Saturday 30th July
Trav, Wozz and Temple, keen for an early tap (well before sparrows flatulence) broke my drought of solo's, but leaving a warm bed at 4:30 was too much for Temple, just Trav and Wozz at the A Mart start at 5. A reverse Tuesday / Thursday circuit started with calm intention, joined by Frido and another Cat at the punch-up bridge then Vince at Arcadia Downs, put pace into the recipe. Heart rate hovering in the 165's whittled down my reserves and determination early, only Trav, Wozz, Vince and I rolling the turns while two freeloading felines wore out their welcome on the back. There was a painfully long crank at the front to River Rd's ripple strips, relief to turn into Boundary and have Trav take over the work into the wind. Vince and the sponge bobs continued north when we steered west into Channel, timing to a tee a berth at the back of Saturday's pack at the carpark for a well earned tow. Shorty, Tina, Bruce, Chops, HBK, Nev, Kel, Bo, Ange, Boof, Mel, Cate, Temple, Rocket, PistolPete, Jase, KillkennyPaul, Softa and Cougar provided a long draft of recovery (132bpm), just the yo-yo effect to counter on corners till the promotion forward levelled out the highs and lows. Time to chat (Queensland temperatures with Mel, wheels with Pistol, cheek from Chops, weather with Bruce, opportunity with Shorty, sarcasm from HBK, utes with Rocket) till duty called at the front, the Toaster to the church with Temple then the church to the Emu with Trav was to be my only contribution to slicing into the atmosphere. There was delight in the draft as others donated their drive into a freshening northeaster, Tommygun, appearing as we crossed Boundary Rd, testing his absence off the saddle. My intention to tick July's distance challenge struck the sprint off my to-do list, letting the energy engines of Wozz, Jase, Shorty, Bo, Bruce, Nev, Boof, Pistol and Rocket off the leash for the Wanganui hill. My role as gatekeeper weighed heavy with the long line of KillkennyPaul, Softa, Trav, Mel, Temple, Cate, Tina, AvantiTrev, Cougar and even Ange hanging on my wheel. Gradually moving up the ranks as the sprintenders expired (Ange finally launching a late lunge passed), my motion motivated by the three quick chicks (Mel, Cate and Tina) right in my draft up the hill (175bpm), a long line of spent survivors stretched out behind. Rudd Rd's relaxed roll regrouped ruined riders relegated rearward, thoughts of the Lemontree's menu no doubt inspiring the final 5k to a warm breakfast table. AvantiTrev's call to the Fruitloop attendance challenge, whiskers and Pistols elegant ensembles occupied the chat, keeping one eye on the Goat grid across the road at Friars.
Caffeine finally arrived and was downed, so saddled up on cue to join Coggo, Spartacus, Joe, Hommy, AvantiAndy, Jen, Heady, Sandy and LegalAndy for a dip at a clockwise Toaster, a light misting of rain on the roll out attempting to break the spirit (takes more than that to snap my dogged monthly mission). Yet another grubby bike and spotted kit as Hommy's wheel stucco'd muck upon me as a souvenir of stubbornness. Just into a rotational rhythm reaching the golf course when the Spartacus puncture sideshow started. All gathered to chortle at the replacement of a blown tube with another blown tube, a spontaneous C02 cartridge deployment and subsequent sledging punctuated with Brendan's cackle was worth an admittance fee! The protracted pitstop done, we were underway in Wanganui to more mist, thankfully clearing at Ford to be treated to a tow by a commuting Manitou (diesel for breakfast wasn't tasty) for 3k. AvantiAndy has emerged from hibernation, Jen's found her mojo again, Coggo climatising to the flatlands and Heady climatising from a night of heavy hydration. The Lemnos-Cosgrove track was tapped to the Emu, the north northeaster enjoyed to the Toaster, my k's clicked over the ton in Old Dookie Rd to bring July's goal closer. StravaStalker (suitably solo) plied north on Boundary, MachineSteve then Liam & Travis following soon after, but I was mapping a Channel Rd home run with the clock against me. Adieu's bid to Goats then the slog home solo with rubber legs and a sensitive sit-site, but quite chuffed that the distance and Grand Fondo boxes had been ticked for the seventh month running.
(Temple's taxi tangle homeward from the Lemontree resulted in some shoulder tissue damage, a broken door window and windscreen the taxi's price for failing to give way. Hope the recovery is painless and swift Temple)
Monday 1st August
A slice of life as a normal person with a sleep-in to 6:30 Monday, but I couldn't resist a 4:20 peek out the window at the forecast rain just to confirm a lap wasn't possible, a gleaming Baum beaming bedside, there'd be no worm decorations today.
Tuesday 2nd August
A south southwester blew the bike east on New Dookie Rd at 5, turbo boosted by last nights' beef palakwalla, the tarmac mostly now dried from Monday's monsoon (18mm). The Boundary Rd Blues played headed south into the 20-35 km/h chill, tempo not too bad though considering. Not a bike to be seen exiting town east on my west leg in, only Brendan, Coggo, Sandy, Hommy and MeridaJohn were tough while all others had softened under their cosy doona's. An attempt to work in pairs out of town descended into MeridaJohn stretching the rubber band till Sandy snapped off the back, Coggo taming team tempo to get the bunch bonded. Hommy hammered into the headwind on Boundary but Sandy suffered the speed (hey, but hats off to her tenacity, keeps turning up and trying without a grizzle). Her and Hommy took a Channel Rd exit leaving Brendan, MeridaJohn, Coggo and I to the standard circuit, hooray for Coggo towing us to River Rd for Brendan to have a bash at the first k. My turn next to the dip, skirting several little rivers across River from Monday's downpour. Continued employment dictated I depart at Rivers' end, relishing the tailwind home but cussing every traffic light against me.
