Post 439
10/3 A peakless prologue.
A carpark bereft of bikes at 5:57 spelt few fans for a Saturday spin, but TatPaul, TatMat, ScottMatt, TrekTrev, MyRideTrev, AvantiAndy, MeridaAndy, SuperMario, Jen and BigLen filtered in moments before launch time. I'd berthed first so had captaincy of the cruise control for the first leg, TatPaul playing ball partnering me to the roundabout. The peloton of th premature (Rocket, Wozza, Kel, The Godfather, Bo, CatCol and NewAvantiJohn arrived as an addition ahead of agenda on leg 2. With my one and only turn done, the delight of the draft was mine to enjoy, though skipping turns felt like cheating. There were varied vocals with the crew as shifts were shared, cup-cake conversation with SuperMario, TeamTat tattle with TatMat, prophecies on peaks with MyRideTrev and words with Wozz on preparedness. The bureau said calm but the way east needed effort, little dips in temperature felt like someone left the fridge open (but just wait till July!) Pungency from the pig farm pickled the nostrils way back at the fig farm, holding our breath to the Toaster would be VO2 max mastery.
A big branch near the Big Ring was left uncalled by The Godfather, AvantiAndy and Jen making kindling chaos but egressed with ease. It was notably easier westbound, so speed spiked of course, Bo and Rocket overdosing on velocity at the front in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd (my bike's faster than your bike!), forties de rigeur without a squeak of protest from the pack. Bruce & Leah were found in Ford Rd (though Leah vanished via Verney before the velocity went viral), not till DECA did the drivers let loose, I sat back in survival mode. Birthplace, Guinness vs whiskey and the plight of the endangered crimple kept the chat flat chat at the Lemontree.
11/3 Bumpy bits.
Like 1441 other silly
cyclusts suffering severe
hillness, I lined up at Falls Creek (along with Tina, Helen and Gawney) for the Peaks Challenge. Flagged off at 7, and overcoming the wobbles from the 8 degree chill, I kept clear of the descenders dedicated to Rule #85 for the quick 30k downhill to Mt.Beauty. A cheer from Coggo & Tina roadside gave me the warm and fuzzy's but a focus on finding a rhythm for Tawonga Gap (476 meters) took over quickly. One guy was already being chased by that growling bear barely half way up, but I'd found a timely tempo with Adrian on a cautionary climb to the summit (in 39:22). All were warned about turns 5 and 7 on the descent, and sure enough, one was horizontal and hurting in the tabledrain on turn 5, paramedic attending. The long downhill dream finished all too soon as the course turned onto the almost flat 20k to Harrietville, but being in a bunch of 30 minimised the drag (one inattentive entrant roadside with a wheel folded in half).
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| Now that's a climbing cassette! (11-42) |
At 74k the Harrietville stop was welcomed, fluids and munchies on board, armwarmers and thermal stashed, I got stuck into the 30k torment of Mt. Hotham (1303 meters). Stoked with my tempo and holding a handbrake on the heart-rate (-158), even The Meg (10%) was manageable. Settling into the false flat after, I banked a few watts ready for CRB hill. Off the Fizik for one and a half k's and dropping to a 9km/h average was my management, something extra would be needed for the following 4k's of Diamantina's 8+%.
It's an eerie world of bare trees above the snowline but a spectacular view of Buffalo and the big bumps below, plenty of growling bears up there for those burning up the reserves too early. I was pretty pleased to peak the big one (2:20:33) and begin the gradual downhill to Dinner Plain (for lunch), Bicycle Victoria volunteers aplenty serving out sustainance. A fresh serve of chamois cream was timely for the toosh, revitalising the rump to ride on to Omeo. I came across Gawney nearing Combungra (working over a couple of young lads), the few pinchy climbs to Omeo sorting out the ripe from the wrecked.
