The automatic eye opener activated at 4.30am Saturday, no alternative but to climb aboard the bike at 5 and spin (76 rpm) out to the golf course and west along Wanganui Rd to soak up the time before the usual 6am bunch departed. Not a puff of wind, content to roll along in the low 30's, luxuriating in the new stretch of Verney Road (as smooth as Hollywood's head), but $2.1m only buys you 750 metres of comfort, back to the original torture track of posterior pounding before I knew it. Navigated a magical mystery tour of the suburbs (main drag, Kialla Lakes Dr, out Archer to the roundabout then back to the carpark) to arrive at the Saturday launch pad with 3 minutes to spare, Pistol, Shorty, Trav, Ron, Kel, Nev, Rocket, AvantiChris, AvantiTrev, Jen, Cougar, Cate, Nick, Ange, Linda, Temple and MasiMario making up the mob. A calm cruise control was set east, post-op Nev back aboard, Temple finally flu-less (but Rocket in-flu-enced), Kel and Ron in bold new Genesis kit, Ange as subtle as ever, AvantiTrev negative on turns at the front but Linda all positive. All were upbeat on the mild morning (5 degrees), cloud cover sheilded the chill but put on a dull start to the day. Cougar went lumenless again, an eagerness for breakfast cranking up the pace on the westward return to town (crossing paths with a small catpack near the kennels) The bunch split at Numurkah Rd, an amble with Jen (waiting for those dropped at the intersection) reflected on the cosmopolitan composition of characters in the bunch. The sprinters and sprintenders getting itchy at the whiff of Wanganui hill, the plodders, the boysterous and restrained, labourers and professionals, old hands and new. A varied little slice of society but all with the common addiction / affliction. Grouped with the backmarkers, we steamed steadily toward the peak, plucking off the sprint-spent to reach the 2.8 metre summit, rounded Rudd and rejoined those silenced by exertion.
As a change from usual Saturday protocols, I did a dismount at Friars to await the Goat gathering, Sandy, Merida Andy (with visitor Phil) Dazza, Coggo, and Hommy (happily bearhugging all who arrived). It was a bracing half k climatisation to the cold from the coffee and cafe warmth, a clockwise toaster lap called by headgoat Belly ( an asumed role with Phillo's absence?) Nine toured the Boulevard out of town (now with Sharky aboard) slowly buiding momentum (till squeaks of protest were heard?) Sharky appeared spent before he'd made an investment, Sydneysider Phil struggling with the pace (not au fait with the flatlands?), i caught up with the bike news from Coggo, Dazza and the legend that is Belly, and tapped to the Emu with the mercury struggling to get above seven. MeridaAndy and Phil continued homeward on Old Dookie Rd as we speared south on Boundary, Sharky shattered by Channel Rd, who exited stage right. Sandy cemented her spot as rear gunner as the knots gained to River Rd (37+ eroding the energy) thankfully settling for our wheel westward. By Roubaix I took the towed option, bowing out of the rotation, A Coggo vs Hommy display for sprint honours was witnessed but the stomach was set on scrambled eggs and coffee to refuel the 2,406 calories spent from 116 k's.
Monday needed wipers to clear the fog, visibility down to the next white post on an anti-clockwise solo Toaster lap, finding the dips and rises by feel on the southbound leg of Raftery Rd. I was relying on the centre white line to navigate the corners, no mistaking Roubaix's feel. The illiopsoas psoas major was working overtime at 78 rpm, craving the 15 tooth gear but I'd put that on hold till River roads' end. The fog had cleared for the headlight to highlight the dips and bumps, it was a long 6 k to Boundary Rd and the bliss of a bigger gear. Happier at 67 rpm but the gastrochnemius filed an official complaint, at least pace was inflated by 10%. I pondered a possible pussycat intervention at Old Dookie Rd (6.10) but I was well ahead of their timetable, a hint of parfum de piggy on Old Dookie Rd well before the hog Hilton confirmed a southeaster was at work. Relief to point homeward at the Emu with the puff of wind a hint of help, a little light in the sky illuminating the crisp and crusty roadside. It was a crawl up Wanganui hill with jellied legs but I was bouyed by the current state of health and the palliated posterior, 56k before 7am regarded as a sufferfest by Strava.
