And so I succumbed to the Strava challenge again, the Grand Fondo inflating to 130k's for the U.S. bathing in warmth and sunshine (no sympathy for the southern hemisphere) July's determination to dig new depths.
Saturday 2nd July
A mild morning got plenty out of the cot (not the second coming of WhisperingJack, Hollywood or BigMat) the carpark filled with peloton punters TatPaul, Cate, Wozz, Car+Mel, Shorty, Trav, Temple, Pistol, Ange, Rocket, Boof, Softa, Kel, Bo, Bruce, Tina, Nev, Cougar, HBK, Jase, BigRon and surprise surprise....SuperMario (that's three rides in three months!). A 15km/h northeaster pushed us out Channel Rd where AvantiMat arrived, my berth between Cate and BigRon was between fast and faster. Many were predicting there'd be few turns with plenty of players, I counted the heads (24) as they passed in the rotation. Thoughts of a headwind toil from the Emu turn were a bit precious, two turns 24k's apart was hardly herniating, but the rubber band principal applied to the bunch back with many multiplying the slightest variation. HBK's puncture halted us just a few metres into the westerly effort on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, not a breath of wind as we stood to sledge the pitstop, yet on the bike at speed it felt like a howler. Please explain the physics of that! I find tube replacement an interesting window into riders personality, the technique, mood and order (or lack of it!) telling an untold story, sometimes enlightening, sometimes scary. The masses were keen to crank away as HBK packed away the tools, a short chase with Rocket, Wozz, Temple and I towed HBK back to the bunch. Pace varied according to the drivers at the front, reaching Ford Rd I guessed I'd be at the business end at Wanganui Rd (again!) A short turn or two put me on the front earlier thankfully to tuck in behind Wozz and Pistol leading the Wanganui crescendo. Rocket led out Bo at the test track but Bo bonked....Pistol, Ange, Wozz and Boof responded as I refilled on oxygen in Temple's draft. The stretched field soon compressed nearing Kittles Rd, as Temple's torque faded I moved ahead (inspired with Mel locked onto my wheel) for a drive up Wanganui hill into sixth. The breeze behind via the Boulevard scored several a gong on Strava's "coffee shop champion" (who creates these weird segments?), a long Lemontree table filled with philosophies and tittle tattle on yoga, mind over muscles and media control, much chat on starting a regular calm tap for those battling the handbrake of hibernation.
Like addicts around the world, Saturday nights annual television injection of Le Tour was euphoric, made complete with the addition of Gabrielle's "knob of butter". And there's a few weeks of late nights to come!
Monday 4th July
Did the juggling act of h.r., cadence and speed on a Toaster lap Monday, only a hint of N-NNE to conquer but it felt like a battle. The swing south at the Emu dropped 15bpm, lifting the spirits to feel able joining the Couldabeens "quiet tap" coming out Channel Rd. Out of the darkness at Sellmans, the quick click of claws, the gnashing of teeth and guttural growl from Darth Vader (German shepherd) slobbering for a piece of my left ankle prompted a Marcel Kittel like special sprint stage. Settled back to a cardiac calm by the cypress trees, a quiet roll for two minutes found Ange, Rocket, Kel, Pistol, Bo, Bruce, Wozza, BigRon, Temple and rub-your-eyes-it-must-be-a-mirage.......BigMat had made a second coming! (enticed by Wozza's wait on the doorstep) Nice to be in the delight of a draft, a moderately speed carried us east back to Boundary, Darth Vader this time had shied away from a massed approach. Bruce, Wozz and BigRon were being gentle on their jellied race legs, I happily soaked up the tail breeze with Kel and Pistol down to River Rd, but the quiet tap turned tempo with red LEDs ahead, the chase carrot officially dangled for Ange and Bo. Not much said as thoughts went into a collaborative drive (or draft) west. The Pussycat bait was finally caught on the crest of Dave's Dip, BigBen, Dion and others on a quiet tap of a different flavour. All made use of a short window between the Melbourne Rd traffic, I called a short roll to Roubaix as the NNE'er made its presence felt on my performance. Rocket, Ange and Pistol dialled up the pace to Conrod straight, Cats held at bay on the back and BigMat surviving a quick comeback.
