Surprised with plenty of What's App takers for an early lap prior to the Saturday habitual, Wozz and I encountered plenty of Friday nightclubbers still street active (both tipsy and tearful) at 4:45, a dead shopping trolley the Saturday slalom (no skippy's or horses today). At the A Mart assembly, Rocket, Temple, Jase, Trav, BigMat, Nick, WhisperingJack and newcomer Brad were the early birds, away at 5 on a Raftery-Mitchell-River-Boundary and Channel preliminary, the cruise control bumped up to 34 with plenty donating the driving. SuperMario appeared at Central Kialla, 24 celciuses and an awakening northeaster took the slack out of the legs in River Rd. There was an easier tap back on Channel Rd with a scowl to Sellmans' DarthVader, about to emerge to snap at our heels, no sprint at the Cha Cha was as rare as a Rocket loss. Back to the startline (with 5 minutes to spare) part two of the Couldabeens contingent included Fisky, Car+Mel, Shorty, Boof, Hollywood, Lenny, Lucy, AvantiTrev, cougar, Pistol, Lynda and "Cattendee"Dalts, unfortunately the mobile chicanes of Hit, Miss and Maybe threw predictability out the window, an additional 'Johnny'(comelately) unquantifiable. The ride started smooth and slick, but leg two saw Maybe face the reality of the lead, an awkward rearward retreat rattling our routine. (why play a dud note if you can't face the music?) The bolt out of Kinder corner stretched the tail-enders, a lamentable legacy of a long bunch. The double roll of Miss then Hit set a small tsunami rippling through the ranks and rhythm, Jase and I left to pick up the pieces and smooth the way to Boundary Rd. Someone turned up the tempo to Old Dookie Rd, the east trek to the Toaster had the Ham Hilton piggies squealing for the breakfast menu (or were they preparing to be on the Christmas table list?). Nath arrived from the north, the aforementioned 'Johnny' becoming very intimate with Shorty's elbow prompted increasing my life insurance. Wheeling west at the Emu the whiplash cracked the pack, I carried the news to the front in the interest of bunch unity. Weapon joined the ranks as a Cat pack of Ben-Hur proportions speared East at the main eastern channel, our mob cranking west against the northerly and into the fourties (so much for the Saturday social!) Hit and Johnny were on the tarmac's left edge despite calls to get up the road (erased of echelon education). Frustrated with most being denied a draft, Foss's fuse had finished, fury taking bunch riding 101 to the front. Johnny was in meltdown, Hit minus comprehension and questioning direction (again), I delivered my WTF to these overnight legends, clearly out of their depth, then removed myself to the rear to relax rage and temper thoughts. How granted is the teamwork till you lose it?
I picked up and dusted off the dummy, rolling quietly solo to Verney Rd, oncoming Goats (Spartacus, JF, Brendan, Carl, Belly, Coggo, Heady, Dipper, Bickers, Deb, Tina, AvantiAndy and Ky import Manny) a welcome sight, so u-turned to tag along. Great was the smoothness and familiarity, social exchanges were just getting underway when Spartacus punctured, a chance to sledge the pitstop and be driven insane by friendly flies. Fixed and back in motion, we slogged our way to the Emu then revelled in the southerly and westward trails, but Manny succumbed to deflation at the east Goulburn channel, more eff'n flies to fend from fundamental orifices! Tina and Deb rode a forward reconnaissance while Coggo captained the the repairs, forward ho on Boundary then River with a hairdryer northerly toasting the edges. AvantiAndy rear-tired from duty, a ménage of Muppets plied East as our dozen drove at 40. My head started an argument with the legs about distance, just one more turn as the ton ticked closer. Tina and Deb with NevY aboard were caught in Mitchell Rd to collectively crank home, legs winning the case for the negative over the highway, sitting in the rear stalls to recover. Rounding up Sean at Roubaix, numbers at the business end reduced and laboured to Conrod. Feeling guilty for not donating to a good cause, I wound up the clicks to the front for a final fling, Manny and Brendan emerging from the tow to take the one two, my 3rd spot after 105k, more than satisfying. Mandy's cafe was packed with alfresco Pussycats (the Christmas socks presentation) and internally infested with Adams family, Heady's lady-breakfast and the Goat Christmas agenda discussed in the din.
A toaster tap Monday (with the golf course corner cut off), rolling east on Ford Rd as Eggy and 51's assembled for action. Pleasant to push along with help from the southwesterly but tough to the Toaster against the headwind, and lots of sticks to slalom from Sunday nights' squalls. Distant Goat lights shone oncoming in Old Dookie Rd, but the clock was against social intercourse, so slogged south to River Rd to keep to schedule (Buenos Dias Mexican Angelo at one tree dam), the headwind strangely more manageable than the force at the flanks bearing west. Into a good grinding groove along Central Kialla, but the clock ticked an Archer Rd exit, icing on the cake to finish 50k with a tailwind home.
