3/12
Insomnia resurrected the early Saturday lap, New Dookie Rd was barren at 5 to enjoy the south southwesterly but the recent reseal is as rough as Trump's diplomacy. I'd optimistically dressed for summer but "feels like 7" chilled the limbs in Boundary Rd.
20k's of serenity and mental meandering was a cranial spring clean after a week of work, the weekend welcomed with the grin greeting from Mel, Cate and Jase back in town. Daylight and summer combined to draw a crowd to the carpark (or was it our magnetic personalities?) SuperMario, Bruce, Lenny, Lucy, Shorty, Rocket, Temple, HBK, TheGodfather, Weapon, Nick, TatPaul, Nev, Pistol, Cougar, AvantiTrev, Marz and TrekTrev lined up for the 6am launch. I'd drawn 3rd wheel in the grid lucky dip, behind the unfamiliar TatMat (Orbea) though his smooth, steady and poised position was reassuring, the fast bit was hard to match. Nice to get to the end of my shift at blood & bone corner, quickly tucking in for the tow from Cate as a stream of others went forth to do their duty. HBK upped the ante in Old Dookie Rd (to escape the porky pong?) just enough to cut the caboose cackle, the rubber band effect quite strong out of Toaster corner, shadows long in the grass from 48 wheels working north. As rare as the northern hairy nosed wombat, we spotted the eastern hairy chinned SpinDoctor at the Cosgrove silo, and in company with TrackStan, they joined the lengthening bunch to point west at Emu corner. One or two headed to the business end but then created a third outside line of retreat, looked like a bunch of Browns cows from the rear. Popgun was idling west at the main eastern channel forcing us to thread the needle with oncoming Cats, I'd been promoted to the pointy end again with TatMat in Ford Rd, pretty pleased the 'ol engine could keep up with a newer model into the southwester. Cougar, Popgun and Marz took the effort escape via Verney Rd, eagerness escalating as we continued driving past DECA, I was positioned perfectly at 2nd last with old mate Temple smooth and predictable ahead. Plenty were expiring as the hill beckoned a blast, I jumped out of Temple's tow, around the wilted and up Mt Wanganui, 5th the best I could hope for with Rocket, TrackStan and the real movers ahead. Back to base camp and breakfast, little cars, language and pinched nerves took me into overtime, tempted to stay and order brunch as Tina and Trude (TT&T) and HuggyBear filtered in to wag chins.
4/12
With a forecast fickle for Monday, Rocket called a camel farm lap Sunday, an offer appealing to keep my k's clicking for the last month's challenge. The good old days of just jersey and knicks are back, multiple thermal layers, limb warmers, beanies and booties forgotten, all aboard at 6:30 and no need for lights either! To the usual grid I found Rocket, Temple, Shorty and AvantiMat ready to roll, the regular rotations out Channel Rd faced an ENE'er beginning, my pairing with Rocket and the Shorty chaser ramping up the respiratories. A brief bout of Boundary with the breeze at the portside allowed us to prepare for Bells / Armstrong Rd, 13 long straight and monotonous k's into a headwind needs a big slice of mental machination.
Just to test the tenacity, 7k's had been resealed in Cosgrove's coarsest 20mm stone, VicRoads cheapskate specs slapping it straight on the hammered and rippled skinny stretch of black stuff some describe as a road. The heart rate climbed the scale visiting the front, low 30's was all the legs would give into the 20k headwind, but at least it was a task shared. (serious therapy needed for anyone tackling this solo). Cosgrove-Caniambo Rd finally appeared, no smoother but the bonus of wind off the brow and onto the right shoulder was some relief. A few clicks were added to the cruise control as we crossed the highway and rode into the shadow of Mt Major, all anticipating the turn west at the camel farm and the tailwind reward home. The serenity delicious, at last no noise of wind blowing between the ears, just the comforting C sharp of carbon and rubber rolling along Kellows Rd to Cosgrove. Up to the quarry and west toward Lemnos, pace lifted into the fourties with the breeze behind, legs and lungs burned but little voices said "this will pay dividends later".
Shorty and AvantiMat were happier with the tempo just off the boil, a co-operative approach back to town kept five alive. Thankfully, it was sprint-free Sunday for Wanganui Rd, back into the breeze on the Boulevard turned it Indian file in Rocket's tow, the lure of Lemontree's menu drawing out the very last watts. Sugar, 'The Castle' and ballet's boredom kept conversation going, Shorty turning his morning's mental bait into reality.
5/12.
A day off predicting precipitation, but not a drop fell. A sleep in till six, serene.
6/12
A drab and dismal dawn had clouds curtaining Tuesday's beginning, the handbrake of a headwind delivering a test to turn up to Turtle time. HBK, WhisperingJack, Nick, Shorty, Cougar, Temple, Hoges, TrekTrev and AvantiMat had assembled, wind direction debated in the minutes before take-off. The plea to HBK for warm-up time was granted (for 7.6 seconds), usual velocity (half a bike ahead) resumed by Kensington's roundabout. 1800 metres beside HBK then 1400 metres beside Shorty had toasted me, the handover to Hoges and Temple most welcomed so I could start my respiratory rehab. My next shift started before Boundary's Broken bridges, diverting my gaze from the the River Rd target so far ahead (a mental mountain), don't look at the heartrate display either Foss, the reality will wreck you! Kudos to Nick and WhisperingJack having a crack at the pointy end, TrekTrav seems struck with the cyclust psychosis turning up again. HBK and I scored the Central Kialla headwind to Mitchell Rd, soaking up every second of the 4k recovery thereafter till the next turn beckoned. Just Temple, HBK, Shorty, Hoges and I were swapping turns in the 40's by Galbraiths gate, my head said more but the legs and lungs reply wasn't printable at Arcadia Downs. Conrod straight squeezed two lines into one, I drove out of the dip, Hoges took to the front of house duty and all tucked in behind. Nobody challenged the finish, all desperately waiting for the relief of crossing the finish for recovery to rule.