By chance 4 titanium bikes had briefly bunched, another Baum, a Tektro and a Lynksey made up TeamTi for a time. Among a kaleidoscope of carbon fibre there were flat bars, backpacks, mirrors and mudguards, curious kits (Ruffa not Rapha) and riders of all shapes and sizes, aero's and not-so's. Fresh fluid at Omeo (surprised by the sight of StravaStalker), then a 30k push solo toward Anglers Rest to keep within the 13hr time limit dug into the reserves, a hot northeaster making motion muggy. The gradual grind of a climb at Bingo Munjie wore down more wattage, but the long flat plateau thereafter got me on a "home soil" to crank some speed to Anglers Rest. A grease of the lower ball joints, fuel in the tank and water for the radiator got the old engine in tune to carry on at the 188k mark, gentle ups and downs alongside the scenic King River for 12k put me in a happy place, but the dreaded WTF lay in wait to whip that out of me.
I'd managed this sharp climb just a week before (but on fresh legs), the first few k's went as well as could be expected (7km/h @165 bpm), but distance had drained the determination to a dribble just 5k later. With speed slowing and heart hurrying, balance became borderline (the Man with the Hammer had arrived), so I gave in to the 'walk-of-the-weary' with many others (more feet on the ground than on the pedals) for a k or so. Heartrate finally dipped and with a brief bit of level ground the opportunity to saddle up and soldier on came at Shannonvale. Many meters of murder later and fighting cramp in the calves, the short downhill to Trapyard Gap finally arrived, a long craved cold Coke delivering drive to continue. The worst was now over, the ascent reducing to a more manageable 6% with a few flats to recover. Each little rise reduced me to the 38/32 just to keep motion forward, but at last Rasberry Hill then Windy Corner appeared.
Onto the heaven that's Falls Creek slight downhill plateau, the beginnings of dusk over the reservoir was worth a pause to picture. Back into the bliss of the big ring, euphoria drove the last 16k back to the finish. The rousing cheer from a big crowd was a fitting end to 11 hours and 34 in the saddle, my 12:24:58 enough to score one of the 1180 finishers jerseys. I dips me lid to mountain machines Tina (10:34),
Helen (10:46) and Gawney (11:51), super effort that! Old flatlander Foss was happy to have clocked 235 km, hauled up half of Everest in the process, burned 2kg worth of vanilla slices and slogged 929 suffers on Strava, but no.......not again! Thanks to the many for your motivation. (Unaccustomed as I am to pedalling up peaks, there's something strangely satisfying to get out of your comfort zone and defy your biggest critic.....yourself )
13/3. OMG! The road's flat!
Groan, creak, grind and crunch in the opening k's of Tuesday's tap, just a sedate solo to loosen the legs from Sunday's stupidity. I pointed the CatEye into Old Dookie Rd's darkness, flabbergasted at the flatness! The sit site was somewhat suffering and the legs a little lame but otherwise the old engine was going ok under the circumstances (the speed/cadence sensor had died a miserable death though). A pesky SSW'er got my head down on Boundary Rd, content it didn't peg my progress too much toward Channel Rd.
Hares had hurtled ahead toward the Broken bridges, there was no will and no way was I tacking on to that tempo for a while, just content to crank onward as they speared into the distance. I worked west on River Rd at a spin to keep the load off the legs, surprised the speed was satisfactory southbound in Central Kialla too. The thought of taking an easy Archer exit home crossed my mind, but Rule #5 over-ruled that softness to press on for the full circuit. A tail wind on Conrod straight was sweet, a pseudo sprint to the high 40's just to make sure legs didn't fall off, then rolled on to the Scottish restaurant to join Rocket, Wozz, Kel, Bo, PistolPete, Nev and CatCol for the post mortem on their boozy Bright Sunday.
14/3 Wednesday; Whip It!