Wednesday 3rd August
Nothing like an unknown distance vs a known time to get the motivation going, a Lemnos loop prior to the Wozz / Cate / Mel rendezvous was squeezed in with 4 minutes to spare. The Couldabeens carpark convergence included Boof, Jase, Chops, Paul VanP, Bo, Pistol, Rocket, Kel, AvantiTrev, AvantiMat, Cougar, HBK, BigRon and surprise surprise, BigMat (did somebody mention free beer?) The 6am launch had Wozza driving to Sanctuary roundabout, a long line of passengers behind before Boof, Pistol and Rocket got the up line going. Plenty of pot-holes have propagated from recent rains, I'm sure the serious ones will be fixed first (in front of the town hall!). My first shift at the business end came up in River Rd (great timing with a gentle help from the WSW'er) beside Jase then Chops, both calling a roll-over before I'd reached respiratory ruin. BigRon and Bo played boisterous boys on the front till AvantiTrev simmered the speed, a few more now joining a calmer up line for a dip in the drivers seat. A hint of light on the horizon at 6:35 is a hint of Spring to come, just need the temperature now to inspire others out. A Boundary Rd pot-hole ruptured HBK's tube and forced an intermission, the pitstop parking spread out over 100 metres (happy to chat with the quick chicks while the mechanics got grubby). The restart was ramshackle, a peloton in pieces till some form of formation happened in Channel Rd. There were vague reports of disarray at the cypress trees (HBK's imagination at a further flat), but with plenty in the pack, the front 10 continued in hope of keeping to time. Rocket, Wozz, Jase, Boof and Paul VanP cranked up the cadence to the Kinder, I sat back as gatekeeper to keep Cate, Mel, AvantiMat, Kel and BigMat in tow. The big guns fired at Hopeful corner and opened up a gap, leaving me to drive the ChaCha and carry the survivors expectations. Managed to claw back a little draft and pick off two expirees before Orrvale Rd, the thanks from the line behind making my day. The roll back home found GoatPhil, off the back of the Goats with a misfiring engine.
Thursday 4th August
A deliberate attempt to ignore the speed and roll out quietly on a solo lasted as long as Hollywood's comeback, by Wanganui Rd the speed demons had invaded the prefrontal cortex to maximise the momentum to Grahamvale Rd and back on New Dookie. The 2.5 degree chill and a light southerly pegged back the enthusiasm reaching the Couldabeens carpark with Wozz, Hoges rolling around in circles just to keep warm. Rocket, Pistol, Boof, Trav, Kenworth, Kel and Bo reporting in for duty. I got the first shift with Wozz to the truck route (thanks for not toasting me Wozza!) but it took till leg 3 to find the oxygen to be sociable to Pistol. As Bo, Kenworth and Trav moved up, doubts brewed about my capacity to crank at the pace (h.t.f.u. Foss! you're amongst friends!) Boundary Rd's headwind took the wind out of my sails, a half turn beside Rocket then Wozz to one tree dam nearly jettisoned breakfast. Like Hoges, Boof, Trav, Kenworth and Kel, I'd lost the will to sacrifice myself at the front, so it was huff & puff & hang on to the four workhorses ahead hurtling along River Rd. Caught cruising ahead, Nev and Chops leapt aboard, Nev moving up to the pointy end to start single file rolling turns while Chops stayed camouflaged in the caboose. Again I'd been appointed the gatekeeper when Kenworth slipped back for a better draft, twas hard work leaving a gap for the turns to roll and preserving the hopes of those behind to stay in touch. Rapid progress to Kialla Central and along Mitchell, but rising waters forced a detour via Archer Rd home, well into the fourties the bunch's tail broke up on re-entry. I'd survived in sixth to Kialla Lakes, then a brief cruise to let Kenworth catch for a post mortem homeward.
Friday 5th August
The chill of the heart rate strap, dressing in umpteen layers, don't forget the booties, head warmer & fat finger gloves, into the iced atmosphere, a refrigerated road with frosted cars......don't you just love winter! A little think therapy for 10k in 1.3 degrees on the golf course loop before meeting Wozz and Cate, then down south for a little carpark comedy with KillkennyPaul and Softa shivering & huddled under the shops' awning. Shorty, Pistol, Boof, Rocket, BamBam, TrekMat, AvantiMat, AvantiTrev, Chops and HBK rolled in for the 6am start, Wozza taking the train south again, tempo tamed to the temperature restored some peace and sociability. On our eastward excursion the ever enlarging pot hole near River Rd's dip claimed PistolPete's tube, the pause for repairs in the cold was warmed up sledging Softa, and soaking up a pre sunrise glow on the horizon. A tidy restart paired me with AvantiMat to Boundary Rd, an eye peeled for the pot hole at One Tree dam to avoid another pit stop. TrekMat finally came forward for a contribution in Channel Rd but dissolved under duress nearing the cypress trees. Second from the back on the up line was my prime real estate hooking into Kinder corner, KillkennyPaul and Softa did a dive for cover to the down line at Hopeful corner as I scored Pistol's draft (homing in on Boof and HBK's lead-out to Prentice Rd.) It took I could muster to hold Pistol's wheel, but twas Wozza's day to pounce from behind with a convincing win, the social spin home warmed up a chilled morning.
Week 31: 326 km. YTD : 9,514km.
No comments:
Post a Comment