Was unlike Wozz to be missing from the early Saturday rendezvous, so a time starved commute to A Mart hastened my heartrate for 6k's southward. Jase, Temple and Nick had assembled, a breathless Wozza arriving at the third stroke, scoring a bed-to-start-line PB of 18 min. Jase and Temple cut the headwind to Arcadia Downs, our quintet settling into a low 30's warm up of the usual loop, joined by Vince and co in River Rd as a social supplement (but they bolted in Boundary to combine with Cats). Clouds had curtained the stars, the dark enveloping all behind us on a look back for traffic. A hint of helpful tailwind in Boundary Rd took us to the super swept turn into Channel Rd, hereinafter dubbed Wozza's corner. Temples tempo got us back for a 5:56 landing to the 6:00am crew, AvantiTrev, AvantiAndy, Jen, Car+Mel, Fisky, Cate, Lynda, Ange, Ross, Pat, Shorty, Cougar and (pedalling a precursor to playing in a pussycat peleton) Scott-not-BassoDave, assembled for the Saturday soirée. The carefully controlled crank east on Channel Rd combined with Kinder corner caution, kept things social, Pat all over his Trek like a bad suit though. A long drive on Old Dookie beside Jase then Nick got me into zone 4, Car+Mel turning up the torque to the Emu. On a conservative (criterium) cruise, SuperMario joined us from the west in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, Weapon too, warmly welcomed. Placement in the pack had me doing a turn on the front in the last leg of Ford, suitably in a draft for Wanganui Rd but boxed in as those in the right line advanced. Perfectly positioned to pounce, Wozz, Ange and co arrived at the front at Kittles Rd, their explosion of speed left me midfield (and minus the urge to sprint anyway) but I still rounded up several of the Wanganui wasted. The customary idle on Rudd Rd re congregated the bunch as I filled the social tank with Weapon on the Boulevard roll. Forming a femme filled foursome to add a 28k circuit, I peeled off the Boulevard with Cate, Car+Mel, New Dookie Rd to the church and Old Dookie back to town at a revised rate of rapidity, the SSE'er against us. The mathematics of less numbers=more work eroded enthusiasm, but great company and a few chuckles diverted attention from lame legs and a punished posterior (how soon we soften when a bit of distance is covered!) Better to finally see the targeted turn (Pine Lodge church) instead of guessing the distance to drive, it was an easier effort westbound on Old Dookie, although Cate added the spice of a special stage sprint at Dobson's. The Lemontree came into sight as 100 clocked up on the Garmin, many of the 6am crew were still seated, a chin wag on gear ratios, goals and moving on with life rounded off a satisfactory Saturday.
It's been 17 weeks since taking more than a day off the bike, Tuesday called on a re-education programme for legs and lungs as I creaked and rattled my way to Friars. Principal Skinner, Belly, AvantiAndy, Dipper, Snow, AvantiLeigh, Joe, Spiessy, Deb, Sandy, Hommy, Heady and Phil formed the Goat gathering, oddly Coggoless (on a 3 peaks recovery) It was a little hard to adjust to 14 degrees from last weeks mid 20's, cool calm and collected we cranked to Doyles Rd where Tina made up a crew of 15. Rolling turns seem to be history as pairs take on something between 100 and 1000 metre efforts, Hommy's competitive streak raising the speed when he faces the front. I'd slotted in between Snow and Joe to follow up on the Hommy hysteria, Snow in for a long go but Joe short shifting. A heart rate in the low 130's made River Rd relaxed, just nudging the 150's when my number came up for the front to Mitchell Rd. Sandy and Deb took on the rear roll call as the pot brewed for the closing four k fury, Belly questioned if I was awake as we rounded Roubaix, must admit it had been a cruisy lap till then. Visits to the front became a rapidly repeating role as others shied from a turn of toil, I'd returned to the front yet again as the bunch crested Conrod's first dip, so figured a long lead-out was on offer to anyone who followed. Well on top of the 14 cog as I passed Snow, the Cosmic's came on song at the 500 mark, watching my shadow from the following headlights stayed steady till 48 km/h and 190bpm at the second dip prompted my elbow. AvantiLeigh and Dipper shot by to take the one-two, I took 300 metres of oxygen gluttony to Raftery's skinny bridge before the social intercourse could happen.
