Week 19 : More of the up stuff.

Post #447
5/5   Six split Saturday.

Take one day off two wheels and the craving soon sets in, so a little early loop prior to Saturday's lap satisfied the addiction.  I had the sounds of silence southbound on a barren street (apart from the nutter standing in the middle of the road talking to the tarmac), a 20k spin on the Raftery track using 1200 lumens to light up any roving 'roos.  Down to Mitchell and back up Archer looked like I'd grid too early, but the meander of the side streets still had me at the front at 5:57.  TrackStan, Sean, MyRideTrev, Cate, BigLen, Bruce, Boof, PistolPete, The Godfather, Nev, TatMat, Wozza, TatPaul, Rocket and Tum filtered in for the 6am launch. 

It was calm start to let the dawdlers get aboard, pairing with TrackStan to the roundabout (surprised the high 30's didn't turn me to toast) then coped with Pistol's pace to the truck route.  ScottMatt, Shorty and TrekTrev appeared in leg 3 (on an early roll out rather than what I'd guessed as an early loop), feels like 3 degrees was being sold short of the 8 degree forecast.  With oxygen stocked up from 4k at the front, I talked bakeries with TatMat, foggy vision with Nev, career changes with PistolPete, oldtimers tenacity with Sean, nicknames with Cate and Lutfiyes with Tum.  Eagle-eyed ScottMatt, confining himself to the caboose, spied a stick lodged in

Pistol's rear caliper, so the bunch backed off for Pete to perform a quick extraction. Resuming previous pace, the bunch bolted onto Boundary, my next go at the puffing position drawing near.  Beside TrackStan to the pub then with Tum to the channel bridge finished turn two, Rocket, Wozza, Bruce, Nev, PistolPete and Boof exiting stage left (on a foray to the footy) at Old Dookie Rd where we turned to the Toaster. A calm descended on the remaining ranks now that the tyrants of tempo had turned, speed settling to the olde days of the Saturday speed limit. 
Many anticipated the psychological warmth of the sun's arrival but it lags later each week, cadence being the substitute heater as we went west at the Big Ring, being behind TrackStan like watching a mixmaster at full spin on the little ring.  The Godfather chimed chirpy as always, calculations of peloton position and the sprint scenario already underway in Ford Rd with Wanganui still 5k away.  The tow from a turning truck tempted tempo over Grahamvale Rd, TrekTrev and Sean exiting via Verney for early engagements.  TrackStan fumbled the first 100 meters of Wanganui Rd but 11 soon energised for the effort to the hill, but by DECA many were missing from the rushin' front. I'd magically managed to score BigLen's wheel as the mount drew near, a launch from 6th wheel got 'round the handful huffing at the business end.  My hurry uphill went unchallenged, though inhaling the oxygen deficit was a challenge.  Back at base station the footy fanatics were departing and the joggers/walkers (AvantiAndy, Kel, Jen, Mrs.Pistol, Tina and Temple) talked injury recovery, insulation and watchable tv (or lack of it).

7/5 Crankin' the Kiewa.

A few days furlough in Yackandandah (Google it!) offered me fresh tracks to crank, a holiday from the forlorn flatlands of home if you will.  The climb from "The Yack" toward Mt. Murramurrangbong (no kidding!) got the legs and lungs warm in the 3 degree (feels like 1) temperature on the tarmac to Staghorn Flat, a few ups and downs felt like a different planet to my usual stomping ground.  I found Lindsay Rd and steered toward Allans Flat, across to the Wodonga-Mt. Beauty Rd and south pointed at the Kiewa valley.   Plenty of northbound commuters blew gusts of chilled atmosphere at me to question why I was doing this (better than laying on the couch eating Cheezels off my fingers!).
  The air turned foggy on the grind to Kergunyah, the chain dancing up and down the cassette on the rises and falls, gloved fingers frosting as the Autumn's sun struggled to pierce to mist.

  Wondering if I'd set a course too long on unchartered ground, Rule #5 bounced between the frozen ears to press on to Dederang Gap, a couple of k's gradually rising to get me less friendly with the Fizik.  Dederang-Yackandanda Rd soon appeared to guide me northwest, more of that gradual uphill to Glenn Creek but the scenery was worth the suffering.  Dodging an unfortunate and upside-down wombat at the Myrtleford Rd intersection, the road finally dipped down, 18k's of mostly downhill got me flat chat to The Yack to polish off 72k's and 864 meters of elevation.  (Strava reckons that relative of mine is putting in 384 worth of effort).



8/5  The track from The Yack & back.
A northern exit from Yackandandah  provided 6k's of uphill heating on Tuesday, facing a whole 4 degrees this time. 15:06 went slowly reaching the Beechworth-Wodonga Rd, but measured pace was the key on an untried course. 

Headed northeast handed out plenty of ups and downs, the Ewarts to Brewers incline incited use of the little ring if this old lump was going to crest it.  With the labor of an uphill comes the love of a downhill, but the chill at 50 km/h took some passion out of it. I didn't feel so weird finding two other bikes out and about in the cool, a few days of this solo stuff has me pining for a peloton. Many of the roads here aren't blessed with the 1.5 meter shoulder to ride on, makes it a bit up close and personal with passing traffic. 

Into Leneva (outer Wodonga) as the sun struggled to rise, onto the Baranduda Boulevard (how dare they call a segment of it Conrod straight!) and through the all new suburb as it woke.  Back on the track to The Yack, a long gradual incline whittled down the ego and the speed, the sun's rising making a world of difference to the mindset though.  A couple of sharp rises in the 13k's back (doin' the old 38 ring thing), riding through Staghorn then Allans Flat signalled coffee and raisin toast was nigh. It's always a bonus to get a downhill (or a tailwind) home, even better to defrost with caffeine and to toast oneself with the achievement.


9/5  To the Beech and back (to The Yack)

The forecast promised 8 degrees but reality gave me 3 on Wednesday, the climb outa Yack the warm up again for a tour to Beechworth.  Using the little ring this time handed me a PB, 30 seconds off and cooking the legs into the bargain. 
Through the new roundabout and its heavenly hotmix, I headed westward and upward toward Wooragee, roadworks donating dirt for a couple of k's (well compressed and minus the loose stuff at least).  The delight in a downhill didn't last, the long 8k 'Rising Sun' climb to Beechworth put the push into the bike.  It's one of those hills that keeps on giving, arriving at what looks like the crest then rounding the bend only reveals more of the up stuff.
I huffed and puffed into ye olde Beechworth and lapped the 1853 CBD as recovery, time prevented an attempt to Stanley so I turned tail to head back to The Yack.  The 'Rising Sun' descent put shiver in me timbers but the rising sun warmed the outlook on autumn approaching Wooragee. I'd almost reached the roadworks when the water truck came out ahead (spending a holiday cleaning the bike wasn't my idea of fun) but the thirsty ground soaked up the damp to minimise the mess. 6k's of gradual rise was driven by thoughts of anything warm at the end into Yackandandah, 6:33 to drop down 5k's of category 4 was an effortless end from the uphill upheaval at the start.

Rain stopped play Thursday and Friday, forcing respite but it only fuels the addiction.  Hey, thanks for all the blog attention, somewhat stunned at the interest each week.