Week 38 : Concrete & carpe diem.

 

Post #465
15/9   Blowin' in the wind.

A fickle forecast threw doubts on Saturday's roll-up, 2mm of rain and a howling northwester would surely confine most to quarters.  So it was inspiring to find Col, Kel, Rocket, Boof, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Cate, Wozza, Bo, DeterminedDan, Shorty, TatMat, TrekTrev, Bruce, PistolPete, TatPaul, MyRideTrev and Travis turn up for the 6am social.  Rocket and Wozza set the cruise control to quick out of town, Grumpy and Ralphy joining in as a few spots from above questioned our decision. The pre-dawn light showed a stormy sky and an erratic wind (NNW at 15-24 km/h) but it didn't rattle the resolve of 20 to press on to Mitchell Rd and across to Central Kialla, the speed spiced to well beyond the limit of old (35) and not a whimper was heard!  We found Superman loitering in River Rd to catch the express eastward, gregarious gabble now in full swing (except for those occupied with oxygen at the rushin' front)   I was gradually advancing to start my first shift in Boundary Rd (just my luck to face the NNW'er!) but inspiration came watching DeterminedDan commit to the cruelty of cranking as captain.

MyRideTrev, Superman and Cate put their two bobs worth in to the Broken bridges and beyond, but nothing quite prepares you for the slap in the face of a headwind at the front. Cate called a roll as we neared Channel Rd, TatMat now my partner as the pace picked up to pair with him.  "So what's been happening in your week Foss?" he casually called. Are you kidding! I could bare
ly manage a two word sentence (with a big gasp between words).  "Talk" and "later" felt like my dying words but I pressed on to the Pub, maybe out of fear of ruining the rhythm for those behind and maybe for satisfying a personal goal of matching a young fella.  I ticked a box reaching the highway and was quite chuffed the heart rate recovered quickly in the tow thereafter, the sentence swapping starting again with Travis, Col and Wozza. There were lots of longer legs in short knicks for the 13 degree atmosphere, the strange serenity sans The Godfather something to savour.

Nev arrived from the west as we swung into Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, Cats collected in a dozen cranking clockwise.  It's calming when the wheel ahead is smooth, just my luck to get a staccato spinner that forces a hang-back for safety's sake.

As the big guns just happened to line up in order for the work to Mt. Wanganui my sprint interest was low, a peek behind finding Shorty, Kel, DeterminedDan, Cate and Superman in a similar state, so my task became tow truck for the tested as the bunch broke at the test track (ironic?)  Bits were busting off the sprint squad as they sped to the hill, Shorty saving me from implosion at Kittles Rd with a draft to die for.
The Rudd Rd regroup picked up the puffed pieces and slowly wound up for the Boulevard's breakfast bolt, Bruce in caution control for Canterbury's roundabout.  AvantiAndy, Mrs. Pistol, Jen, Tina, Leah and Sim had captured much of the Lemontree's  table, 29 squeezing in to work over the waiters for wants.  Legs shaggy vs shaved, the joy of beachside riding and kit co-ordination kept jaws jabbering, the round two coffee committee dealing with bunch expansion as hibernators reappear.  (Hats off to DeterminedDan and TatPaul facing 20 k's of headwind home to top off a ton)

17/9  The hurry hunger.

The winter wardrobe got a workout on Monday, minus back on the bureau's "feels like" menu added more minutes to the kit-up contingency.  Bruce, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Cate, PistolPete, The Godfather and Kreeky rolled up to ride, Bruce and I on first shift into a chilly Channel Rd.
So who does set the speed on the front? It's always the other guy picking up the pace when you find yourself pushing for pace, or are they just trying to keep up with your enthusiasm?  Anyway, Bruce plays fair so I had no dramas digging deep to reach the truck route.  Turns out the standard was a bit swift when Bruce and not-so-newAvantiJohn trimmed a little off the drive to Orrvale Rd. I've been somewhat surprised by my recent turn of tempo, though maybe it's just a phase of freakish fitness and that the harsh hand of reality will slap me suddenly back to slowness soon?  With only seven to serve turns today there'd be a decent workout, a far cry from the one or two efforts a big bunch brings.  Threading our way through the 6 k's of orchards and vegetable plots, a fog hung over Channel Rd's channels to remind us of the temperature (-1) or lack of it.  A turn at the front was due again in Boundary Rd as our path plotted north to the pub, the sun keen to crest over Mt.Major even at 6:15. 

