Five degrees was the short straw to take on a grand fondo Saturday, but there's a strive to smash a Strava challenge before the month runs out. A 5am start with Wozz, Trav, Kel & Bo, the first shift to Arcadia Downs flogging Foss (yet the speed seemed sluggish), Christmas on a stick to have Wozz roll across at Galbraiths gate to reduce the effort 15%. I felt warm seeing Kel in short knicks (winter kit still in hibernation), Ange brashly blending into the bunch as we crossed the highway. My second appearance at the front (first 2k of River) was a little easier on the heartrate, improving on leg 2 with Wozz to the dip, the red led ahead driving the pace. Quite the chill in Channel (orchard irrigation) as we caught Jase, arriving back at the 6am grid with 4 minutes of jaw exercise with AvantiMat, Ric, Boof, ChrisA, Shorty, Nick, Temple, AvantiTrev, Rocket, Cougar, newbie TatChris and Gazzagrasshopper. Nineteen eastbound barely got into the groove when the snap of TatChris's spoke ground us all to a halt, the buckle binding brakes, forcing his take 2 next week? Eighteen resumed with a reckless road running rabbit causing a short scatter, but got co-ordinated for the trip to Boundary. The usual social sentences swapped as others drove, piggery pong again assaulting the olfactory openings in Old Dookie Rd. The turn into Lemnos-Cosgrove repeated the rapidity from last Saturday (maybe it should be Strava segmented as the "breakfast bolt"?), most had a crack at the pointy end as the sun struggled to rise, Ange grinding the little cog to Ford Rd. Gazzagrasshopper, languishing in the caboose, predictably bolted early in Wanganui Rd, fleeing futile with master blaster ChrisA, Wozz, Boof and Bo to hunt down the escapee. Group two stayed intact, I'd become the unwilling tow truck for a while till Ange's torque took over. Still 40k shy of my target, it was hard to break from the bunch in the Boulevard but the urge to tick the Fondo challenge box was strong. A hard slog to the church on New Dookie road away from the comfort of a bunch draft, pushing 66 rpm burned the psoas major but trying the 17 cog (74 rpm) only slowed the pace. The perineum was touchy as ninety k's ticked over, round the Toaster and onto Boundary Rd, hopes of a Channel Rd finish denied by Garmin, a River Rd-Archer ending needed to go the distance. Oncoming Adams family factions (3) meandered on River Rd (pleased the distance between me and WobblyTrev was increasing) There was a mental mountain to conquer on the 8k's west to Archer Rd, trying to drive the legs on when they'd rather rest, coffee with walnut & banana toast my only motivator to continue. Spirits lifted as the town drew closer, a double check on the distance needed a lap of SPC to get 115 done. The mafia nicotine nimbus hung over the Lemontree table, so I retired to Mandy's and soaked up a long-time-no-chat with Barnsey, CatKev and Hoffy (the incoming Adams') and mon ami Weapon.
A wanton westerly was drying the road soaked by a 4am shower, no excuses left, all aboard for a Monday tap around. The Boulevard baptism was tough, facing the 30km/h wind head-on was not the way to start a week. Grumps for three k's turned to grins in Wanganui Rd, a tailwind to artificially pamper the ego. Puddle chicanes manoeuvred south down the main drag, then into the serious moonlight of Raftery Rd. Southbound lights at Archer Rd turned to follow my trail to River Rd., Gazzagrasshopper and Lucy (gazzadazzled?) on a "light tap" (40+) caught me at Laws Drive, silly me jumped aboard. Feeling the responsibility to contribute a turn I clicked the shift to the 13 cog, a big grind on River's smoothed tarmac in the low 40's soon the spiked heartrate, not quite on my 'tap around' specification. The pace was still driven hot in Boundary Rd, so I opted to continue onto Old Dookie as the pair plied west in Channel. Craving all two k's to settle the lungs and legs in preparation for the headwind home, Old Dookie Rd's battle was relentless (it was ye olde rubber legs by School Rd) giving up the hope of holding 33 clicks home.
