Chain lube was the priority (deafened by a gritty groan Friday) Saturday morning, then a quiet (literally) circuit of Old Dookie, Boundary and Channel Rd was the precursor to the Saturday social. Almost arrived at the starting grid (500 metres shy) when the bunch approached; Chris A, AvantiChris, Shorty, AvantiTrev, Temple, Rocket, Pistol, Kel, Ange, Linda, Nev, Fisky, Jase, Cougar, FeltMat and suprise suprise, BigMat (not a hologram but a vaguely familiar face shooting at an August MTS goal). I was promoted through the ranks by rotation rather than ability (a peleton Peter principal?), social intercourse kick starting the weekend as I leapfrogged forward, a bunch long enough to only have two or three contributions at the front (but long enough to rubber band at the back). Motivating to see a hint of orange on the horizon, the long 14 k westward home on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd tempoed smoothly, not until a wiff of Wanganui did the speed sizzle. (positions per performance, need I name the winner?) Back to base camp, age comparisons, political perks and a Tour de Fightbacc whip around occupied the tongue, coffee, eggs and bacon rewarding the tastebuds.
An aimless roll out New Dookie Rd on Monday, if only to re-educate legs on rotation. Keeping below the anaerobic (210 - age + 10%) and soaking up the serenity southbound from the Pine Lodge church, there was even a feint glow on the horizon to see which way was up. Old Dookie Rd's pork house was lit up for breakfast, no piggy pong with the NNE blowing the aroma away at 17 km/h. I swung into Boundary Rd spotting distant Goat tail-lights slipping south but any ebuillence evaporated reaching Channel Rd, winging west back to town with eyes sharpened for Darth Vader (delighted the dog didn't show). Steadily steamed back home (just 3.5 km/h variation from average to max speed) to navigate through the 7am commuters.
Tuesdays tarmac was as inviting as a tax audit, overnight rain had glossed and puddled the Couldabeens circuit to feature (and frustrate) the folly of keeping a bike clean. Wound my way wistfully to the wanton warrior Wozza waiting on wet Wyndham, our punt that just 4 or 5 would front. Suprise suprise to find 10 at the starting grid, a Genesis influx (Nev, Bo, Kel and Ron) boosting the Couldabeens population of Pistol, Spin Doctor, Kenworth and Rocket. Wozz and Nev set a smooth standard in leg 1, I felt ok for leg 2 with Wozz but the heart rate was red-lining by the kinder with Pistol. Rocket and Kenworth advanced to go, but Ron and Kel were stuck on 'just parking'. Cat tail-lights were visible beyond the bridges as we turned into Boundary Rd, a red light bait to prime the pursuit. I'd advanced again to the pointy end just as we'd closed in on the Cats in River Rd, powering past I made the mistake of glancing at the Garmin (heartrate at 178) to suffer a speed psychosis and a mounting mental meltdown. 102 had climbed aboard (2 x 51's), Furph and Lateleigh also collected as we aimed toward Archer. Nev & Wozz syncronised a smooth cross of the highway, Kenworth, Bo, Ron and I resolved in rear-tirement. JK moved toward the front at Arcadia Downs, the pace percolating as Conrod came into view. A momentary slow rippled through from the front, a close call when wheels of Rocket and SpinDoc almost became intimate. Happy to finish mid field in such quick and quality company, it took half a k to regain the oxygen to talk.
Abandonded ideas of a ride Wednesday fearing the forecast wet, stayed dry as it happened, being dudded by <yr.no> is a rare event. A re-bore of the tympanic cavities had amplified my auditories Thursday, a cacophony of Cosmic carbon caused a cadenza (a catchy chorus composed by cadence) for a calm and cruisy crank of New Dookie Rd with a WNW breeze up another cavity for assistance east. South on Boundary then toured to town, suprised the head-wind didn't harry the heart rate too much back to Friars. A herd of Goats (Belly, Tum, Coggo, Kate, Joe, Dipper, Phil, Hommy, Sandy and CerveloJohn) had assembled (HG Phillo failing to front), decent numbers in spite of winters grip on the temperature (5). Speissy joined in at SPC, Tina habitually at the weighbridge, for rotational rituals to get underway, all contributing to happy days heading east, but south and west would take it's toil. I looked up smooth in the dictionary to find a picture of the resplendant Belly on a bike, good to have his wheel where others fluctuated. Those who've been up on winters' blocks were paying the penalty of perspiration at the back, ten drivers whittled down to eight in the course of River Rd, just six left by Melbourne Rd. Coggo called single at Raftery's horse stud, taxing CerveloJohn for a long go at the helm, leaving just Tum, Coggo and I as the tow trucks for the following dozen. Tum took the front out of Conrod's dip, and I just couldn't take candy from the baby (30 something), drafting to second on the line.
I sprung Rocket on an early warm-up in Wanganui Rd Friday, SpinDoc spied awaiting a 51 thrash at Verney's roundabout, just a quiet 15 k prologue for me to round up the Strava August MTS to 500. Down to the Couldabeens carpark, Cate, Jen and Cougar had lined up midgrid, Linda, Rocket, Wozz, Kenworth, Jase, AvantiChris and AvantiTrev squeezing in behind. There was no escape from the first shift shuffle, the lasses delivering a quality first turn in Archer. Two rows formed on the outskirts of town, Wozz, Jase, Kenworth and Rocket inflating the rate to Mitchell Rd, AvantiTrev and Cate stepped up to the plate, the WNW wind prospering pace in River Rd. Copious Cats wheeled west (8 degrees enticing many from under their winter doonas?) with Genesis/51 in pursuit. A perky, petite peleton of P&W's plied behind, a gaggle of Goats ground south on Boundary as we collected the effervescent Ange. Being between Kenworth and AvantiChris for the drive to Channel was some comfort, but predicting the turns to the Cha Cha put me in the hot seat of lead-out at the kinder. All squeezing the throttle nearing Prentice Rd, Cate (Cavendish) powered to the front as Rocket wound up the turbo, Wozza the only one able to stay with his launch. A calm after the storm, the quiet roll back to town reflected on yet another birthday for the old faithful BM. What's only an inanimate object has become rather a personal attachment, seeing me through separation, divorce, two retrenchments, several heartaches, turning a half century and a grandfather, a couple of Mt Buffalo's, 5 Murray to Moynes, 3 significant prangs, 6 treks to Melbourne, 3 yrs racing, finding plenty of friends but tangles with owls, kangaroos and other wildlife, 4 Round the Bays, 9 Fruitloops and don't ask how many Toaster laps. 190,148 k's in 4016 days amounts to a serious addiction, 47.3 k's per day for 11 years.
Week 33 259 km YTD 9,763
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