Saturday 9th July
Layered for the cold but surprised by fog opening the front door at 5, I saddled up on a 30k solo as an aperitif to the usual Saturday social. The chicane of half a dozen hooded young punks walking the fogged road was a worry, two very young staggering girls behind questioned proper parenting. Weighed down by New Doookie Rd's damp atmosphere, an easterly effort to the church was enveloped in a thick black curtain, seeking guidance from the white line at the roads edge (revert to watching the centre dashed line when the council money runs out and the edge line disappears!) Finding the church was like finding WhisperingJack on a bike, Cosgrove North Rd minus any white lines to navigate by, but there was the piggery pong to hone in on. To Channel Rd, I'd armed myself with a chilled bidon to baptise Darth Vader if he hankered my ankle, no need.....the pooch was porch parked. Almost back to town, 6am had come and gone and still the Saturday crew had yet to appear. (Boof apparently had handicapped the start with a puncture on the grid). Arriving at the bus stop, the string of eastbound LEDs fronted, again a healthy population defied the ordinary weather, twenty devotees (Kel, Rocket, Boof, Pistol, Bruce, Temple, Bo, BigRon, BigMat, Mel, TatPaul, HBK, Cate, Shorty, Trav, Jase, Cougar, Nev, Wozza and Tina) to join and calm the heartrate from the solo starter. I drew a short straw between Pistol (now a grandpa) and Rocket (suck it up Foss, it's a social Saturday!) up to the pub before respite arrived for me. A chat with advancing contenders as a carbonaria played in the background, HBK in shorts while most were rugged up for 5 degrees. Puddles peppered specs in Ford Rd, Pistol and Rocket seasoned the speed with spice (Grahamvale to Verney Rd), matching this was going to sting (longer laps leave legs lax). Rocket played fair in simmering the speed for me but my mental limit had kaboomed reaching Numurkah Rd (recovery impossible when the head says no). I survived the thrash midfield up Wanganui hill, a few turning back to rescue tailenders. All were satisfied seated in the warmth of the Lemontree's heaters, plenty of hot air on Le Tour tactics and the Karramomus circuit blues as banana toast won flavour of the day.
Tuesday 12th July
Seeing stars was a welcome change Tuesday morning, a clear sky a strange sight after a wet week, however, headed to Ford Rd with a nasty northerly (24-32 km/h) put the f in effort, a red led to chase was my only forward motivation. Ford, Lemnos and Old Dookie Rd's were chosen to precede the Goats, pushed about east and west (imitating WobblyTrev) but it was salubrious southbound. Belly, MeridaJohn, Sandy, Hommy and Brendan were the only game Goats exiting town, what's happened to the other dozen die hards present just a month ago? (Softening under their snuggly doona's as fluffy penguins roll the wrinkles out?) MeridaJohn set a speed to send six single file on Old Dookie Rd up to Central Ave, Belly was left on the front for leg two prompting my humanitarian mission to donate a drive to Boundary Rd (but was left to continue to the pub!). Hommy had a go to the Broken Bridges, Brendan stretching the rubber band to River Rd, snapping Sandy off the back. Getting the bunch back and organised was like getting an election result, MeridaJohn surging ahead unaware of other trying to stay in touch. I was handed the helm on k 2 so took a long drive trying to smooth line and tempo to assist the needy. Time limited my stay to peel off at Kialla Central for a short cut home, 10k's northbound into the breeze a punishing penance to pay.
Wednesday 13th July
The urge to conquer the elements defies logic sometimes, a west northwester (28-52km/h) and a "feels like" -1.4 degrees couldn't overpower the sheer pigheadedness facing Wednesday's weather. Expectations of speed were quickly reassessed to new lows pointing into the Boulevard, the poor chain groaning under the wattage just to make motion forward. A quiet descended (save for the Mavic fugue in D minor) heading east on Wanganui Rd, an effortless roll at 40 with the wind up the Khyber. Verney south and Pine west to the main drag warmed but wore the legs to rendezvous with Wozz for the Couldabeens commute. There were only five fearless to front, BamBam, Pistol and Chops joining Wozz and I to question our sanity, ignore the bureau's data and sledge the doona divers. I drew the long straw of a draft to Mitchell Rd, my turn at the front a tailwind with Chops. There was work to be done on the northbound leg at Kialla Central but then back into the tow for most of River Rd. Gusts of 45km/h hit the port side in Boundary Rd, great to have Wozz roll over at one tree dam but he's as useful as a matchstick to draft. BamBam wilted in an attempt to reach the front, quickly into the tow when Pistol took his place up to Channel. Wozz and Pistol were the only ones with wattage to face the headwind west, working together to the cypress trees till Chops and I regained some composure to volunteer a turn. I hardly held 30 to the Central Ave turn, Chops took over to Prentice Rd, Wozz driving the wind restricted Cha Cha effort. Even the roll back to town was hard yakka, pleasure in survival, smug that many shied away.
Thursday 14th July
All intentions were on joining the Goats as I navigated an early clockwise Toaster circuit, no moon, no stars, and thank heavens no howling wind to battle, just a light WNW to assist me to the Emu then swinging conveniently NNW for the leg to the Toaster. 3 degrees was hardly motivational, flat-lining the Garmin data at 160 bpm and 76 rpm to internally warm the old engine. The simple pleasure of a post ride coffee and a casual prep for work undid the original intention, an anti-social solo mission turning south into Boundary Rd bought me 10 minutes of indulgence. Unsure if I'd be pre or post Couldabeens, I continued onto River Rd, it's sublime surface easing the effort (psychologically at least) to maintain the knots. From the dizzy heights of the channel bridge, lights were seen following some distance back, enough to keep the wheels working. A clean clearance over Melbourne Rd, thoughts on the finish line nearing raising the bar on speed for Raftery Rd, reaching Steptoe's as the collective of Couldabeens rounded Conrod straight.
Friday 15th July
A standard start time brought sanity back into perspective (briefly), saving something for a bigger effort Saturday. Cate, AvantiTrev, Temple, Rocket, Wozz, Kel, Bruce, Boof, Chops, Shorty, Bo, Jase and HBK lined up at the carpark, and good heavens! Hollywood appeared from oblivion! Nev's arrival at the third stroke flagged us away, high time I took the first turn and stopped sooking! The three k's to Sanctuary roundabout seemed never ending, at least Choppy drove fairly alongside. Hooray for Hollywood hanging on (herniating?) at the back, HBK in shorts of course, Rocket cresting a bout of man-flu. A larger than normal population of Pussycats bore west at River Rd's dip as I found the pain of the pot-hole that had reappeared from recent rains. Belting into Boundary Rd and just when the negatives were questioning my survival to Channel Rd, Choppy called a roll over at the bridges to save me from meltdown. The stars had aligned in Channel Rd as sixteen swiftly swung into Kinder corner, tucked into a ripper draft behind Rocket, Boof and Shorty, a long recovery since my last effort, and seated in surreal comfort shortened the odds for a respectable finish. Rocket and Boof drew the bunch single file at Prentice Rd, I sat at fourth wheel in the draft till Shorty expired then tried (in vein) to hold a third spot when Bruce bolted. A finish to bolster flagging fortunes, an amicable finish to the week with a social roll home.
Week 28 262km. YTD 8,546km
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