7/12
A smiley start from Car+Mel to be Couldabeens bound Wednesday, another good roll-up (with the promise of just a turn or two?) of Bruce, Marz, Rocket, Chops, Troy, Weapon, Pistol, Kenworth, Jase, AvantiTrev, Nick, SuperMario, Shorty, Hollywood and AvantiMat forming the rows in the carpark, my early arrival putting me on captains duty for leg one (again). Weapon instigated the 2nd line on the escape from the suburbs, the FDC ritual of a leg 3 arrival seems to have faded. Plenty of tongues wagged in Mitchell and River roads, my time spent pondering the perfect grid position to deliver some hope at the ChaCha (reckon I'd be at the pointy end near the Kinder today). We'd collected PeteH (hereinafter dubbed BossCogs) confined to the caboose as I struggled shaking a cough that won't let go, almost like asthma at full exertion. Fast forward to Channel Rd and sure enough, it was full steam at the front beside Shorty to the Kinder, going for the smoothest line through the corner I needed quick wits to avoid the grass heaps littering the lane from a roadside slashing. 40+ with Bruce to Hopeful corner, a sudden "car up!" causing concern, then to find the wattage to stay with Bruce when he kicked. Lungs burned and thighs buckled, I had nothing left at Prentice Rd just as Troy, Rocket and co got off their collective seats to humiliate us all. I was rapidly overtaken by the masses, but a grin from Car still giving 100% at the back put it all in perspective.
8/12
Pushing 11ks to the Emu against a NNE'er was only driven by thoughts of a tailwind back to town, the mental limit of 78 rpm and 165bpm was set, reckoning I'd survive a 33k prologue before a lap with the Goats. Well into the rhythm beyond Ford Rd, my mental daydream was suddenly awoken by a metre long goanna sprinting from the roadside undergrowth, a million goosebumps and a bucketful of adrenalin back-slapping my mindset. Better west from the Toaster, adding 15% to the velocity (bpm and rpm remained at the prior preset) shooting for a 6am Friars arrival kept the effort up. So many cars and even the odd bike were spearing through the pre-dawn gloom minus lights, they're obviously dim on the intelligence to match? There was a generous gathering of Goats on my berth at 5:59, Tina, Speissy, AvantiLeigh, Heady, Belly, Phil, Sandy, HG, Jen, Spartacus, HBK, Hommy, Dipper, Temple, PrincipalSkinner, DeepFry, Coggo, AvantiAndy and Snow, was almost record numbers. The sedate departure from town added JB to the list, still cruisy at Dobsons estate until Belly spiced the speed (HG dragging the chain in facing the front.) That was the trigger for tempo, all stepping up a few rungs particularly pointing south on Boundary Rd. Chat took a back seat as concentration and exertion took precedence, into the fourties down to River Rd with no sign of let up. Great to be amongst the wise positioning for the wind, the echelon educated certainly makes the team task less testy. Dipper's a decent driver at the front, he wore me down to really appreciate AvantiAndy's draft on the next roll-over. I'd run out of River Rd for another turn, departing stage right for a solo to town, head down and toasting legs into the headwind home but a sense of satisfaction to squeeze in 66 k's before 7.
9/12
The temperature had halved for Friday, some of those winter layers back in service again! AvantiTrev, Boof, Pistol, Kenworth, Rocket, Cate, Weapon, Nick, Chops, AvantiMat, Temple and Hollywood assembled at the carpark as the FDC crew (Pelly, BamBam, Troy, Ralphy, Trav and Bruce) arrived from their thrash at the Kialla mini loop. First to grid meant I played the leading role again to Sanctuary roundabout (nope, Foss hasn't learned!), grateful that Boof ran at half throttle beside me (camouflaging my performance anxiety). I gasped a greeting to Rocket and Chops as they advanced to drive leg 3, my recuperation almost complete by Mitchell Rd. (Me thinks I need some of that special Troy "supplement"). Craig Lotsalumens plugged west (@36rpm), Couldabeens conversations commenced as the rotations rolled; coarse customers with AvantiTrev, the Goats gallop with Temple, wavering weather with Nick, Troy's tempo with Ralphy and insufficient insulation with Hollywood. We'd caught BossCogs and ColColnago on a River Rd reconnoiter, jumping aboard our bunch bound for Boundary. ColColnago was cobbled by cobwebs but BossCogs moved up the ranks (a turn-around from Wednesday's shy from speed), but hedaled when he got to the drivers seat in Channel Rd. The sprint fuse was lit at the cypress trees, all my biscuits burned beside Boof 400 metres before the Kinder. Requests to my engine room grew more demanding as Rocket and Chops muscled to the front ; head down, hold that wheel, check ahead (grass free), more watts, breathe deeper, caution (a freewheel), dodge the gravel, check the shadows, keep straight, more watts, some expiring, peek back, more watts, pass a few, car up!....all that for 9th place as Rocket, Hollywood and Pistol shot to the finish line (yep, a painted mark has appeared to dispel the disputes) All pointed south in town to quaff caffiene, just Kenworth and I northbound to stay employed.
Week 49. 315km. YTD 15,909 km
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