A rapid 2k pairing with Trav southward on Archer, then with Wozz on Mitchell into the easterly, called on a big mental shovel to dig deep, four k's at a suffering speed needed a positive mindset to go the distance. Speechless in Central Kialla, I was happy for Bo and Wozz to drive to River Rd, the rotation of Wednesday's Couldabeens (AvantiTrev, PistolPete, Nick, Chops, Shorty, Gazzagrasshopper, Kel, Cougar, WhisperingJack, Car+Mel, Temple and Troy) slowly turning as the River Rd pace yo-yo'd, a headwind hurting the journey east. It was a bolt along Boundary, sweeping through Wozza's corner, Trav drawing alongside again as I reached the front on Channel Rd's S bend, the light tailwind driving our momentum into the fourties (wind noise would drown out any complaints from the caboose, but I could almost feel the twist of a knife blade between the ribs). Sitting third wheel in the left line at Kinder corner boxed in any attempt at my Cha Cha contention (waiting for the right line punters to pass), Car impressively steamed to the front anyway, just as the sprint squad was winding up the wattage at Prentice Rd behind her. A few expirees had elevated my ranking as the next 400 metres blurred by, Mel storming past from behind as I eased for Orrvale Rd. The crew calmed and collected for the social roll back to town, a chance find of Fox, Fee, Meags, Princess, Minno and Wizz topped off the ride with caffiene chat.
My prologue addiction flared up Thursday, Friday's forecast threatening a surplus of rain with a deficit of k's, so an eastbound thrash on New Dookie Rd (masochistically into the 15 km/h northeaster) warmed up the old engine, Boundary and Old Dookie roads back to town spent recovering from the silly idea. The Goat clan had assembled at Friars (Deb, Belly, Spiessy, Joe, Coggo, Dipper, AvantiLeigh, Hommy, Kate, Phil, Sandy, Principal Skinner, MeridaJohn, Snow and Leon) all congratulating Coggo on his epic 8 hr 3 peaks effort. There was a little shuffling of the order as wheels of choice were chosen, Tina climbed aboard at Doyles, AvantiLeigh alongside me to set high stakes to Dobson's bridge, the rolls of various lengths and forms then underway as many adjusted to the headwind. Geoffrey assimilated into the assembly at the Fig Farm, the tempo smoothing as most got into a groove (Hommy the exception of course). A cruisy calm called to co-ordinate compensating cornering for cars crossing as we approached River Rd, then it was full steam west with the wind up our arsenal. Geoffrey's rubber band snapped as the bunch crested the channel bridge, MeridaJohn short shifting under the strain of speed. Rooster Roscoe appeared at Central Kialla, contributors to the rushin' front fading along Mitchell Rd. By Arcadia Downs Belly had rejoined the small workforce of AvantiLeigh, Coggo, Dipper, MeridaJohn and I swapping turns. With 800 metres of Conrod left, I turned up the wick to 45, then elbowed four (Belly now rear-retired) past me at the 400 mark to recover a breath or two. It was all or nothing with 200 remaining, throwing everything at the finish, 194 bpm nearly busted my boiler but pinched the chocolates from Coggo. Holidays heralded a post ride social stimulation over coffee, a 20 min reprieve till Roscoe's commute home inspired me to lap Archer-Mitchell-Boundary and Channel, squeezing in the k's probably denied on Friday's forecast. The ENE'er strengthened to make the memory lane of Mitchell mean, Boundary Rd better apart from the push and shove of wind at the wheels. Legs had gone mushy by the Broken bridges but Channel Rd promised repose, the tailwind back to town like Christmas on a stick. Home 6k shy of a ton, but pleased when predicted precipitation in Friday's early hours heralded a holiday from the pain train.
Week 11 : 274km YTD 3,502km
No comments:
Post a Comment