Post # 476
1/12 Velo variance.
A slow solitary spin up to speed on Saturday satisfied a sluggish engine, out to the golf course and across to Grahamvale motivating muscles to cope with the Couldabeens pace. Lax legs could be from copious k's, but you don't get fitter doing fewer! The seldom seen species of TrackStan and Spin Doctor had queued first at the carpark, Lenny, Bruce, Col, PistolPete, Boof, Shorty, Tina, MyRideTrev, SuperMario, Bo, TrekTrev, Kel, Wozza, Rocket, KillkennyPaul, TatPaul, Lance, Temple, Softa, The Godfather and Superman filtering in, some from earlier efforts, a change of circuit stirring up sentences till six. Wozza and Rocket stoked up the first shift to banish any thoughts of a lame lap, that long thin tail of struggling survivors in the left line waiting for 1.Mitchell Rd's wind assistance 2. The kindest wheel to follow 3. Assimilation to speed. (or maybe all of the above?)
I had 18 k's worth of social sentences before duty called at the front, Archer, Mitchell, River and a bit of Boundary blurring by to the tune of 48 wheels humming, plenty of bunch babble, shrieks from launching galahs and The Godfather's guffaws in close competition. Elevated to the drivers seat just over the Broken bridges, it was time to keep up with Kel to Channel Rd then levelling with Spin Doctor to the highway. Rocket and Wozz slogged out a long drive to the fig farm where Tommygun jumped aboard, queries on the course bounced about as we tapped to the Toaster and up to the Big Ring to take a Congupna East diversion (Ford Rd still undergoing a rebuild)
The bunch was almost big enough to split but togetherness won the day, though several were barely above idling speed enduring the rubber band effect on the back while some were on the rivet at the front. Complaints on the coarseness of the course didn't tally with Bruce and I, the suppleness of titanium a bonus on the bum. A few now ventured from the rear seats to do a turn, pumps up the confidence instead of confinement in the caboose, Strava scoring plenty of pb's on this road less travelled.
We turned to Congupna East Rd but bearing west with Rocket and Temple doing the long haul into the wind, my turn came up again for the category 3 climb (the channel bridge) with Kel before pairing with SpinDoctor on the descent. The west northwester whittled away the wattage but Spin Doctor called a shorter roll (looking a bit toasted) The swing south onto Lemnos North Rd offered respite from the headwind (and different cows to view), the slightly smoother surface swinging the subject off saddle soreness. There was an air of Armstrong Rd's relentlessness on the 9k grind to Old Dookie Rd, conversation breaking the tedium as the up-line worried about the wind for the west leg back to town. There was a sprint-less conclusion closing in on suburbia as traffic took over the streets, a few short blasts of acceleration to catch the bunch tail beyond the intersections and it was the week's end luxury of the Lemontree's menu to ponder. Freaky folk, crazy cadence and reading a ride bounced across the table over a protracted breakfast with buddies.
3/12 Peace with pace.
Are lazy legs linked to a lethargic head? I sometimes wonder if 300+ km and 80,000 steps a week maybe the reason, but mood maketh the muscles move. A quiet 10 k warmed up limbs but it took the banter from Coggo, Tina, Heady, Sandy, Phil, AvantiLeigh, Hommie, Amy and Dippa to giddy up the headspace. DeepFry and JB had assumed the standard SPC position and attached to the two rows exiting east from town. The peace was propelled by a decent westerly (15-24 km/h) promoting peace in the ranks as oxygen intake took priority for many.
I'd drawn what is usually the short straw behind Hommie but his half wheeling habit seemed to be on hold today. Old mate on the old Cannondale (face was familiar but my recall stalled) came alongside for the drive to School Rd but his velocity vanished on the roll-over, slicing 6 k's off the pace. Boundary Rd presented a breeze to the starboard flank and a sun-up to the portside as each did their duty to the drive to River Rd, some went long and others brief, but who was measuring? Head down for the head wind beside Hommie on the way west, I was careful to level peg and not play his game of intimidation but the huff and puff told me he was on the limit. Old mate on the old Cannondale repeated his boom and bust shift at the quarter horse stud, Coggo, Phil and AvantiLeigh restoring rhythm soon after with smoothness of speed. Perfectly positioned, I was treated to a tow to Central Kialla Rd rested and ready for the rigor solo back to town. B doubles to and fro on the truck route delivered drafts to delight and destroy, the push home on Archer Rd kept conservative for a thrash tomorrow.
