Week 41 : Priorities in pain.

Post # 468
6/10  A swift Saturday.

A bit early on the commute allowed the old engine to warm up gradually for Saturday's spin, arriving at the car park to find not-so-newAvantiJohn, Bo, Tina, BamBam, Kreeky, Liam, TatPaul, MyRideTrev, Boof, The Godfather, Pistol Pete, Temple, Travis, Rocket, Bruce, TrekTrev, Nev, Wozza and WhisperingJack filling the grid.  Newcomer Lance and visitor Richard made their introductions, CatKel was a rare inclusion and believe it or not, BeerMat had emerged from a six month retirement (with plenty of extra insulation).   Not-so-newAvantiJohn needed a tactical tap in the drivers seat to prevent the long chain from breaking,  so a k or so gently on the gas kept the crew connected.

The squad was up to a swift speed by Sanctuary roundabout and positions filled quickly in the up-line, so I sat for the natural promotion to the pointy end rather than create chaos swapping lines (well, that's my excuse).   I'd optimistically braved short knicks and fingerless gloves in five degrees, though temperature was warming quickly as the sun rose above River Rd.  Finally reaching the front as we crossed New Dookie Rd, I had a short squirt beside Lance to the rail line then with Kreeky to the BigRing, likely to be the only contribution.  The breeze behind boosted the bravado on the way west on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd as I was demoted down the line, the social dialogue a distraction till it looked like I might get another turn at the toil.

Several chose the Verney or Numurkah Rd's escape routes to wriggle out of the work on Wanganui, I was advancing to the business end far too early for my liking when Liam drew the squad skinny with speed at the treatment works, saving me from a fast fate at the front.
 Gaps opened up in the left line under the labour, so I took to a tow behind Kreeky ensuring I didn't scare myself sneaking a squiz at the speedo.  Richard was lining up for a squirt at the sprint but soon sat down when Rocket catapulted past.  Liam peeled off the front after almost a k in the high 40's, I just clawed at the tail end with the survivors to the top of the hill.  The glance rearward in Rudd Rd brought a brief slow to pick up The Godfather and Tina, then dig for wattage I didn't think remained to work with Liam to catch the front runners accelerating to the Boulevard.    I made a brief contribution to the chase but Liam's young engine was more suited to the speed, thoughts of breakfast helped to ignore the white flags the legs kept waving, the chance of scoring a seat at the long Lemontree table providing the urge for a 3rd overall on the 'Breakfast Bolt'.  Scary movies, overseas shopping and demographic dressing kept conversations cooking with the crew as the sun slowly warmed the tattling table.

8/10  The Monday motion.

Daylight savings time plunges us back into darkness and strangely drags the mindset back to winter, but The Godfather, Col, Kreeky, Kel, PistolPete, Cate, Wozza, BigBen, Sherls, Bruce and Cobbles weren't afraid of the dark rolling into the carpark for the Monday motion.  Bruce led the charge into Channel Rd's darkness, his distinctive, almost gangly gait talking tempo from the get go.   Col's back on the bike after a niggling knee needed nurturing (with less alcohol eh Col?) and Wozza was a little wearied from a hot 100k in the 'bogies'.   I was on The Godfather's wheel as he whacked the chain down to the eleven, a shockwave rippling through the Reacto and it's Enve wheel (I even considered a donation to the foundation for the cruelty to cassettes)   A turn at the front to Central Avenue's bend and I rolled across, my new co-pilot being Big Ben, chatting away merrily while I died a thousand deaths trying to match his pace (and stifling the growling bear to portray some form of composure).  Recovery dragged on till the S bend as others did their bit , barely a glimmer on the horizon to greet us in Boundary Rd.

