8/10
Discovering a flat at saddle-up time put Wozza way behind agenda, head-on into a stiff southerly to meet like minded insomnicyclusts made a swift start for our 5k commute to the carpark. Rocket, Bo and Kel had waited patiently, a Wednesday / Friday tap lap turned to attack, red led's ahead dangled like a carrot. Rocket and Wozz drove a hard bargain into River Rd's darkness, the Wozz and Bo combo similarly swift, so good on Kel for facing this pace at the pointy end. My legs said 'no way Jose' but the head said HTFU, and inspired by Kel's effort I ventured forth, just as the call "single" went out. The last 600 of River at 40 cooked me, reserves from unknown sources had to drive me to catch the now Rocket powered train in Boundary Rd, but the led's ahead weren't for catching as our course turned into Channel. Still filed Indian style, the tempo turned down to mid 30's, at last a chance to compose head and heart (down to 160) to arrive back at our start point as the Couldabeens congregation converged (HBK, AvantiMat, Temple, AvantiTrev, TatPaul, SuperMario, Shorty, Cougar, Nick, Boof, The Godfather, PistolPete, Trav, Hoges, Tum and Jase.) Yet another foreigner had fronted (OrbeaMat) from fields unknown, at least his logistics and line looked compatible as we rolled out Channel Rd, would his speed and sociability suit? HBK incurred penalties for the pace at the S bend, Hoges has a knee still taped, SuperMario aboard again (from one-a-month to two in two days), Tum awaiting a first-born, and TatPaul giving birth to a puncture. The pitstop pause screened a scenic sunrise, soon back to the business toward the Toaster, partaking the piggery pungency. The turn for home with the wind at our portside bow made for tough turns, TatPaul made a brief appearance at the pointy end, my luck drew the test of a PistolPete partnership to Boundary Rd, (Trav's turn seemed cruisy in contrast). The bunch had fanned across Ford Rd in search of shelter, only half were now volunteering a turn in the drivers seat. Crossing Grahamvale Rd the tail end snapped off, Bo & co doing the tow to get 'em back aboard. Seems the strugglers lost their grip at Verney Rd too, but without a word, the main pack was oblivious with heads down and tails up. Only 8 drivers braved the Wanganui workout, a long thin tail of survivors summoning the dregs of wattage left to stay in touch. There was a chance of composure and to break the sprint silence as Rudd Rd allowed a regroup, Boulevard bound for breakfast turned the mood from suffering to sociable swiftly. Displeasure at being dropped was aired, the banter on effort, escape plans and roadside treasure ping-ponged across the Lemontree table, Bo's artery attack breakfast outgunning the hollandaise.
10/10
And so begins 29 days of a corporate pedometer challenge, the conversion from bike distance to steps is 200/min at 32+km/h, so I'll add that to work walking for a daily total.
Rule 9 applied Monday, a wry smile unstoppable hearing WhatsApp ping the abandonments, the passing shower at 4am was an out for some and opportunity for others. East on New Dookie Rd found Cate keen for k's, just the large puddles to dodge, a 24km/h WNW'er drying the smaller ones. One grumpy truck amongst the usual 4 passing vehicles, objecting to a bike taking up a metre of the left lane. (and I thought Reids stockfeed ran a professional outfit!) A good spin to the church made way for a solid grind into Old Dookie Rd's headwind, insects served as an atmospheric breakfast (I prefer my protein dished up as steak) There was a steady slog into Channel Rd to get us home, the ChaCha tempting Cate to put a spike in the Strava data, I just had to try to keep up.
(37,305 steps)
11/10
Running late certainly sharpens the focus, 3 minutes to make up in the 5k commute to the Couldabeens warmed up the muscles quickly. The turtle faction drew BamBam, Troy, Temple, Cougar, HBK and Hollywood to berth, AvantiTrev's arrival right on flagfall. Velocity varied in Channel Rd as fit followed fitter as far-from-it followed, feeling the breeze on the starboard side in Boundary Rd forecast a push for River Rd. BamBam was half biked for the first leg, Temple matched HBK for a brief burst, I took the helm to turn it an Indian file drive to Trevaskis Rd (receiving notices of an ease motion on the way). AvantiTrev and Cougar had taken a back seat while Hollywood, Temple and BamBam shared the rest of River Rd. HBK, driving the Central Kialla leg, received a handbrake suggestion, the rubber band snapped in Mitchell though, a long cruise to Archer allowing a regroup. Calm was contained for the northern leg home till the town limits begged a blast, I led out a sprint starved Hollywood to take the chocolates, but Troy had the lungs to score the honours.