Aprehension filled the void between the ears on Tuesday, it's been five weeks since facing the turbo team on torment Tuesday. Fears were compunded finding just Hollywood, Pistol and Rocket on the grid, it meant tough toil till the arrival of Trav, Spin Doctor and Nick promised the load would be better shared, I still took the soft option of left hand side second wheel to delay my duty. Wozz and Pistol drove a hard bargain for the first leg, settling a little on Nick and Trav's turn thankfully, the specs pocketted for the fog (or the heavy breathing?). Spin Doctor, Pistol and Wozz bolted in Boundary Rd, Nick then Trav retiring to the rear paired me with Rocket for River road. It may have been a psychological step too steep to satisfy standards (speed set at suffering suckertash!) so I gave a short turn at the hyperventilating end, then all stops out to hang onto Hollywoods' Syncro as he rolled ahead. Turns were shortening with speed in the 40's at Rivers' end, the metamorphosis to single file had Rocket driving the Kialla Central leg. I'd resigned to the gatekeepers role approaching Archer Rd, sitting on Spin Doctors wheel when he dropped the bidon, all appreciating the holiday for heart rates as he turned back to retrieve it. The train of eight (with five functional engines) was soon back underway, steaming to Raftery with the wattage of Wozz, Hollywood, Pistol, Rocket and the Doc towing the refugees, Rocket victorius with Wozz a super second. A bit of Zen and the art of bicycle maintenance Tuesday night, a new chain, change a slow leaking tube and fit new brake blocks freshened up the old beast for a 189,000k service.
Another foggy start Wednesday, a 10 k warm-up (minus 1.5) prior to the cursory Couldabeens circuit. Verney-Ford-Wanganui-Rudd and the Boulevard got the heart rate up to speed, Wozz emerged from the fog on highway 31 to carve our way south, Jase on a chase latching on with a k to go. There was just AvantiChris, Cate and Cougar waiting in the soup at the carpark, Pistol and Spin Doctor making up an octette for the antarctic trek to Mitchell Rd, Cate's mechanical malfunction halting proceedings in leg 2. I shared the front with Pistol for central Kialla and Jase to River roads bridge, nice to be in the fractionally warmer draft to recover as we passed Mexican Anthony. My DuraAce went on a (cold) snap strike refusing to swap cogs till the shifter was freed of ice, legs got a thawing with another shift beside Pistol at the pointy end up to Channel Rd. A call of easy rounding the bend, then west to the Cha Cha, Wozza in the box seat to take the chocolates in fine form while I struggled to hold second last . A wipe of the damp nose suddenly hurt, a good crust of ice on the gloves acted as sandpaper. Under the streetlights back in town, many found a frosting on boots, helmets, handlebars and certain sensitive parts as a badge of tenacity.
I hoisted the flag of optimism in the face of a few spits of rain Thursday morning, thoughts of an unwanted long hard road back from hibernation driving me onward. I was blown to the Emu by a strong northwester, thinking it like polishing the prize before paying the price, wondering what wattage would be warranted working (wearily) westward back to town. I got on top of the 17cog to get into the groove of 72 rpm, grinding into the now WNW, a distant tail-light pursued, finally found to be Tina en route to the Goat gathering. Heady, Tum, Kate, Coggo, Phil, Belly, Joe, Baz, Hommy and Cervelo John had set sail from the suburbs, the religious rites of ride rotation regulated respiratory requirements on Old Dookie Road, a swap of social sledges with the perspicacious population of the peleton then knuckled into the chore of Boundary Rd's side wind. Baz, Kate and Tina reargunners. The rhythm was ramshackled in River road, a headwind havoc till Coggo took the drivers seat (worthy of an HG nomination). I tendered my apologies at River road's end to keep a timeclock appointment, a misting of rain on the alternate route and Archer Rd dampening the enthusiasm.
Friday found five frisky fellows fit for a Friars fryer, Tum, Coggo, Heady and Cervelo John the only ones fronting (Belly bowed out.....again!). Exiting town, I ran the gap at the Doyles roundabout but the others baulked, a few moments wait then climb aboard the indian filed torture train. Tum got the boiler up to steam, I was on Cervelo John's wheel with his tail-light unfortunately angled at my eye, earning an eerie epileptic episode I was elated to escape. Heady's calmer cruise control was heavensent, a chance to catch breath before Tum's turbo tormented us. Peeling off the front almost spent, then the desperated dig to the depths to catch the draft from the last wheel is always an effort. Feeling fairly fresh for my next turn, we flew into River Rd (a flyby to eight Couldabeens eastbound), well worn though after a 2k dip at the drivers seat. Tum and Coggo drove hard to the bridge, another breather while Heady headed us homeward. A pause at Mitchell road for traffic then back on the gas to Raftery (avoiding the gaze into Cervelo John's hypnotic tail-light) passing a punctured Ange, just as my cadence battery quit. We all had another go at the front, I got the honours of last shift to the finish line, a solid lap in just under 50 min.
Week 27 382 km YTD 7,960 km
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