Boulevard - Rudd - Wanganui - Ford - Boundary and Old Dookie warmed up ancient legs on Tuesday, attempting to solve the equation of rpm>h.r.-speed=effort. Tried an 80 rpm spin and found the headwind (15km/h) bearable back to town. A u-turn at SPC fitted me into the Goat group (PrincipalSkinner, Joe, MeridaJohn, Dipper, Heady, Brendan, Coggo, Hommy, Phil, HG Phillo, Sandy, Belly, Snow, MeridaAndy and a voice in the darkness at the back). Belly and I were on escort duties out of town as the order sorted, HG Phillo on the usual two length lag, Skinners sublime smoothness, Brendy's cassette racket, the turbine tune from Phil's wheels, Coggo's consistency, Heady's humour and Sandy's roll call, all familiar Goat traits. MeridaAndy's rare appearance proved he hadn't retired, Hommy proved his half wheeling (beside me) was embedded in his DNA. Normally letting his habit slide, today I snapped to a pronto payback, a squirt into the fourties at the Boundary Rd bacon barn backed him out, Belly and I then calming the cadence to preserve some friendships. Others turned short, medium and long to take us south, a concerted effort to behave at the helm smoothed out the ripples in River Rd, certainly hard work at the driving end into an almost head wind but plenty to share the work helped the recovery. The enemy of time turned me right at Rivers end, tapping the usual short cut home with the chain complaining from damp days.
Chipped away at the k's early Wednesday, close to the Strava target with 6 days left. Warm up times are longer as the days get shorter, even holding low 30's was a haul, the bureau's "feels like 4" part to blame? 15k's covered arriving at the carpark, Nick, Shorty, Chops, Boof, HBK, Rocket, Cougar, Temple, Mel (-Car), Cate, TatPaul, AvantiTrev and AvantiMat congregating collectively as Couldabeens. Volunteers for the right lane were rare after Kialla Lakes, I slipped in behind HBK with Rocket and Boof ahead. BigRon joined in as HBK and I took the helm, HBK's turn as short as Labor's funding estimates, AvantiTrev measuring up to a real turn. The east northeaster furrowed brows in River Rd, Mel almost unrecognisable in long kit, Rocket and Boof making the headwind look easy. HBK short shifted again in Boundary Rd, out of steam in esteemed company he tells me. Nick drove a hard bargain to the S bend for the first shift of Channel Rd, many now withdrawing from being promoted to the business end, though Cate was fearless fronting for duty as the Cha Cha loomed near. Choppy set a cracking cadence up to Prentice Rd, I'd arrived at the front way too early (again) so succumbed to the sacrifice of the sprint with a lead-out on full throttle. 50 lasted a little longer than previous attempts, but I was soon relegated to rubbish with Rocket and Boof launching an attack with 200 metres left, how soon I slipped to the 'also tried' as lungs got greedy to aerate the blood supply.
I felt guilty sleeping in till 6 Thursday, rain berthing the Baum and reintroducing me to the delights of a doona. Infectious isn't it?! The obsessive prologue habit returned on a fine but fresh Friday (4 degrees, feels like 2 says the bureau), soaking up the auditory complexities of "A Moon Shaped Pool" on a golf course - Lemnos loop, prior to converging on the Couldabeens (Goat votes for peace not pain). I found Wozza, Jase then Kenworth en-route, Cate, Cougar, Gazzagrasshopper, HashBrown, Kel, BigRon, Bo, Boof, Nev, Choppy and Rocket braving the elements at the carpark. How quickly the climate culls contenders down to the devoted, into obsolescence slips WhisperingJack, SuperMario, BigMat, Car+Mel, AvantiTrev, KillkennyPaul et al. (all to suffer terribly on their comeback) Wozza was the only one to form the right line, Gazzagrasshopper on his regular rapid routine regardless. I'd paired with Jase for Mitchell Rd, the light westerly should have helped but I found the tempo tortuous, the roll-over bringing Nev to my flank, chatting away happily while I could barely put two words together, lungs preoccupied extracting oxygen. The self induced punishment is soon lost in the rotational social intercourse, a River Rd respite with the breeze up the behind, Kel as snug as a bug in a merino rug, her leg warmers repossessed from (crossdresser?) Bo. Exertion went back on my agenda as Wozz and BigRon drove north to Channel Rd, pairing with Jase to the S bend and beyond beside Nev played mind mischief with me (made the mistake of Garmin gazing the escalating h.r.). Satisfied sitting out the sprint (high 40's hard enough midfield), I put my struggle down to hurt happens.
Week 21 327km. YTD 6,624 km.
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