Week 43 : Backing up the bravado

Post 418.
21/10 Doin' distance duty.

There was an early rise to click the k's Saturday, with the Tat200 ride just a week away, distance duty was to be done (particularly to prepare the posterior!)  Car, Jen, BeerMat, Ralphy, Trav, Boof and Kel were eager early too, so set off at 5:30 on a Raftery loop to intercept the 6am crew.  Bo was dragging the chain (1am finish to Friday nights' hydration session) but all felt a chase would cleanse his system of sin.  A southerly made a chore of reaching Roubaix, Bo less than amused when he caught and passed us.  The Godfather rolled ahead as we drove down Mitchell and were driven up Archer, arriving at the grid with a 2 minute intermission as the Couldabeens crew assembled.   TatMat, BassoDan, Shorty, Lucy, TrekTrev, AvantiAndy, Lenny, Wozza, Rocket, Sean, NewAvanti-not-OldAvanti-not-MeridaJohn, Mel, Bruce, Travis, Softa and MyRideTrev made up a big bunch to set sail south, earlier k's entitling me to delay a turn on the front till later.

It was talk time with Travis, TatMat, Sean and Mel as the rotations dictated the pairings (a game of musical chats if you like), Nath arriving from the west as the sun tried to rise.   The rubber band syndrome wasn't so strong but calls from the caboose became clogged within the crews' conversation.
Cats converged on Emu corner as we approached,
Nev arriving from the west in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd.
I was just pouring on the pace to pair with the Godfather in Ford Rd when a slow was called for the stretched bunch to re-congregate, before you know it, it was back on the gas to finish my shift.  Kel was my next test of tempo, then a recovery in the draft as I retired from any further active duty.  Into Wanganui Rd the speed kept climbing and the ranks thinned toward the front, the down line peppered with holes letting in the escapees from the up line. I plugged the hole where MyRideTrev was losing the wheel ahead, many now diving for a draft as we reached the hill.

The Boulevard bolt to breakfast had been tamed to a speed limited tap, a long Lemontree table (spanning two shop fronts) echoed with banter on line marking and prior diets as appetites were appeased.
BassoDan, Car, Jen, TrekTrev and I had mustered the motivation for an extra leg to top a ton, a push into the wind down to Karamomus for a tail wind return to town.  BassoDan's solo efforts have built the torque to tap long turns, others doing their bit into the 25+ km/h SSW'er to share the load.  Karamomus peak hour had passed, not a car to be seen as the tarmac thinned on the eastbound 7 k's to Euroa Rd.  That perfect peace came as we turned north back to town, the wind directly behind easy on the ears and the effort.  The fidgets of distance were showing as we returned to the familiar Boundary and Channel Rd's though the sense of achievement (and readiness for next Saturdays long ride) kept the spirits above the muscular misery.

22/10  Slothful Sunday.
There was a motivational mountain to climb Sunday morning, a leg limbering lap needed to purge the punishment of yesterday distance.  Dragging the doona of a slothful Foss, a short and slow lap was the promised prescription, but it was only a k or two till the speed craving kicked in.

New Dookie Rd was delicious with a helping hand from a southwester, seeing the sun start Sunday was a scenic supplement.  The turn at the Toaster into the breeze turned up the toil, wrestling with the decision to head straight to coffee or slog out a Channel Rd course back to town (Rule #5 won)

The purr from the new groupset diverted attention from the cranial complaints driving down Boundary Rd, the turn into Channel Rd had some shelter but aromas of orchard sprays, blood & bone on the vegetable plots, something deceased in the tabledrain and the flowering trees (a hayfever hair-trigger) kept my cadence quick for cafeine.  Back and berthed at base camp, I chanced a chat with Cranky on titanium, bunch behavior and recent crashes :  Best wishes to Temple (elbow) and in a separate incident, Heady (rib) and Coggo (collarbone, skull and shoulderblade) for rapid recoveries.

23/10  Mon Ami Monday
Sleep was as elusive as a downhill with a tail wind, so what better cure than an early spin.  No pressure to perform but a temporal taskmaster soon set a standard of suffering as I pointed east to the Emu.  Standard chainrings (53/38) and cassette (11-28) have rattled my ratios, time to teach myself some spin if hills are to be tackled in the future.  80 rpm put some warmth in the legs, the hr steadily climbing to 160, but trying to leave a little in reserve to fight the SSW'er to the Toaster.  Motivating muscles was like trying to get Hollywood back on a bike, though the thought of hot coffee kept the wheels turning, over the new Old Dookie Rd bridge and back to town, and a catch up with mon ami Weapon fossilosophied on the fortunes of good health and bike bling.