A premature preamble Tuesday, along the Boulevard-Rudd-Wanganui-Ford-Boundary and Old Dookie Rd if only to clock up a k of k's for the December MTS, almost at arm-warmer temperature with just 12 degrees, wind (southerly at 15-24) the constant companion. Early birds BigBen and Kev were on an Old Dookie rollout, I cornered the SPC roundabout to find a long string of Goats cruising a Christmas ride, with a Muppet menagerie in reconnaissance, Phil, AvantiLeigh, AvantiAndy, Dipper, Bickers, Snow, HG Phillo (must be an important ride) Coggo, Belly, Deb, JB, Tina, Geoffrey, Joe, PrincipalSkinner, a guinea pig shaped Hommy, Heady, Min, Jock, RoosterRoscoe, Jan and PinarelloMat. Goat gendarme Phillo found his way to the front and capped the speed to sedentary (a super sedate 98 bpm speed), Tina, Deb, Coggo and others unable to contain the crawl, breaking away. The circuit spent socialising, inbound on Channel Rd, musing with Muppet Min on bureaucracy. Back to Mandy's cafe for a Yuletide breakfast, civilians Baz, Brendan, Loretta and others joined, poet Pete pronouncing a perfected Patterson prose per the Goats year.
A northeaster (favourable to a pain train record breaker) drew Coggo, Tum, Heady, Phil, Manny, AvantiLeigh, Carl and Dipper to Friars on Wednesday, shorter turns on the new menu. I'd berthed in third last behind Heady, engines of AvantiLeigh, Coggo, Manny and Tum wound up the wick with a solid push into the wind on OldDookie. I got the drivers seat for the last bit east and took a small taste of the southbound Boundary bliss, Phil locked into caboose management. I had a big expense to get back in the draft after spending most of my pennies at the front, a little uneasy with a few surges to the Pine Lodge pub. Manny slipped smoothly and comfortably into the track turns with good donations to the drive, my heart rate was on the escalator to 184 hammering the 13 cog into the mid fourties to Trevaskis Rd., with another trawl for tenacity to grab the last draft, the role of keeping the caboose attached weighing heavy. What inspires this pursuit of personal limits, a measure of collaboration and self? How fine the line between determination and defeat, banging your head on a brick wall 'cause it feels good when you stop! (And we'll be back at it again next week) Carl drove a hard bargain on Mitchell, the carrot of riders ahead, motivating motion. Tum tore up Mt.Nicolaci as we passed THM, our clear pass over the highway kept hopes up for a fastest time, but Heady spent of steam, slipped into retirement. Coggo, AvantiLeigh, Manny and Tum piloted the push from Galbraith's gate, Tum handing me the last 200 metres of Conrod, specifying not to let the average slip. All my Jellybeans went into the last lunge, spent and speechless, a 40.2 average pleasing for a small train.
Yuletide lurks closer, but who needs an excuse to assemble the troops to put in a lap and break the fast? Wozz, Pistol, Cougar, Kenworth, Cate, Kel, SuperMario, Rocket, Ange, Car+Mel, Nev, Lynda, Nick, Trav, Hollywood, BigMat, Jase, AvantiTrev, Jen, Lucy, Bo, Ron, AvantiMat and Temple formed a congenial collection of Couldabeens convivially conversing Christmas cheer on Thursday, with seasons decorations aplenty. In a direct path to Channel Rd's sunrise, wind put work into leg one and two for me at the front, though tempo was tamed to prevent pace protests. Pistols' elaborately engineered tree, BigMat's bluetoothed carols, Nev's handlebar mounted Santa, Rockets' helmet lights, amongst others, put all in the festive feeling. Ange and Ron stalled the rotations in Boundary Rd, Nath appeared at the tail end at the Toaster (it would be a while for the speed to spike to strike!) I had a yarn with a few on Saturdays' shambles, seems many share the need to heed the speed creed. Many are talking, not many saying; so, secure Saturday's as social? (Wanganui sprint stays with a religious Rudd Rd regroup) Your vote to captain AvantiTrev. A 7:30 start at the salt mines shortened my lap socially to a Verney Rd exit, most others willing and able to consume a Christmas Eve Lemontree breakfast.
Saturday's forecast gloom inspired Christmas Day k's, a push East into the northeaster (20-37 km/h) to the Emu was a chore (the Boundary Rd escape, so tempting) but sheer stubbornness drove me to Pine Lodge Rd. With rubber legs till the Cosgrove silo, taking 30 bpm off the effort was a relief. Exhaustion written too on the face of a solo anti-clockwise rider, my Christmas present was a tailwind back, navigating to a lunch of over-indulgence via Channel Rd. Taking advantage of a breeze and an empty street, a dip of determination on Wilmot Rd scored a second overall (46.4 av), making room for plum pudding.
Week 52. 336 km. YTD 15,724 km
Merry Christmas one and all, I hope Santa brought lots of carbon and titanium cheer!
Retraction: An unreserved apology to Goat Brendan, incorrectly accused of dropping off the Pain Train (18/12) at the Pub. He held on at least 300 metres longer than that!
No comments:
Post a Comment