The obsession of ticking a years worth of Strava monthly distance and Grand Fondo boxes motivated a long lap Saturday morning, a quiet 5:10 start on the golf course loop eased into the distance. An oncoming light at the top of Rudd Rd u-turned to follow, was I being pursued by the StravaStalker? Resisting a peek back, it was relief when Jase drew alongside at DECA, a chatty tap ensued to Lemnos North Rd, south to New Dookie and back to town. Jase diverted to the Couldabeens crew, my rendezvous with Tum and Kate for a Toaster loop (minus the golf course leg). It was almost nirvana starting on Verney Rd's super smooth stretch with a tail breeze, a steady clockwise lap allowed a Tum & Kate 101, chat was now possible away from the weekday brief moments of rolling bunch turns. Scotland, road wildlife, breweries and Groodles occupied the circuit, bunches in varying sizes gradually appearing on anti clockwise missions. Rolling back into town was timed to perfection, bidding adieu to the homeward bound Tum & Kate to converge on the Friars Goat grid. Sandy, PrincipalSkinner, Hommy, HG Phillo, Spartacus, Phil, Heady, Coggo, Belly, LegalAndy (and Muppets Col, PinarelloMatt & Min) were caffeine fuelling their engines for an anti clockwise Toaster, Phil upstaging the grid with a brand new matte blue Giant Propel Advanced. Rooster Roscoe arrived just as the flag fell, idling south on Melbourne Rd I was fortunate to be in the tow to Mitchell Rd as the rotational roster got sorted. Pace had warmed to the mid thirties by Mt.Nicolaci, Rooster retiring homeward at Central Kialla. LegalAndy and HG Phillo had advanced to the front in River Rd, grinding the rotation to a halt and handbraking the pack to 28 clicks, the needle on our frustration meters climbing into the red. Coggo took the matter by the scruff of the neck, bolting forward to pursue the soloist (MeridaDazza) ahead, other Goats responding in kind with HG Phillo in protest. The bunch settled into the 36's in Boundary Rd with Coggo 500 metres ahead, PinarelloMatt, Min and HG Phillo escaping left to town, the remainder routing right to the Toaster reeling in another soloist (Luke) at the main eastern channel. My legs were protesting on distance distress as 100 clicks clocked over, Hommy's hit-out beside me to the church wearing a bit thin. The packs' unspoken chase protocol manifested as swung west at the Emu, with the collective bit between our teeth the bunch stretched and narrowed to Indian file in the mid fourties. I was millimetres off my limit with a turn at the front, impressed at the Spartacus speed, Phil's grin experiencing the carbon wheel speed euphoria worth photographing. Catching Coggo and MeridaDazza the speed settled to sensible, just one more go left in my legs before taking rear retirement. Hommy, Principal Skinner and Sandy had already occupyied the rear carriages, Heady and Luke added as the sultans of speed cranked up Mt.Wanganui. Calm descended in Rudd Rd steering our appetites to Mandy's, pleasing to cap off 128 k's with breakfast (part two)
I took the soft option of a 40k solo on Monday, setting sail on the Cat track but timed to roll out behind them. No heed paid to the solitary red led ahead, that sense of freedom and escape from life's annoyances aboard and propelling two wheels was contentment, no pressure to perform, the Cosmic chorus on the tarmac my morning's melody. The optimist inside swore I'd made ground on the bike ahead as I turned into River Rd, how soon a cruise turns to chase as the competitive senses are awoken! Six k's west to Central Kialla and closing the gap on landmarks passed drew me to a recognition distance, twas Minno caught at the Kialla Hall. A sociable k or two spent musing the weathers influence on the battle of bike vs bed, but Archer and the clock beckoned my direction home to appease the boss.
