There was no early entertainment of inebriated nightclubbers, pole screamers or nocturnal television removalists on the way to the Couldabeens 5:00am Saturday shift, some may question our sanity but it cements selfs seaworthiness. 20 degrees and windless populated aplenty at A Mart, Wozz, Rocket, Jase, WhisperingJack, SuperMario, Temple, Nick and AvantiMat (he skipped the hotdog breakfast on offer for rising early) ready to warm-up on the usual 30k tap of Raftery-Mitchell-River-Boundary and Channel, pitch blackness swallowing everything our headlights couldn't reach. I followed Temple's usual rebellious rounding into River Rd, 6k's of eastbound tarmac to ourselves, towed till my number came up beside Rocket in Boundary Rd. A cautious turn into Channel Rd avoiding the gravel and a steady slog back to the Archer Rd shop gave us five social minutes on the 6am starting grid. It was a Field of Dreams moment of "build it and they will come" as bikes emerged from all directions to cram the carpark (testing Fossil's recollection rollcall for this blog!) A pencil and paper needed if this attendance continues......Boof, Shorty, Cougar, Car-Mel, Fisky, Lynda, Ange, AvantiTrev, GTCraig, '51's Trent and Mitch, BigRon, FDC's Ralphy and Troy, KilkennyPaul, PistolPete, Lucy, Ross, along with (hallelujah!) Hollywood and (blimey!) BigMat in a rare double sighting of endangered species. A last minute thought to split the bunch into two groups was deemed unmanageable, so a lengthy line of red LEDs led into Channel Rd, feathering the throttle lightly to avoid detaching carriages. Extra caution at kindergarten corner (in light of recent close car calls) and calm beyond intersections kept the congregation collected, Hollywood spent after one turn at the front (recovered nearing the Toaster), BigMat speechless after a half shift at the S bend (the price paid for 6 weeks self inflicted 'doonitis'). Nath joined as #30 in the big train on Boundary Rd, Ange concurred on Couldabeens corner caution, a somewhat serious chat with Temple on raising the standards of caboose car calls, signalling hazards and finessing formation, all in the profoundly perfumed piggery pong approaching the Toaster. Calculations of one full rotation in 21km might be numerically nerdy, but it highlights the big bunch theory of many wheels make light work. A rapid reconnaissance of Lemnos-Cosgrove and Ford Rd's., cars coming split the pack at Numurkah Rd, the rearmost tested to catch the front runners by DECA (a long thin line probably best for the forthcoming sprint rather than a massed and messy war up Wanganui hill). Fisky valiantly cranked at the pointy end beyond the test track (a case of premature emancipation) but the timing was perfect for Trent, Boof, Rocket, Mitch and Wozz at the base of the ascent. Even sitting eighth behind the victor (who else?) I scored a PB in the draft, a long slow in Rudd to pick up the pooped pieces, then a relaxed roll on the Boulevard to breakfast, apart from BigRon inciting a coffee shop sprint for seating honours. Cadence, lawn mowing and spinal surgery got tongues wagging at one end of the long table, tongues thirsty for Coronas at the other end applying the Adelaide rule (+14 degrees = beer)
The moons' thin orange crescent set the Monday course to the Emu, cranial content to crank a cautious cadence on a solitary Toaster lap. Shortchanged on a promised easterly, a southerly took up the slack to the Toaster, the nasal Nagasaki of Old Dookie Rd's pork palace to bear up to the East Goulburn main channel, a distant bunch oncoming till I swung into Boundary. It's a good exercise (exorcise?) to crank a steady hr over a distance rather than the see-saw of efforts in a bunch, the plan to keep in the aerobic zone now revised to the +150's being pursued by a pack a k or two back. Flybys identified the solo Wozz, then Mr.Lotsalumens, then a small Couldabeens peace train in River Rd from just lights piercing the darkness, a sneak peek back in Central Kialla (chasing lights looming larger) inciting inspiration to finish faster. Confident reaching Galbraith's gate with the hunters lights not yet at Roubaix, I ground on to the end, over the line just as senior Cats entered Conrod.
