Week 36 : Paying the tempo tax

Post 361

Saturday 3rd September

Plenty of wind saddling up Saturday, not from pickled onions but from the south southwest.  Something triggered the prologue response to set sail at 4:50, up Numurkah Rd then east on Ford Rd to tackle a reverse Saturday lap.  The wind was massaging the ego (WSW at 24-48 km/h) to the Emu but summoning a psychiatrist for the 20 k's back to town.  Down to the 17 cog and up to 165 bpm headed to the Toaster, giving up on holding a straight line for dodging sticks and small branches spread across Pine Lodge North Rd.  The winds shift to southwest raised the taxes to reach Boundary Rd (this areas lack of hills is certainly countered by breeze in bulk) but felt pleased to keep the pace above 30 and stay on schedule to catch the 6am bunch.  A large black shoe lying in the middle of Channel Rd suddenly had eyes, a black cat crouched at the S bend sent a sudden shiver through the rhythm.  Back to the carpark with 3 minutes to spare and busting to loosen the over tightened laces on the new Easton Giro shoes (how handy was Shimano's adjust-while-you-ride ratchet strap), it was good morning to Chops, Mel, Cate, Bruce, Kel, Bo, Boof, Wozz, PistolPete, Rocket, TatPaul, ChrisA, Shorty, Nick, BigMat, Hollywood, AvantiTrev, Popgun (still contravening Rule #17), Jen, BamBam and Grumpy (now an ex-pat Cat?).  Traffic split the carpark exit, a sprint to catch the pack by Kensington roundabout warmed the joints at 40 km/h, soon settling to easy east with the wind bending the trees.  The westbound Godfather (Ange) arrived to populate the bunch to 22, BigMat's ride survey given a light layer of sledging in the Family Feud vein.  (Let's hope the Vox populi allays the minority). Pistol and the Godfather's pace tested the tailenders in Old Dookie Rd, Bo bringing the news to the front to restore some calm. I had far happier thoughts facing the southwester back to town with 22 to share the load.....make that 18 as the Caboose populated prolifically as the wind blew harder. There were a few grizzles midfield as the drivers slogged the mid thirties into Ford Rd , between Bruce and Rocket at the front for Grahamvale to Numurkah Rd spent my pennies, heaven to halt for traffic and find breath again.  Rotations became rapid as the sprinters itched when DECA drew near, I felt drawn to assist the rubber banding tailend when the bunch split from speed. Helping the harem of Jen, Cate, Mel and Kel motivated my muscles to reel in the bunch in Rudd Rd, buoyed by the Boulevard bliss of the breeze behind. A hot coffee in warm company with table topics of gels, timing food intake and doing turns, the weeks nirvana.

Monday 5th September

Maybe the excess of last nights Kadhai Gosht was to blame for the 5:20 struggle to sustain speed? Might just be a mental Mondayitis causing this hollandaise handbrake?  A short solo northern loop (15k) convinced the cranium to front Friars for a piece of peace train, AvantAndy, Sandy, Phil, Hommy, Dipper, Coggo and Belly made the small congregation for a mild morning (there's a doonitis epidemic amongst Goats it seems). Quietly up to a modest velocity and bound for Boundary, weekend pastimes were compared, 11 degrees exposing a few legs that haven't seen the light of day for a few months. A northbound gathering of Kel, Bo, HBK, Amy, AvantiMat and the Godfather cruised by as we steamed south to River Rd, Coggo secretly adding a few k's to the tempo on our way west.  Tucked in at second wheel and idling at 117bpm was cruisy, my next turn at the front spent immersed in regulating breathing to distract from Hommy's half wheeling.  I took my leave at Rivers' end, the sluggish start now a distant memory with pace restored to reasonable home.

Tuesday 6th September. 