This different course is a welcome change from the same old same old cranked a thousand times before, and aren't we lucky having barely a handful of cars to compete for tarmac space.  The work west on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd seemed easier, it wasn't downhill and there wasn't a wind, so was the tarmac the treat?  The Godfather and Kreeky took a sliver off the speed, PistolPete and Bruce going long and strong to drag us to Ford Rd.  Closer to town and Cate was salivating for a sprint, the Monday sprintless tradition broken when I wound up for a squirt to Mt.Wanganui (though I wished I hadn't, drawing in all that frozen oxygen)

18/9  Investment vs return.
Manny, AvantiLeigh, Cate, Phil, Heady, Hommie, Sandy and Belly gathered for the Goat grind on Tuesday, Heady hesitant to a hurry but led us out of town, the two social rows thinning to Indian file as I was left to lead leg one.  I'd eased the pace a little as a gap opened behind on the drive to Dobson's, then elbowed Sandy into the captain's seat at the bridge, but she was already in driving distress.

Cate took the helm to Central Ave as I rescued Sandy from the o.t.a. option with a gradual tow back to the tail.  Heady was in the hurt locker just a few hundred meters on and dropped off the tail,  AvantiLeigh on the throttle bolting to Boundary Rd.  Hommie had retired to pick up the pieces popped off the back,  and I wrestled with that awkward moment wanting the team as a whole, but the majority steamed on. ( Just a week or two more investing in toil they'll reap the returns of survival in the bunch, whereas the winter hibernators I've been banging on about for months are paying the massive tax of starting all over again in a snail squad to claw their long way back to fitness.  Concrete and carpe diem folks!)  So five drove onward to Boundary to reap the reward of the NNE tail wind, so up went the tempo, rather than soften.  Manny's wheels hummed with the hurry as Phil then Belly belted to the pub, Manny settling into an oh so smooth spin to the Broken bridges. The breeze behind begged me to reach River Rd, Cate leading us west till an oncoming truck blew us all backward.  AvantiLeigh eased up the effort again as Tuesdays sun drew long shadows ahead, Phil, Belly and Manny towing us to Rivers end.  The usual shortcut home was heaven to Archer and hell home, the habitual hurt hoped to deliver dividends (or so I'll say to my therapist)

19/9  For the fast, the fairly fit and the f%#'d !

Rocket, Boof, Wozza and Cate lined up in the car park at 5:57 but that front phobia has struck again, not until 5:59 did The Godfather, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Bo, Kel, Kreeky, Kenworth, Mark, Superman, MyRideTrev and Col crawl in (to avoid an early shift?).  Trish joined the caboose as Rocket and Wozz worked the first leg to Sanctuary's roundabout (just a little above their idle speed) while many huffed and puffed to hang on.  Not-so-newAvantiJohn and Boof drove on toward Mitchell Rd, the horsepower having a holiday from the hurt of Tuesday/Thursday while the fairly fit fettled their fortitude and the f%#'d just hung on in survival mode!  (At least the quick calm their cadence and the tailenders turn up) A westerly ripped us along River Rd, Bo and The Godfather had paired but behaved, oncoming Pussycats thinning to just half a dozen heads down into the headwind.
Although a little shy on the tempo Superman keeps on trying (infected by DeterminedDan disease?), keeping up with Cate caused me cardiac crescendo to River Rd's end.  Boof and I had the westerly whip the left shoulder in Boundary Rd (just Tum and Belly taking the tiny train of pain southbound) to the Broken bridges, Boof calling the roll before I did ticked my box.  Not-so-newAvantiJohn and Col hammered the hardyards to Channel Rd, the headwind (26 km/h) would hurt in the 6k to town but Superman went forward for punishment again (possibly inspiring some to do likewise)  There was another drive of duty for me to Central Ave and then with Boof to the Kinder, Col, trying to reach the front toward Hopeful corner, deferred to the down-line for a draft.  The tempo turned up for the ChaCha and thinned the line to single, The Godfather and Bo battling for line honours as most dodged the puddles in their tow.