Saddling up five minutes early allowed an idle to Tuesday's turtles, bringing a knocking knee slowly up to operating temperature in preparation. SuperMario, Jase, Choppy, AvantiTrev, Kenworth, Shorty, Nick, KillkennyPaul, Ric, Hollywood, Temple, WhisperingJack and MexicanAngelo filtered into the carpark, our leg 1 escort (ChrisA) warming up early for the hares. It was a delight in the draft of Kenworth then a challenge with Chops to the cypress trees, passing the petite ponytail peleton of Suzie and Kev and collecting FDC's Troy and Ralphy to our crew. Momentum wained in Boundary against the (light) southeaster, AvantiTrev at peak torque, Ric rolling rapidly to leave Killkenny Paul to take on a big shift. A short cutting Trav appeared oncoming in River Rd (missed the start flag by a minute), rhythm returning to rapid but retiring some to the rear. It was full steam on Mitchell and Raftery Rd's, Kenworth threw in the towel at Conrod's first dip, Chops was missing in action, Troy bolted at the 450 metre mark (check out the convenient yellow numbers at Conrod's edge!) as Ralphy imploded. I scored a short tow from Jase's passing wheel to draw a breath or two, but the launch to catch Troy was a bridge 5 metres too far.
Sauna specifications Wednesday, 26 degrees at 5:40 summoned some sweat, Boof, Rocket, Wozz, Hollywood, Nick, Shoty, Cougar, AvantiTrev, SuperMario, Car+Mel, Cate, Pistol, Temple, Lynda and newbie BamBam took up positions, a northeaster propelling us to Mitchell made my decision for an early turn at the front easy. Jase and Hollwood raised the bar on leg two, several lights dropped off the back as we turned west. Mel's mechanical misdemeanours and a BamBam kaboom u-turned a few back homeward, the remainder soldiering onward. Car-Mel ripped into a ripper River Rd turn, Wozz and Boof boring into Boundary, my vision narrowed as the effort was applied to match Wozz from the bridges to Channel, pleased with my pace against the niggling northeaster till the gust from an oncoming car flattened the ego. Jase and Hollywood hurried the heartrate in Channel Rd, the Cha Cha stretching out the bunch long and lungless as my position in the pack prevented any ranking. SuperMario ground to a halt near the school with a bi-bindii breakdown (flattening front AND rear tubes), target practice launched on supposed satans of speed as a pit crew minimised downtime to roll back to town.
Something stirred the slumber and nagged at the neurosis at 4:30 Thursday to inspire an early effort, a personal aim at clocking Strava's monthly challenge for 2016 acts as brain bait. The 28k aperitif to the Emu, Toaster and back to town forged the resolve, a 20 km/h SSE'er punished the gastrocnemius to hold a speed, the almost forgotten delicious aroma of an earlier shower on the toasted grass was a sensory bonus. Heading to the Toaster was short torture, the turn toward the towns glow on the horizon a vacation for the vexation. Back to Friars on the stroke of six found only Principal Skinner on the start line, the odd spit from the heavens diluting his determination, deferring to the desire of the doona. Carpe Diem me thinks, so set forth solo to tap a Goatless lap, but found Tina tough enough to shrug of a touch of damp. Race wrecked from Sunday's scorcher, Tina sat on, which only inspired me to grind a steady pursuit of the red led's ahead. A windswept battle in Boundary Rd actually made ground on the bikes ahead, two escaped via Channel Rd, the other pair pushing on to the Broken bridges. The SerialPest and Trish were caught at River Rd, our way went west as they slogged south. A flattened fox, several snapped sticks, a pancaked possum and a few damp patches to dodge en route to Central Kialla, time turning us homeward in Archer, at last an 11k tailwind reward after 54k of toil.
AvantiLeigh had stalled on the Friars Friday starting grid, a ballooning Coninental sidewall tearing up his pain train ticket with much regret. Coggo, Belly, MeridaJohn and Phil were the only other punters for pain, John taking the helm out of town but put me in the early hot seat (90% humidity prepared a precipitation of perspiration) from the roundabout to Dobson's bridge. Coggo was riding reservedly with 3 peaks on his weekend list, Phil driving well despite being time starved and k craved, Belly firing on all cylinders (and a dream draft into the bargain). Satisfied with my second go at the rushin' front (one tree dam to River Rd's second k) it was Christmas slipping into the draft to recover for the next contribution in Central Kialla. We steamed up Mt Nicolaci to view a "believe it or not" scene of Cats actually stopped rendering assistance to one of their own punctured! Relief was nigh rounding Roubaix, just 4k of effort till the finish line promised respite. In perfect real estate, I crept up beside Belly in the closing metres (to inspire him to push to victory) but MeridaJohn, in the tow, pounced to pinch the chocolates, a 38.3 average fair for five.
Week 10 327 km YTD 3,228 km
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