Breakaways biked east at the dip, westward went I still at 150bpm+, but calmed to 66 rpm. A pause for two cars at Mitchell Rd (Central Kialla almost at gridlock!) then on to Raftery with a sense of triumph over temperature seeing the white grass roadside. The breeze had abated, Conrod's dips filling with fog, a Strava sufferfest of 159 justifying my breakfast.
Transferred the track Tuesday, the totuous test of tenacity to a tough northeaster out New Dookie Rd to hurry the heart and harry the hippocampus. I'd almost called on the almighty reaching the church (maintaining 31 into the 15-26 km/h headwind), a moment to study alpha centauri and the corona australis in the sky as my heartrate climbed down from the heavens. Twas bliss bound to town from the Toaster, back to the Friars launch pad just as Goats (Belly, Coggo, Heady, Phil, Joe, Tina, Sandy, Hommy and Principal Skinner) set sail. Winter has trimmed the Goat pace noticeably, some still suffering but Heady's tour de France has him peaking from the Pyrenees peaks. Lots of glass to avoid at the turn into Boundary, momentum more managable spinning southerly. Speed picked up in River Rd but my eye on the clock begged a shortcut home if I was to meet the wishes of my employer. Peeling off in Archer Rd and exposed to the wind bumped me into zone 4, hard yakka homeward on a mission of minute management but a 3rd fastest for Kialla Lakes Drive was a bonus.
An abated brekky has lightened the ride load lately, a new chain deminishing the deraillier din does good too. Wednesday's route was a Raftery run-in prior to the Couldabeens to test my regime, selecting to spin (79 rpm) as an introduction. Keeping to the timetable (5.46 @ Roubaix) and feeling the ENE handbrake in Mitchell Rd, I'd finally got into the groove in Archer, still on the 79 spin, to get to the Couldabeens grid on schedule, Pistol, Hollywood, AvantiChris (in shorts!) Nick, Temple (flu finally finished) AvantiTrev, Masi Mario, FeltMat (out of hibernation) and again adorned by Breakaways Jen, Melissa, Cougar and Cate, all keen to turn wheels. A good intro to the anti-clockwise loop, gently up to pace slotting into position for the first turn in Mitchell Rd. There was a little work to be done on River Rd and Boundary, although some not quite around the echelon ettiquette. It was less taxing in Channel Rd, the stars were aligning perusing positions at the cypress trees, AvantiChris and Pistol taking the tempo to the kinder, Hollywood and and Pistol to the Cha Cha launch pad. With Rocket away the bridesmaids were out to play, Masi Mario and Nick were team tentative as I seized the chance to pounce at Prentice Rd. 50 km/h, 171 bpm, (OMG 94 cadence!), position, timing and a lot of luck handing me the chocolates, the big gap to 2nd (Hollywood) a glint to the sprint .
A smooth slow start-up for Thursday, slamming the door of competitiveness and over enthusiasm, letting the legs rather than the head set the cruise control on a golf course loop. The south west wind was a complete about face from yesterdays, an enjoyable entree to the certain spice of the Couldabeens circuit. It was almost a complete 10k full circle to rendevous with Wozza at 5.30, a grind into the headwind to the carpark to see tormentors/tormentees ChrisA, Cougar, FeltMat, Nick, PistolPete, Rocket, AvantiTrev and Trav arrive for the early flag off. Luck placed me kindly in order behind Trav and Nick and ahead of the quintessentially quick quadrella of ChrisA, Pistol, Wozza and Rocket (taxing 10% tempo to Trav's travels). There wasn't a lot of breeze benefit to Boundary but the effort was evident pointing south (rotation tucking me in for a tow on ChrisA's wheel). FeltMat, Cougar and AvantiTrev were happily on a tail-light tenure, River Rd repeated the regular ritual of rigor (an elephant stamp to Trav continually venturing forth, Rocket's considerate commiserations commended). Wozz and Pistol ploughed into Central Kialla's headwind, I scaled Mt.Nicolaci beside Nick but Conrod's tailwind was on everyones wish list . A stab under the ribs stopped my contributions at the front just as Nick and Trav pulled the pin, leaving ChrisA, Pistol, Rocket and Wozz the only drivers left at Arcadia Downs, the remainder stretched out along Conrod in survival.
An e.o.f.y. stocktake forced an early start and a short lap Friday, Wozz in the same boat for a 5am spin. Struggling to warm up on 30'ks in 1.6 degrees, we yarned on the many hit by winters negative headspace, my legs negative to the moderate pace. At this time of year it's ride to survive, hibernation = ruination. Difficult navigating through fog on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd to the Emu (almost missed the turn), legs went to jelly off the Fizik but recovered clicking to the 15 cog for Old Dookie Rd. A few masochists were rolling out early ahead of the Freaky Friday fraternity as we rolled back into town, thanks Wozz, nice to finish the week on a short and steady lap.
Week 26 336 km YTD 7,578 km
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