4/12 Popcorn.
An air of apprehension on the commute to the Couldabeens on Tuesday, it's been more than 6 months since spinning with the 5:45 crew so I wondered if I'd measure up. Pelly, Whispering Jack, Shorty, Nick, Kel, MyRideTrev, Bo and Superman had lined up for the thrash, Bo on the first shift to Kensington's roundabout. I had Shorty's draft for a couple of minutes warm up as the line of nine speared toward the Kinder. Cougar was on a presumptuous pedal ahead and climbed aboard as we closed in on Jameson Rd, Whispering Jack seemingly easing the effort till Shorty took over at the cypress trees.
Pace picked up to the S bend where my turn fell due, time to tickle the tempo to see if standards of old were set in stone. I handed the drivers seat to Nick in Boundary Rd but a call for calm (seems the specs have skewed?) came from the caboose (Cougar uncoupled). All were aboard after a few moments off the gas, so back up to speed, Nick and Superman had the joy of a head on breeze. There was no gap for me to rejoin the drivers, so I sat on as tail-light, Pelly pouring on the power into River Rd prompting MyRideTrev to hand out a helping hand to one dropping a wheel. 200 meters on the caboose broke off the back, so I bolted to catch the tail of 7. Heads down in the hurry in River Rd continued, gaps closed and concentration sharpened as the importance to hold that wheel increased. Kel commendably cranked to the bridge and handed the hurt to Bo, his strong shift taking us to Central Kialla Rd while I prepared for pain at second wheel. That breeze wore away the willpower on my effort south, I probably toasted myself reaching the Kialla hall bu there'd be reasonable recovery afterward. A flick of the elbow and I eased the effort, but pickle my grandmother! just Pelly, Kel and Bo were behind, seems half the peloton had parted popcorn from the pace. There'd be a battle with the cardiac count now, so hopes were for long turns from my three amigos so I'd restore some composure before the next shift. The ticker was still at 170 when Kel handed me the helm a bit before Archer, so survival dictated a shorter shift to Dave's dip and hang on while Pelly ascended with avengance. The Hares were homing in as we slowed for traffic at the highway, Bo, Kel and Pelly slipped through but halted with the Hares for self preservation. All that horsepower was hard to hang onto down to Roubaix corner and when Rocket hit the afterburners my legs refused to keep up with what the will wanted. The tonic of going o.t.a. is a great cure for cockiness, a disappointment not to finish with the bunch but some pleasure I'd lasted this far, to Conrod's end with the hr still in the 170's had jellied the legs, but it had lit the fire to try harder next time.
5/12 A two turn tango.
Ahead of the alarm on Wednesday, a 12k spin of the streets readied the rectus femorus for the Couldabeens counter clockwise circuit. Whispering Jack, Superman, Nick, The Godfather, SuperMario, Goose, Kenworth, Spin Doctor, Tommygun, Shorty, Grumpy (or should that be Sleepy-in-y) Temple, Tina and MyRideTrev formed the lines in the carpark. The fear of the first shift suddenly struck the front of the grid at six, but Whispering Jack took on the toil for the team, Nev arriving at the third stroke was no surprise but BamBam turning up at Kialla Lakes was. Nev took the initiative of instigating the up line, the string of shy folk occupying the down line motivating me to follow in Nev's wake. The drive with Nev to the truck route found an early edition u-turning to join, my pairing with The Godfather to Mitchell Rd doing the duty for Kreeky, Rocket, Wozza, not-so-newAvantiJohn, PistolPete, Bo and Kel to get aboard. Into the social stuff thereafter (and out of the breeze as a bonus) we worked to Central Kialla, the Col conversation centring on Hollywood facelifts of all things. Weapon was added to the fold in River Rd as speed see-sawed from fast to forlorn, Wozza making sure there was little time to daydream. Just a pair of Pain trainers plied south on Boundary as our pace continued north, I'd made it all the way to the bunch's back and started the advance as we swung west back to town.