Tina, Tum, Kenworth, Jen, TrekTrev, AvantiAndy, MyRideTrev, The Godfather, Shorty, Chops and CatCol turned up for Wednesday's waltz and I played shy four or five wheels back from the business end. TrekTrev captained a considerate first turn for leg one, the early edition (Pistol,Wozza, Rocket, Kel, Bo, NewAvantiJohn and Bruce) bringing the bunch up to 18. A light southerly made Mitchell and beyond bearable, Vince flourescently joining the pack in Central Kialla. The Godfather turned up the speed stress in River Rd (did he think it was Tuesday?) but MyRideTrev soon set it back to the social setting. Fast forward to Channel Rd and opportunity came knocking for me as the bunch swept under the Channel Rd cypress trees. MyRideTrev looked likely to be in the drivers seat for Kinder corner and I was 4 wheels back in AvantiAndy's draft (Oh, and it helps when Rocket, Wozza and co are convalescing in the caboose), warranting a workout to whip it for a win. I let loose with Prentice Rd in sight, but Vince had glued to my wheel with no others as back up. Vince's victory was a certainty (he's as aero as a pin) but I didn't dare ease, a glance rearward when he finally passed saw a long gap behind, driving me onward to hold out for second spot.
15/3 Smooth as.......
A little late on the launch from home had me hot-foot it to Thursdays thrash, carrying some trepadation on the tempo with the hurry the Hares hand out. With a bit of Sundays sting still in the legs, I berthed at the carpark behind Grumpy, BeerMat, Wozza, Travis, Nev, Pistol, Liam, Bruce, ChrisA, Bo, Tum, Tina, Kel and MyRideTrev. Away at 5:50, the bunch quickly divided into drivers and survivors, BeerMat, Tina, MyRideTrev, Tum and I sensible enough to confine ourselves to the caboose. The first two k's tested tenacity but such was the smoothness of speed that soon after we'd settled into a quick but comfortable crank. Kel and I played gatekeeper to Nev, Grumpy, Pistol, Liam, Bruce, Wozza, Travis, Bo and ChrisA providing propulsion, Grumpy's strobing tail-light almost triggering epilepsy! MyRideTrev's despondency was dissapearing, he wasn't riding with the wrong bunch after all. The southerly was of little significance to Bruce & Pistol driving into Boundary Rd, not that us rear-ranked had any wind work to worry about. A rip along River and moving on Mitchell got us to Raftery rapidly, two rows thinning to one at Arcadia Downs as spiced speed took precedence for Conrod straight. A couple of the drivers burned up on re-entry but ChrisA, Rocket, Wozza and Liam looked like they'd just got warmed up as we flashed past the finish with a 40 average.
16/3 Missed it by that much!
So stop sooking about the peaks pain and get back into it Foss!, about time to make an earlybird effort. Rocket, Bruce, Grumpy, The Godfather, Kel, Pistol and Bo lined up for Friday's 5:25 flagfall, straight into the deep end for me on the first shift with Rocket and the second with Grumpy to Orrvale Rd. (they served up sentences, I only managed one word replies!) Bo and The Godfather paired to turn up the pace to the cypress trees (need to keep these two mischief makers apart!) but all settled into a steady spin for the circuit with only a slight southerly to shoulder, Bruce and Pistol driving to River Rd unabaited. An oncoming truck suddenly crossed to our side of the tarmac (swinging wide to enter a driveway) causing chaos as all grabbed at the brakes. I got so up-close and personal to Grumpy's wheel, but missed it by that much going to the roadside gravel. With cardiac convulsions calmed a 100 meters later, we resumed around to Archer to intercept the 6am'ers. Shorty, Tina, MyRideTrev, Kenworth, Jen, Trav, AvantiAndy, Chops and Pelly were a little tardy in arrival (deciding who'd take the first shift?), the social intercourse for the course got going of course (but not coarse) to Central Kialla and River Rd. A steady speed was held, with shifts varied relative to fitness, me pairing with Grumpy and The Godfather for River Rd's last k's, soaking up the smoothness of the tarmac. Speed wasn't spared in Boundary or Channel Rd, but I'd cemented a seat in the caboose for the ChaCha. Hurtling to Hopeful corner, Grumpy and others had turned an unseen turtle as a speed bump, forcing a few to abandon ChaCha hopes, thankfully all finished upright.
Week 11 467km YTD 3,374km
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