Tuesday 5th July
Resigned to a sleep-in with Tuesday's forecast damp, there was a surprise at the 5:35 alarm to find a fairly dry track and a fairly dry radar. Abandoning the preferred pre-ride breakfast to reach the Friars grid in time, a quick kit-up and crank south had only Brendan, Sandy and Hommy turn up, a Goat drought in the depths of winter. Long turns were de rigeur for the quadrella, a single filed attempt on the circuit reduced the expectation on average speed but increased the workload. I felt primed enough to take on the eastern leg for an opener, hooray for Hommy taking the helm from Central Ave to Boundary. Brendan seemed to struggle into the light southerly, Sandy still the caboose captain till fitness is found. I had a drive to the pub and was at the helm again as we turned into River, watching the heart rate climb on a long contribution to the dip, putting in my fair share as time was going to force my early departure via Archer Rd. An 8k solo back to suburbia, a spike in the heart rate rolling back through town with a FWD f-wit u-turning in front of me, I questioned why neanderthal's are allowed to drive (maybe the "I'm bigger than you" logic applied to his give way rule?)
Wednesday 6th July
A solo loop of the Lemnos - golf course circuit put pleasure before pain, a cruisy crank to the soup tin but there was a nasty southwester (24-30 km/h) back to Wanganui hill, meeting my speed expectation almost heartbreaking. The minutes ticked away reaching Rudd Rd, sensing I was running late kept the pace driven, but arrived on cue to rendezvous with the chicks of charm (Mel and Cate). Reaching the carpark at the south of town was work enough, only the brave would face an early shift to captain the Couldabeens to Mitchell Rd into the (now) SSW'er. Bruce, Boof, Pistol, Bo, BigRon, Shorty, Temple, HBK, Kel, Rocket and Trav set forth at six for the six k's of hurt to Mitchell, the cream (Bruce, Pistol, Boof and Rocket) rising to the top as a single line of survivors strung out behind. BamBam joined in, plenty finding enthusiasm for a turn at the front when we steered west and north toward River Rd. HBK was pegged back to level with Temple's witty call ("bike ahead"), then grizzled at my pace on the change of shift. Possibilities of a windbreak in Channel Rd were speculated as Pistol poured on the pace in Boundary, no such luck as our turn west faced the wind funnelling between the orchards. Several reassessed a turn at the front as the Cha Cha drew near (me included), I left the gate open for Bruce and Trav to join the up line as we belted into Kinder corner, hoping to sit in the cheap seats for a tow, but the up line was blown apart (literally) as many dived for cover behind the powerhouses. Left out to dry, I opened the throttle in a do or die effort, picking off half a dozen who'd fancied their chances against Rocket and Pistol (but expired in the breezistance), to be rewarded with third (Bam Bam finding similar fortune from the fallout). I joined northerners Boof, Mel, Cate and HBK for a tailwind home as the Mexicans had a slog south.
Friday 8th July
A small hole appeared on the radars' green curtain over town, giving a slim hope of squeezing in a proper lap (not a Zwift substitute.....that's just PlayStation with pedals) after Thursday's damp disappointment. There was no sighting of Wozz, Cate or Mel in the main drag so took a punt on a Friars friendly. Alas, it was a Goatless effort (apologies for the dad joke), just me solo setting my own pace :) The road had a damp gloss to it, not enough to sprout rooster tails but soggy enough to tip toe through the turns (preferring to ignore the bike cleaning duties later). There was energy to expend east on Old Dookie Rd, a light southeaster to furrow the brow to Boundary Rd., southbound felt better, an unidentified pair of bikes northbound at one tree dam loaned credence to my craziness. River Rd felt downhill, a strange satisfaction tapping out a lap when most had sunk deeper under the doona. Hovering between 159 and 171 bpm for an hour justified the Scottish raisin toast and coffee back in town......but now to bathe a Baum.
Week 27 243km. YTD 8,284km
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