With the ability to speak restored, I chatted supercars with The Godfather, the old days of the Shepp show with Cobbles and the oppressive effect darkness brings with Sherls.  Speed steadily climbed by Ford Rd's end, and I gathered the Monday gospel hadn't been preached to BigBen and Sherls as the velocity breeched 40 in Wanganui Rd.  I called a caution for the pot-hole at DECA's gate (The Godfather missed it by that much) as the speed climbed further, two lines thinning to one to keep in touch with the fast fellows at the front. The pace kept percolating along the Boulevard (the quest for coffee is strong) so my exit at Mason's end for a slow roll home was luxury for the legs.

9/10  A love of labour.

Goats seem to have sorted into the determined and the deterred 'cause Coggo, Cate, Heady, Tina, Tum, Sandy, Speissy, JB, AvantiAndy, Phil, AvantiLeigh and Hommie fronted Friars (without a trace of HG, Joey, Snow, Baz, Brendy et al).  Sly must have missed the Cat train to join the group of Goats, so Heady did the lead-out (of town) as six bells chimed.  Two rows formed in Old Dookie Rd and I wondered if the single file standard may be now passe as the bunch inflates with the fairweather faction. Two rows persisted beyond the truck route, happy the pace wasn't pedestrian though it wasn't near the parameters of pain.

 JB did well managing a turn on his second ride since summer but Speissy sat on in sufferance. The chat from left to right took some getting used to after months of single filed silence, AvantiAndy and Coggo braved bare arms for the mild 13 degrees but some are still stuck with the winter insulation.  Hommie and Sly were no doubt half wheeling each other as the pace picked up in Boundary Rd, hats off to Sandy and AvantiAndy still taking turns despite the torment of tempo.  Effort was easier along River Rd with the breeze beside and six k's slipped by seemingly in seconds.  Cate joined my exit at River Rd's end, and the labour of 6 k's on the 'shortcut to Shepp' lay ahead, knowing there'd be pain with the push but it's that weird love of labour that fires the enthusiasm.  There's no tow on the truck route and Archer (other than a brief draft from a passing vehicle) so rest is off the agenda as we each egged the other on, a sliver of scarlet sunrise the sole distraction from the drive.  Head then legs, lungs then heart rate took priority in pain till Melbourne Rd (not bad, just 3 seconds off the best time), a moment to regain lost oxygen then back on the gas for the finale past the lake.

10/10  Dodging drizzles.

Battling a southerly burnt up most of my breakfast to reach the carpark on Wednesday, 30 km/h gusts would limit drivers on Archer Rd to a masochistic few.  Col, Rocket, Wozza, Kenworth, Kel, Nev, SuperMario, Bo, BeerMat, TrekTrev, Tina, MyRideTrev, PistolPete, Boof, Cate, Temple, The Godfather and Kreeky packed the park for the 6am off and plenty did the duck and dive entering Archer Rd to leave me as chosen one to drive south into the headwind.  With an acceptable acceleration to the edge of town, I was quickly relegated wrecked on the open plains toward Sanctuary's roundabout, but Rocket generously declared my share done and rolled across to draft me from distress (he and PistolPete nonchalantly driving to the truck route in the high 30's made my turn tepid).

Wozza and Boof, in similar standard, sped on to Mitchell Rd while Bo (voted tailwind specialist) positioned for his part to play in River Rd.  Surprise, surprise BeerMat's on his 2nd ride for the week (training for a Buffalo-Tawonga-Falls challenge in January will be from frying pan to fire).  A distant red horizon spelt damp to come (already dodging the odd puddle left from an overnight sprinkle), hopefully we'd be home without being hosed by the heavens.  Nev and Bo capitalised the captaincy beyond the River Rd dip but turns rolled a couple of k's later so all may delight the distress from driving.
Excitement brewed as 19 bolted toward Kinder corner, several sitting in the survival seats as the sprint-interested stoked the speed to Hopeful corner.  The ChaCha's long puddles caused a couple to weave around the wet, a rub of shoulders in the mid 40's not a safe scenario. (offenders, write Rule #59 a hundred times after class).  Thankfully there was an upright outcome, a cruise to the school collected the caboose and all rolled happily homeward.