A Rocket chaperone for Wozz and I to Tuesday's Couldabeens, high cloud blanketing us from the usual chill. A lone WhisperingJack had positioned himself at the grid's rear, Nev, PistolPete, Jase, Nick, Temple, AvantiTrev, Kel, Bo, Chops and 51'sNath arriving to populate positions. Wozz and Rocket led the Channel Rd charge, a late and unseen ChrisA in hot pursuit 500 metres behind. Position had fluked my tow to Boundary Rd in the shelter from a light ENE, first turn at the front with Nick to the bridges then a speechless attempt to reach River with Rocket. Nev and Rocket made it look oh so easy, casually chatting away at the front in the fourties for three kilometres (took that long for me to recover!) ChrisA came forward with Postol, Bo and Wozz (gilet flapping) to polish off River Rd, Temple, AvantiTrev, WhisperingJack and Kel unseen in the rear rehab ward. My duty called again beside Nev at Archer Rd, a short shift chosen (to avoid premature detonation), the drive up Mt.Nicolaci took every last jellybean out of my jar, personally pickled and prolapsed reaching Melbourne Rd. Rocket retired with a bindii'd front tube (urging all onward for Conrod's climax), two rows becoming one beyond Galbraith's gate as Nev turned train driver. Desperately drafting in the thinning ranks of the mortals, I squinted ahead through the blur to see ChrisA and Nev tap dancing a duet to the 80 km/h sign. A rare day off allowed a social Scottish coffee, jocular chat on Nev's split second as young Cats, grumpy Cats and the mayor rolled by.
A few foreigners had infiltrated Wednesday's Couldabeens congregation (Kel, PistolPete, Jase, BamBam, Rocket, Cate, Temple, Mel (-Car), Bruce, Shorty, Chops, Wozz, Nick, AvantiTrev, Bo, Ralphy, TrekMat, Troy, WhisperingJack), would there be a WobblyTrev incarnation and where was their official invitation? Underway at 6 Jase rolled the train south, again the big engines advanced to maximise motion to Mitchell, others cringing in the caboose. A chatty promotion forward through the ranks with masters of mountains Mel and Cate, I didn't get a sniff at the pointy end till the last 2k of River Rd. Shorty shouted a short shift leaving me to match Troy, the ripple strips an eternity away as the heart rate skyrocketed and legs faded. I glued to Troys wheel in Boundary Rd in an effort to recover, a solo tail light ahead drew closer cresting the Broken bridges, TrekPete passed as we rolled west into Channel Rd. Cougar was caught on the crank up to Sellmans, AvantiTrev questioning why he'd advanced forward as the tempo freshened to the fourties nearing the cypress trees. I'd been hemmed in by Temple and WhisperingJack captaining the caboose, finally released at Kinder corner to join the advance line behind Wozz and Jase. Perfectly positioned in their wake, I'd just shifted to the 13 cog in the mid fourties as they leapt from their seats at Prentice Rd to stomp to the line. Just enough juice to jump Jase as his wattage wained, I'd snuck into second spot, but Rocket lighting the afterburners from behind, scorched by to demote me to third. Anchors away as the Orrvale corner loomed close, heavy breathing to the school before the social sentences were possible on a calm down to town, comments that I needed to submit a blood sample taken as complimentary .
A light sprinkle as a 5:10 breakfast finished and green circling on the radar made my Thursday mornings choice blissfully bed (several braved what eventuated as a dry track, my rare sleep-in was relished)
An early idle through the streets Friday, loosening limbs for the locomotive of labour, a stiff south southwester (20-30 km/h) frightening some regular train travellers back under their doonas. I braved the first shift out of town, grateful to the two trucks passing to drag me to Dobson's bridge. Coggo did a shift and a half to the Kalafatis driveway, MeridaJohn a long haul to Boundary. Manny's hard hit south into the 20-30 k headwind quashed quadriceps (no chance of sunrise gazing with heads down spearing into Friday's half light), Carl towing us to River Rd a little ahead of the Couldabeens corner convergence. A change of tack west against the now southerly was marginally easier, Karnivool's "Scarabs" my mental motivational driving song. (wonder what tunes were in Belly's bedtime bliss?). All had another thrash and gasp at the front to reach Mt.Nicolaci, Carl dragging us to the highway, an intermission for traffic halting progress. I foot fumbled the clip-in but resumed at the helm to reach Roubaix, a cautionary calm for Princess, Fee, Meags and Kylie to corner (first in, best dressed) then back on the gas for the crank to Arcadia Downs. Third wheel was my choice sit as we swept into Conrod, Carl's elbow at the 250 metre mark just perfect, but fending off Manny's late charge turned my focus fuzzy at the line, close enough to call it a dead heat (cheeky young sprinter with little respect for his elders!)
Week 16. 300km. YTD 5,087km
No comments:
Post a Comment