Dialling back the k's and effort this week as a nest egg for the weekend's 180k Fruitloop has been a habit hard to break, the chance to join a quiet lap with HBK and Temple (attempting to purge the last symptoms of a cold) an ideal diversion.   Avoiding any 5:40 antagonism with a 5:30 start, we single filed slowly up to low 30's while listening for possible protest to guess Temple's comfort levels.  Silence tempted HBK to raise the stakes a k or two, my next turn keeping the status quo. By River Rd, high 30's had drawn no objection (or blood), a quiet recovery roll was now a solid tap for a trio. Temple's headlight abandoned ship as we swung into Conrod straight, I u-turned to retrieve it before a Prius pancaked it!  A thrash to the line seemed to be Temple's tonic, a rostered day off was mine to enjoy, post lap coffee and the Godfathers report of going OTA from the Hares better than work anyday!

Wednesday 7th September

Wanganui's fog was as thick as HBK's sarcasm, specs pocketed in the interest of staying on the tarmac of a 10k preface to the Couldabeens circuit. Wozz, Mel and Cate appeared in the main drag mist, Bruce, Chops, Pistol, Kel, BigRon, Bo, BigMat, Boof, Jase, Shorty, AvantiMat, Temple, HBK, Rocket, Nev and Hollywood filled the carpark to record Wednesday numbers.  Two others, not on the guest list, inserted some unease into the ride. South to the truck route, FDC's BamBam, Troy and Grumpy joined in from their 30k crank, and Nev back from a top 16 at the World Masters had some interesting news. Fog patched River Rd as dawn got out of first gear by painting pastels in the sky, I had six k's of eastbound demotion down the line to reach the caboose by Boundary Rd.  (estimated I'd get one brief spurt at the front around about the ChaCha!). The unknown quantity of CerveloChris (from Geelong, a navigational newbie) and ThinNick, a young gun in race-like posture, put caution on my priority, both unaware of bunch protocols and standards and the ChaCha ahead. ThinNick reached the front at Hopeful corner but eased his pace, I rolled straight over and held mid 40's to drop a less than subtle hint a thrash was due.  The big guns lined up and shot by in search of sprint stardom (my short burst enough indulgence if I'm to survive Sunday), the pack reconvening at the school for the collective cruise back to town, comfort levels with bunch oddfellows discussed with HBK, Boof, Mel & Cate on the homeward epilogue. 

Thursday 8th September

Kel, Bruce, Boof, Temple, Trav, Nev, Rocket, Wozz, Bo, PistolPete, Grumpy, Chops and HBK were the Thursday hares ready for a 5:50 launch, the mental mountain of first turn to Doyle's Rd was made steeper with a nasty northeaster (17-26 km/h).  Thankfully, there was a conservative crank beside Wozz to Kensington roundabout waiting for the latecomers (Huddo & Robbo), but then full steam ahead for a k blew out the cobwebs. Another brief respite on leg 2 while ChrisA caught the tail, then on the gas again made for interesting interval training.  #51Nath was found loitering at the cypress trees, thoughts of the tailwind for Boundary Rd and beyond boosted my determination but there'd be a tempo tax to pay when the sultans of speed got a breeze up the bum! Felt fairly fit cranking 43 clicks beside ChrisA in River Rd, but I soon developed an inferiority complex when Nev, Robbo, Rocket and Huddo stepped it up to new levels for their turns.  34 tortured wheels well into the 40's created a cacophony of carbon, there'd be Strava trophies aplenty for bunnies like me today.  Resignations from the pointy end had increased by Kialla Central, Temple, HBK, Kel, Chops and #51Nath all fighting for that rare and valued draft in a cross breeze.  Out of Dave's dip at warp speed turned the pack skinny and in the gutter searching for cover, almost halting at the highway was a lung luxury.  Only the big engines were swapping turns at the front nearing Galbraiths Gate, Pink Floyd's lyrics "hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" related to my plight in the survival seat.  Multiple fractures appeared in Conrod straight as the freaks kept turning the wick up, then multiple gasps at Steptoe's as cardiac crescendo's were calmed to the punch-up bridge, the 39.3 average a salve for the suffering. 

Friday 9th September

Had a "yeah, nah, but" session when the forecast damp failed to front by 4:45, was a lap possible before the radar's green swamped the town? The answer came just before the 5am alarm, showers vindicated an hours slumber.

Week 36.      250km.      YTD 10,996 km