11/10  That's the way (a-ha, a-ha) I like it!

Repetitive rides of 30 and 40k prompted a prologue early Thursday, time to teach the legs a longer lesson in labour.  Out to the golf course and over to Lemnos was the distance decision (though another layer to insulate against 5 degrees would have been smarter), so with 24k done, I fronted Friars.  6am Spring starters are always a lucky dip, today it was Tum, Amy, Phil, Speissy, Cate, AvantiLeigh, Tina and HG the Goats gathered for Thursday therapy.  The lead role was mine to exit town, all line astern told me it was a single filed affair, so I squeezed the accelerator gently to 37, respectful of the roll rituals at Dobsons bridge for my first rest break.  HG had uncoupled from the caboose when I berthed at the back (was it winter or wine that wearied him?)   The horizon's glow was a welcoming window for the warmer weeks ahead, Cate, Tina, AvantiLeigh and Tum dragged us to Boundary Rd, collecting Sandy and Hommie en-route.

A breeze at the brow made tough work for Amy's turn into the southerly but she'd had her Kellogs Konkrete for breakfast and kept at it.  I was on Phil's wheel as he drove to Boundary's bridge, watching intently for his sign, his head lowered as hands went to the drops, and a couple of white posts later his elbow ushered me to the front.  Such was the smoothness the rhythm remained and nobody (but Speissy) was popped off the back.  Single file's the way I like it, anti-social as it is there's no half wheeling, turns can be as long or short as needed, there's less traffic agro, nobody gets their wheel cut off and it's a true'er taste of teamwork.  AvantiLeigh's turn was long and strong to River Rd, Hommie still hits hard (but mellows after a minute), Tina's back to her old swift self (don't tell the doctor!) and Sandy's spirit's stainless steel (don't listen to her version!).  A caution was called at the angora farm for a cow imitating a traffic island, but it ambled to the roads edge for it's Kellogs Kud thankfully.  Hopes were high that Phil would do a double shift and finish off River Rd but he'd done his fair share before putting me in the drivers seat for the last k (I shouldn't grizzle with a hint of help from the SSE'er).  Exit stage right for the shortcut to town but Cate punctured on the turn to the truck route.  With a quick fix done, the habitual hurt home was on again, the southerly supplementing the speed to make up for the pit stop deficit.

12/10  Friday's fiesta.

Col, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Kreeky, MyRideTrev, PistolPete, Chops, Cate, Bo, Nev, Rocket, Kel, BamBam, TrekTrev, Pelly, Jen, Superman, Boof, Bruce, Tina and Kenworth assembled in a TGIF frame of mind for Friday's fiesta.  Front of house again for that long labour of the first shift, Rocket paired with me (respectful of his elders) in matching my wheel to Sanctuary's roundabout (kudos from Kreeky and PistolPete made the pain pass).  Chops is back (with limited oxygen) from a long hibernation, Superman's back from a successful ATB, BamBam confined himself to the caboose but Jen and Tina had the fortitude to face the front.  By chance (?) Nev and Bo paired to push the pace in River Rd, our paths crossing with Pussycats in silence (ah, the serenity of The Godfather's absence!)
The Goat train of pain (with '51 partners) ripped into River Rd on a mission of manic motion as we rounded the bend into Boundary Rd.  Smoothness satisfied the squad up to Channel Rd though the SSE'er was as strong as Ralphy's attendance.  Rocket looked relaxed as the pace wound gently up at the cypress trees, I'd had enough by Central Ave and Rocket rolled across, his pairing with Pistol pouring on the pain as the pack swung into Kinder corner.  Rocket lit the afterburners sending all neatly into single file behind in speed survival, Nev gifting the lead-out to Boof as I slowly slipped to the demoted (but finding a handful on my wheel grateful of a draft).  A day off allowed the pleasure of post pedal coffee with Jen & Cate and a catch-up with Princess, Fee, Meags, Scott & Kylie of past P&W days.

Week 41 :    263km      YTD 10,847km