20/9  I say whip it! Whip it good!

Thinking you're running late spikes the speed and drags you out of that cruisy comfort zone, my 10k prologue was post haste, motivating muscles and the mindset seeing sleep was off the menu. The panicked pace wasn't necessary arriving at Friars at 5:55, Tum, Belly, Cate, Phil,, Sandy AvantiLeigh, Hommie and Amy made up a Goat get-together (glad Sandy had that fighting spirit to try again after Tuesday's ota).  Tum towed us out of town and set the smoothness standard to Dobson's, nine steering to yet another stirring sunrise beginning in Boundary Rd.  Hommie hit the hurry up on the last leg of Old Dookie Rd but all the carriages stayed connected.  AvantiLeigh and Amy powered onto the pub, the sun topping the foggy fields a delightful distraction. 

Belly's shift ended at Channel Rd and Cate charged on beyond One Tree Dam, my turn seemed shy to River Rd so stayed in the captains seat for more work west (besides, the mystery man that hitchhiked Tuesday was my bait ahead)   Enthused by an imagined tail breeze (bureau said calm) and a feeling fine of form, I pushed on to the quarter horse stud, satisfied to see the speed steady between Garmin glances.    I handed the front to Tum and slid back for respiratory recovery but mystery man left a gap well before I'd reached the rear.   It's weird how the sun warms the back when the temperature drops a degree (to zero) but AvantiLeigh kept legs warm with the pace to the bridge after Hommie's habitual hit-out.  Amy dug deep for a determined drive to Rivers' end, yet another infected with the DeterminedDan disease?  Time turned Cate and I on the shortcut home, time to whip it down to Archer and whip it good to town, finishing strangely sore yet satisfied with the speed (thoughts of the coffee's warmth the main motivator).

21/9  That deflation sensation

Like seagulls to a bucket of hot chips, lines of leds converged on the carpark for the Friday ritual, 1.6 degrees not low enough to keep The Godfather, Pelly, Rocket, BamBam, Col, TrekTrev, Bruce, Superman, Kel, Kreeky, Liam, Bo, Travis, not-so-newAvantiJohn, PistolPete, Kenworth, Nev and Boof from the frivolities.   BamBam hung on for muscular mercy as Rocket launched south on Archer Rd, just a few volunteers went to the up-line (for some an effort too early?) when there'd probably be only be one turn each.   Enjoying the early light toward Mitchell Rd (till daylight savings delivers us darkness in 16 days), Travis tells me temperature has taxed his wardrobe of winter woollies, Kel's kit cravings curtailed 'cause of cost constraints (the price of pacing Pistol's panache?), Col voiced vinyl values (but defied dress code decency wearing a Cat kit) and The Godfather's greetings (to a compact collection of Cats) got guffaws.

Bruce's Trek has had a refit (little left of the original), Kenworth's Jurassic Giant soldiers on and Superman's KTM is in it's standard spotless state.  After 24 k's in the tow, my brief window of work came due at Channel Rd's S bend with Kenworth, then the toil alongside TrekTrev to the cypress trees.  Calls and signals of glass came a little too late as the long bunch belted through bits of broken bottles between Jameson and Central, many surprised nobody punctured as the cadence kicked up to the Kinder.   Weapon arrived (fresh from 25,000 meters worth of French and Italian alps) to join the tempo into town, I turned up the wick for the ChaCha but the Baum was behaving like a Barina with a boot full of bricks, that deflation sensation felt through the most sensitive of areas.  That glass had got me and made a Michelin marshmallow, most halting for the hilarity of my frozen finger fumble to fix the flat (kudos to eagle eyed Kel spotting the sliver of glass lodged in the tyre), my re-glove almost as lengthy as the repair.  We toured to town where most cornered for coffee, my roll home increasingly laboured as another slow puncture begged attention. (what I could do with that broken glass to those who break it...………)

Week 38       240km              YTD 10,112