24/10 Torture team.

It was already hurting at Kensington Gardens and there was still 1400 meters to go!  I'd set my standards a bit steep on the (compulsory?) first turn on the Tuesday thrash, now I had to back up the bravado to the 8 behind.  There was just enough left in the tank to catch the tail as Cate, Softa, KillkennyPaul, BeerMat, Ralphy, Hamish and BamBam slid past on leg 2, at least there was a reasonable recovery time ahead as others drove their duty, up to the Kinder and we gained '51Nath to tempo with the troupe.  Dragged along in the draft of Ralphy, I let a small gap open as I deliberated the recent fate of Temple, Coggo and Heady, caution better than complacency when many are on their limit.  BeerMat's "horizontal to hurry" training regime seems a bit harsh but a turn he did as we whittled down Channel Rd's length.  Hamish bolted into Boundary which caught me napping from the corner, quite the chase to get back aboard and prepare for my 2nd shift.   Let loose with 500 meters left of Boundary Rd, I added the first 500 of River Rd to earn my keep.  BamBam finished his turn  near the dip and peeled off the front, BeerMat baulking at another effort joined him on the down line.  Weapon arrived from the west aboard the purposeful TT Avanti, and u-turned to team with the tortured.  Another shift loomed for me in Central Kialla Rd, transfixed and waiting on Ralphy's elbow to cue my crank, I felt like a mixmaster spinning the 14 cog at 87 rpm but progress was surprisingly good.  Fast turns were slowly shortening as Pelly propelled us to Dave's dip, BamBam suffering the ascent but plugged on to the highway.  Another clean cross of Melbourne Rd inspired the drive on Raftery Rd, yet again I was handed the front as Ralphy took us out of Conrod's first dip.  '51Nathan had the superior wattage but it didn't stop me emptying the tank toward the last dip, the old engine misfiring across the line almost last, but stoked at another rapid lap (38.6)

26/10  Thrashless Thursday.

Committing to a calmer ride, I'd promised myself a lazy lap in the caboose for Thursday, arriving at the grid I found Tina, BamBam, Ralphy, Cate, Hamish and CatCol were liking likewise (how rationale rules with 200k to face on Saturday!)  Even Kel and Bo jumped ship from the Hares to join in.  What a refreshing change to be 3rd wheel exiting town, BamBam and Cate doing the honors on legs 1 and 2 at a pace with grace.   Just 2 or 3 k's off the usual velocity made less stress, nice to have CatCol, Kel and Bo along to share the lighter load.  A two week Greek getaway hadn't hampered Tina's tempo, Hamish almost a seasoned Couldabeen after just 3 weeks aboard.  Corners and intersections were taken without the chore of a chase, inevitable the Hares would catch us today but concerns were carefree.

I'd missed the endorphins of a lap Wednesday, the obsession with saving some wattage for Saturday now forgotten as the speed steadily brewed on Boundary and River roads.  The Hares caught us at Archer Rd as Hamish and Bo had the helm (jumping ship to hang onto the Hares tail), but CatCol remained our tow truck to the highway.  Content to stick with the start line intention, our six stuck to it, collecting both Bo and Hamish jettisoned from the Hares inspired our push to the finish.




27/10  Frivolous foggy Friday.
A cool calm and collected crank to the Couldabeens with Mel on Friday was a tasty tune-up to tomorrow's Tat 200.

The old habit of the grid filling from the half way mark is back, maybe the shy should turn up a bit later to covet the caboose?  Nev, Paul VanP, Kel, The Godfather, Ralphy, Bo, Shorty, Nick, BeerMat, AvantiAndy, Jen, Tina, MyRideTrev, Sean, Nath, Robbo, Wozza, Rocket, PistolPete, Bruce, TatMat, Kenworth, Softa and Chops made up a long thin line to spin south out of town, the tailenders picking position and pondering partners prior to the pairing process of joining the up line.  The sociology started with MyRideTrev on small chainrings, Paul Van on MTB's, TatMat on bunches to brave and Bruce on driving the distance.  Ralphy modeled the Tat200 jersey, Softa had read Rule #5 for breakfast, Chops was on yet another come-back and PistolPete was re-framed.

An unseasonal fog blanketed River Rd though '51, the Cats and the Goats were visible working west.  I joined the crew committed to the caboose, sitting out the sprint as the bunch barreled along Channel Rd, closing in on Fee and Kylie nearing the Kinder.  The charge for the ChaCha whip cracked the riders at the rear, a drawn-out and fractured pack pushing into the foggy distance.  The chatty tap back through town finished off a lap (and the week) with minimal leg expenditure.

Week 43       304km                     YTD 11,219km