(41,601 steps)
12/10
Thought I was running to schedule Wednesday, but by the time the Garmin sprang to life there was four minutes to make up. Wozza had waited patiently, a hard drive to the carpark with 40 seconds to spare was my penance for procrastination. Kel, Bo, BigRon, Rocket, Cate, Robbo, Huddo, Mel, Mitch, Pistol Boof, Jase, Chops, AvantiTrev and Hollywood filled the carpark, a few breaths then saddle up to spear south single filed. A long left line was reluctant to join an up line of three, eventually two even lines got organised by the Sanctuary roundabout. BamBam, Grumpy, Pelly and Troy joined from the earlier FDC lap, social updates with Chops, Jase, Pistol and Robbo before duty at the front with Cate and Hollywood silenced sentences. Bikes in pairs, singled and swarmed cranked west, our journey east spent lamenting the cold, dark and damp, how soon will the grizzles of heat start? A belt up Boundary and a chase in Channel drew me closer to the rushin' front, Boof, Wozz and Rocket the formidable front men ahead as the ChaCha drew nearer. A few dived for cover in the left line at Kinder corner as the pace percolated, my role was to round up Rocket and Wozz, but I'd burnt the biscuits by Prentice Rd. Swamped by all in 200 metres, the dregs of my tank were used to catch the bunch at the school. Weapon joined from her suburban yeah-nah-but ride, my rare chance to join the coffee faction for a mid-week yarn on PistolPete's performance and MTB trails.
A day off begged daylight k's, congregating with the Adams family posed some risk (Wobbly Trev and Mr.Magnet) but some sociability (Tina, BianchiPat, Barnsey, Norm, Col etc). Adjusting to rather different peloton protocols (fit in or f.... off!) makes you appreciate the regular clans, see-saw speeds and tenuous turns with 16 on Mitchell and Boundary kept the wits filed sharp. Old Dookie Rd beckoned several to short-cut homeward but a dozen continued to the Toaster, a tailwind treat till the toil 12ks back to town on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd. It was difficult to set a tempo at the front with speeds floating 15%, long and short, solid and slow back to Wanganui Rd. There were just 3 left offering themselves to the lead role as 10 drew single, winding up my attack at the hill drew no challenge, it was a 300 metre sprint between 60 signs in Rudd they'd waited for! Back home with 90k's clocked satisfied the Strava target, I'm not leaving the 1250k goal to the last day this month!
(56,625 steps)
13/10
You'd think I'd have learned the late lesson lately, the rigmarole of multiple winter layers in Spring put my schedule out again, covering 5.4 k's in 9 minutes with a 20km/h headwind (and three halts for traffic lights) got the h.r. cooking. I just caught the Turtles tail as they'd exited the carpark (HBK, Temple, Pelly, BamBam, Shorty, Troy, Cougar, AvantiTrev and Popgun), a recovery in the rear seat prepared me for the headwind beside Troy at the Kinder. The next shift with Shorty at the cypress trees earned an "ease-up", some in the draft in distress. AvantiTrev and Temple took on Boundary Rd's headwind, Popgun (pooped) pointed north toward the Pub. Beside BamBam out of River Rd's dip then with Shorty at the bridge, the southerly whipped at the wheels to make a WobblyTrev trajectory easy. Temple and HBK had a handbrake applied to their leg in Central Kialla, sneakily the speed crept up for Mitchell. Over the highway the clamp was called again, a minute to reacquaint myself with the rare Raftery Rd (partly submerged for the last few weeks) before HBK pressed the accelerator again at Arcadia Downs. A dream sit at 3rd wheel behind BamBam into Conrod put the odds in my favour, Troy turned the bunch single file out of the dip, BamBam rattled the valve stems taking the lead with 500 to go, I sat playing the waiting game for the first sign of fading. Pouncing at the 300 mark was optimistic, only just finding the extra to fend off HBK, Shorty and Pelly for a rare win.
(44661 steps)
14/10
Finally on schedule, no wind, and hooray it's Friday! Bruce, Boof, Cate, Wozza, Kenworth, Rocket, Pistol, Temple, Shorty, Nev, Weapon, Chops, Cougar, AvantiTrev, Jase and Hollywood arrived to tap a lap for the weeks end, BamBam and Troy appeared at the truck route from their early course. Fog had layered on the paddocks and an orange daybreak distracted us from the 4 degrees, the cool air gripping the lungs like a vice when visiting at the front. I'd taken an early shift with Wozz in an effort to get some concrete in my diet, but a rotation calculation predicted my next go would be in at the deep end of the ChaCha challenge. So where else do you get a civil engineer, a district nurse, an office manager, a storeman, an excavator operator, a bike shop owner, a psychologist, a maintenance foreman, a salesman, and a turner & fitter hurl themselves into the pre-breakfast elements before work? Tis a strange social mix that bonds in this ride ritual. Wozza was keen for a calm crank, so why was I pushing 40 beside him in McFadyen Rd? It had taken 18k's for the bunch to go full circle, it took just 900 metres for it to turn totally again for the ChaCha. I'd run out of road to get closer than sixth, but it's reassuring to finish within sight of the victors.
(40,375 steps)
Week 41 312km. YTD 12,517km
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