17/9
Legs were at their limit fighting New Dookie Rd's northeaster, heart and lungs could manage a bit more but Wozza's tempo over the 11k's had almost massacred my muscles. (And this was my idea of a quiet early lap?) Sight of the Pine Lodge church in the Cateye's beam instantly disconnected my drive, a 50 metre coast was almost reduced to walking pace by the corner. Relief had arrived at last to soothe the satorius' sting, the breeze behind for Old Dookie Rd, Boundary and Channel needed as compensation for the prior perspiration. The rebuilt Cosmic had started silently, but that relentless rattle had come back again (me thinks a cassette spacer short?). Arriving back at the 6am grid at 5:55, Saturday's social sustainance was struck with Jase, Bruce, Boof, Temple, Pistol, Shorty, Nick, Chops, HBK, Amy, Popgun, Kel, AvantiTrev, Bo and Nev arriving in the carpark, school holidays (and some suffering severe softness) had slimmed the attendance from the regular high 20's to just 16. A hint of a crimson sunrise brewed but faded fast with low cloud smothering the scene, I'd only served a couple of turns up front by the Toaster, made easy by plenty of r & r in the tow prior. Turning for home at the Emu, Kel and I (then HBK) were in the caboose's bad books for driving at 40, easing off the throttle seemed a waste of a good tailwind, but it restored the friendships. The pussycat population is on the up and up with a sizeable pack to hurl advice to as we crested the main eastern channel bridge (a category three climb?), Tommygun joined in as our speed ever so slowly built again (maybe motivated by thoughts of the breakfast menu?) PistolPete, in another world (and another league) had cranked five lengths ahead in Ford Rd, finally twigged he was alone and slowed to draw himself back even with Temple. The sprint built slowly but surely to DECA's test track (preventing fractures), within reach of the hill the cream had risen to the top for Boof to blast away to line honours. A rather lengthened bunch eventually reunited in the Boulevard to berth for breakfast at the Lemontree, motivation, wedding dresses and half wheeling the subjects keeping the table noisy.
19/9
A 1mm spacer delivered the sound of silence Monday, the cassette cadenza muted at last to enjoy the tranquility of a solo circuit. Rising rivers and Dave's dip deluged required a revised route, out to the quarry and back made a change but not as good as a holiday. The WSW'er was a bonus bearing east , daybreak arriving even earlier to outline Cosgrove's gravel mountains. A definite breeze on the brow as I turned onto New Dookie Rd at 6, head down and cadence up (76) to work west, oncoming gravel trucks delivering gusts of torture. Pine Lodge church grew gradually larger (paying penance again!), I turned to the Toaster, distracted by the sun cresting Mt.Major, painting the canola at its feet. (and some still are possessed by pillow and drugged by doona!) West toward Boundary Rd and hunting between the 17 and 15 (all I want for Christmas is my 16 back teeth), 2k's ahead a long line of Goats herded south on the peace train. Calculations ruled Channel Rd was my course of convenience for the clock, riding in daylight a pleasure forgotten for many months. Back to base bang on 7, 54 clicks satisfied the target.
20/9
Boulevard bound, the Garmin lost its grip on one of the satellites 20,200 k's away, a pause at the cemetery to reboot brought data back to life. Head down in Wanganui Rd to slice a northeaster, suddenly a 5 foot roo bounded from the long roadside grass to pucker the posterior. I'd recovered on the remaining 11k solo to converge on the Couldabeens carpark, crammed with comeback kids (WhisperingJack, Car, KillkennyPaul, Hollywood, AvantiMat and Nick), regulars Temple and AvantiTrev outnumbered. AvantiTrev held the reigns on leg one, Temple and I topping up the tempo for leg 2. KillkennyPaul put in a good turn on leg 3 but the body language spoke of ride deprivation reaching the Kinder. WhisperingJack's enthusiasm was measured in microns, Car covering the shortfall by the bucketful. Plenty were pleased to end the headwind toil at Boundary Rd, and there were no complaints at dialling up the tempo in River Rd (WhisperingJack silent in the rear seat), Hoges found loitering with intent at the dip, hunting Hares. Dave's dip was now dry but Raftery's punch-up bridge was under, so Archer Rd was our home straight (into the wind to make us earn breakfast). Most had served their duty at the front and, with 500 metres remaining, I timed my arrival at the pointy end fresh to stretch out the finish.
22/9
Almost felt guilty being blown east on New Dookie Rd at 35+, but there'd be a tax to pay heading back to town against the SW'er. Still dark at 5:30 turning into Boundary, the 20-37 km/h wind pegged back the progress to put pace on priority, it's so easy to burn up the reserves too early fighting this stuff. I almost frightened myself seeing 84rpm in the chase of a red led ahead in Old Dookie Rd, no hope of catching Tina a k in advance though. I managed a respiratory reprieve arriving at Friars with 5 minutes spare, Principal Skinner, Heady, Sandy, AvantiLeigh, Phil, Spiessy, Hommy, Brendan, Coggo, Dipper, Belly and Tina the Goats gathering for a 6am launch. All were happy to head east with the wind at their back, Belly's on a new Propel (pigeon paired to Phil's), Sandy still captaining the caboose, Skinner surmounting spinal suffering and Hommy habitually half wheeling. Turning into the wind reassessed several roles, Spiessy joining the retirees at the Broken bridges and Brendan keeping them company in River Rd. Dipper's tempo is well tuned but Belly was calling calm, trying to oblige both stuck in between wasn't easy. With doubts of passing Raftery's swollen creek, an Archer amendment meant I had time to complete the shortened Goat lap, a tailwind home straight a rare treat. Hommy had resigned to the rear, all that half wheeling burning his finishing hopes (pacing himself seems impossible). A quick finish to Kialla Lakes, many continuing an Indian filed pace through town to be home early.
Uploading my Garmin data showed great Strava news, USA's Amanda Coker broke the women's highest annual mileage record, covering 30,000 miles (48,280km) in just 130 days. Yep, 371km a day spells determination! And she's continuing, aiming at the men's record (120,805 km) Check out <goamandacoker.com>
23/9
Almost counting down the year to finish my meagre 300k/week self imposed target, sometimes it's the sole motivator to get me out the door in the cold. Anticlockwise on the golf course loop and a little tour de suburbia filled the time before the rendezvous with Wozz, Cate (Cheshire grin with a new bike), Car+Mel. Only Shorty was at the carpark at 5:56, but a late flood of Nick, Nev, Chops, PistolPete, Kenworth, HBK, Temple and AvantiTrev filled the grid. Sympathy for Wozza's solo drive south at the front urged me first to form the up line, 38 clicks into the southwester evaporated the energy and a PistolPete pairing to the roundabout pickled my performance. Grumpy, BamBam, Pelly, Troy and Ralphy joined on leg three, nineteen settling into something steady. Daylight has drawn plenty out on two wheels, the pussycat pack in River Rd longer than HBK's bike. The Goats 'steady roll' looked seriously like a pain train in Boundary Rd, our bunch turning from social to serious as the Channel Rd pace lifted. It was my turn at the rushin' front with Wozz at the S bend, coping rather well into the fourties at the cypress trees till PistolPete murdered me in McFadyen Rd. Sitting second wheel at Kinder corner I'd started to recover, but Nev's pace turned two rows to a single filed string of survival, Chops, HBK and others diving for cover in the down line. Swamped by sprinters in the final half k and suddenly stopped by (rare) traffic at Orrvale Rd, a cleat that wouldn't release laid me horizontal on the intersection. No damage other than a little dent to the pride.
Week 38. 278k. YTD 11,609km
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