The rolls went rapid beyond Channel Rd's S bend as many elected to shorten shifts, advancing me toward the business end a little sooner than I'd hoped. Whispering Jack got the bit between his teeth toward the Kinder which caught Nev napping (he had four places to make up turning toward Hopeful corner) but swiftly and smoothly he'd reached the front, slimming the squad to single file. I'd glued to Nev's wheel waiting for the sign, just his hint of slowing at Prentice Rd and I poured on what power I had. What seemed an eternity of turning myself inside out lasted probably a mere 100 metres, the sound of sprinters wheels behind waiting for that perfect place to pounce (and put me out of my misery) I'd almost hit bursting point when Rocket, Col, Wozz and co powered by to rate my all as average, such bliss to ease off and greedily gobble oxygen. Chat with the tap to the truck route analysed the how's and what if's of the sprint but PistolPete and The Godfather turned up the turbo to town to put the brakes on the babble.
6/12 Hare conditioner.
Keeping the cadence cooking on the commute to the Couldabeens was hoped to limber legs, the frenetic 5 k south finding Bo, Col, Kel, Grumpy, SuperMario, Nick, Whispering Jack, Temple and MyRideTrev lined up for the Thursday therapy/thrashing.
Two rows sorted to single file into Channel Rd and I'd scored the sensationally smooth wheel of Kel to follow, Col commanding the captaincy to Kensington and beyond. Nick laboured the leg to Orrvale Rd and looked pleased to terminate his turn, SuperMario then Temple taking the task toward the cypress trees. Bo's shift was a little shy of the S bend for Kel to take the lead, seems I'd score a bit of the ENE'er to deal with before the Boundary Rd blessing of the breeze behind. Head low and cadence high kept 39 on the Garmin, keen to keep the rhythm smooth as the previous shift. MyRideTrev had the treat of the tail wind (a seniors discount?), Grumpy doing the distance to River Rd.
Smoothness was the salvation for our westerly effort (though I craved the train drivers moving up the road a bit for a proper draft), Temple's turn was long and strong down to Mitchell Rd, Bo to Archer and Kel to Dave's Dip for my next shift to reach the highway (just cleared of traffic to aid our cause) A sneak peek back as we sped toward Galbraith's gate confirmed the Hares were out of Conrod's contention, Nick pulled out all stops beyond Arcadia Downs and Temple took the reigns at Conrod's dip, I sat in the sweet seat of fourth wheel with Bo yet to face the front and Col (hopefully) cooked from his last turn. Bo hit the gas as we closed in on the last dip but I'd pre-empted his push and was right on his wheel, turning on the angry legs with 50 to go. Chuffed to draw past the young fella and take the chocolates, I pondered that perfect position that periodically presents itself, gasping to the skinny bridge where Hares hurried past on their Rafters Rip mission.
7/12 Flambe Friday.
I had no dramas driving that first turn to Sanctuary's roundabout with the northeaster at my back on Friday, Superman, Tina, MyRideTrev, Kenworth, Boof, BamBam, Shorty, Cate, Tommygun, Laura, The Godfather, Pelly, Kel and Nick strung along behind would have the pleasure of a headwind later! A lengthy early edition (Kreeky, Rocket, Wozza, Bruce, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Whispering Jack, PistolPete, Col and Grumpy) jumped aboard on our mission to Mitchell Rd, but from there on the headwind would hurt till reaching Channel Rd.
Friday's westward parade of pelotons in River Rd was barely noticed caught up in Couldabeens conversation, Laura's slipped quickly into the fold of fellowship, Whispering Jack's caught a chronic case of commitment , Cate's back from a Kiwi furlough, Superman's in stitches and Tina's awoken her mojo for motion. MyRideTrev questioned his decision to advance to the pointy end, but he did anyway (better than confined in the caboose) as two long lines turned north for the charge to Channel Rd. Steaming into the breeze in the high 30's I reflected on the days when 32 incurred squeals of protest, tempo was taboo on Wednesdays and Fridays! (ah, how fitness unfolds eh?) I'd reached the business end just as we turned west into Channel Rd for the benefit of the breeze behind, to the S bend beside Cate and with The Godfather to the cypress trees and my duty was done. Pace was on the up and up rounding Kinder corner at 47 but I was ignoring the speed from then, a keen eye on the thin line ahead as Boof bolted for the honours with the hopefuls hanging on to pick up the podium pieces.
Week 49 285km YTD 13,180 km
No comments:
Post a Comment