Week 52 : Kilojoule killing k's

Post #479
22/12 What wind?!

Being blown backwards to Saturday's grid dug up a determination to meet the 6am start time, but I turned up in pole position as a result.  Shorty, The Godfather, BigLen, Lance, TrekTrev, Cate, Bo, Superman, Kel, TatMat, Tina, MyRideTrev, TatPaul, Nev, MeridaAndy, Lenny and CatKev rolled in for the Saturday spin, six bells signalling I should read rule #5 and ride!  Facing a 25 km/h headwind (gusting to 37) out of town was half hurt, half heroics, The Godfather paired alongside at the city limits calling "Say when you're done", which only stoked up my stubbornness to drive further.  By Hooper Rd The Godfather was getting worried but I'd had enough to let the turn roll, besides Bo wanted to dish out the punishment.  TatMat's kudos cured the hurt as I hung on at second wheel to the truck route, early birds Kreeky, Rocket, Wozza and PistolPete joined in the joviality, the mindset mellowing in Mitchell Rd now that the wind was at our side.

CatKev was hitch-hiking a ride for extra k's (to make space for Chrisytmas indulgences?) and Lenny, BigLen and MeridaAndy made a rare appearance (an early start to a new year's resolution?
The Central Kialla leg was clocked quickly with the wind up our willows, the downline shielded in River Rd while the up-line bore the brunt of the breeze.... a bit backward in the scheme of things but this is the accepted standard.  A blast up Boundary (long gone are the days of a Saturday speed limit) then the work against the wind on the up-line in Old Dookie Rd to the Toaster.
'51 had made a Saturday appearance at the Big Ring, I was making mental preparations for another episode of effort, the southerly's strength against the steering making my drive like a drunk.  Bo baited The Godfather again to the bridge, Ford Rd's new coarse stretch of tarmac tested tooshes as the social sentence swapping subsided for speed.

 I was in two minds whether to advance for more punishment or play survivor in the midfield when Nev and PistolPete wound up the wick in Wanganui, not enough wattage in this old engine to survive their standards so I hung on as Wozza and Rocket hammered to the hill.  Some had veered off at Verney, Superman was blown off the back at DECA but a long line of labourers languished to Mt.Wanganui. There's no rest for the righteous in Rudd Rd as the pace percolated in pursuit of breakfast, bolting along the Boulevard with bits breaking off the back in the last k.  Bike therapy, the satisfaction of being spent and concrete covered conversation at the Lemontree table with the pedestrian division (walkers waning with warmer weather)  Jen and Mrs. Pistol.


24/12  A Christmas eve crank.

Twas the ride before Christmas and a keen collection of Couldabeens converged on the carpark, costumed for the occasion.  SuperMario, Kenworth, Laura, Rocket, TrekTrev, PistolPete, Col, Kel, Bo, Trev, Nev & Kristy, Tina, WhisperingJack, Tommygun, Lance, Nick, Grumpy, Cate, MeridaAndy, Jen, Bruce, AvantiAndy, not-so-newAvantiJohn, BigLen, Superman, MyRideTrev, Temple, The Godfather, Liam, TatMat, Lenny, TatPaul, Kreeky, Jase and DeterminedDan (say that without drawing breath!)

pointed into Channel Rd on the usual Monday circuit, a tame tempo chosen in view of the not-so-aerodynamic nature of the festive fare festooning many.  Tinsel, antlers, baubles and bells competed with carols via Bluetooth speaker set a slower speed savoured by many.
There'd be barely one turn at the front (if you ever got there) in such a packed peloton, the seasonal sociology taking precedence over the pace, to the relief of some. PistolPete dispensed chocolate, Nev and Kristy tapped the track by tandem, Jase had made the effort to attend despite his back's protest, and Team Tat had toured across for the yuletide occasion.

36 heads on 70 wheels (you can figure it out!) made a record roll-up, another epic event from the class of Kel's creativity, all in the festive fellowship up Boundary Rd and west back to town with heart rates on holiday.  A sprintless Wanganui Rd and a relaxed roll along the Boulevard took us to the Lemontree, filling four packed tables for a boisterous breakfast.

25/12  Making space for pudding.

Yeah yeah, it's Christmas but thoughts of a day off the bike seemed foreign, besides, there was a space to be cleared if I was to enjoy mum's Christmas pudding.  Rostered for 6:30 work meant an earlier than early start to satisfy the addiction, out the door and up to speed on New Dookie Rd as 5 bells tolled, telling myself a quiet roll was all that was needed.  That lasted all of 40 seconds!  Something inside the skull turned up the tempo toward Boundary Rd (no point of kitting-up at stupid o'clock for a tame tap I guess) ramping up the heart rate to pursue a little punishment via pedals.  A delightfully windless and warm morning kept the enthusiasm up but the legs weren't so keen turning south, but the urge to maintain a respectable rate of knots soon took over.  Into Channel Rd I was paced by a 'roo bounding in the tabledrain, but a wary eye and a cautious distance from it's unpredictable course payed off when it suddenly crossed my path to Sellman's orchard.  Light filled the sky on my return to town, the first of several outbound bikes (on a similar pre-emptive kilojule strike) driving into the daybreak.  That great satisfaction in clocking the k's drowned out the legs lament, perhaps pudding will subside Strava's 180 suffer score?

26/12  Burning ballast.

Christmas day excesses and a southerly made progress slow to Wednesday's carpark, yesterday's pudding and custard felt like an anchor so the 17 cog was pressed into service to get to the grid on time.  SuperMario, The Godfather, Tina, Tommygun, Nicholas, Kel, Temple, MeridaAndy, Bo, Rene, TrackStan and Lenny had a case of the gastronomy guilts too, lined up and ready to burn some ballast for a few k's.  The single line southward struggled to start an up-line, I'll admit to letting the natural order file through before I got on the escalator of effort.  Bruce, Rocket, Wozza, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Kreeky and PistolPete arrived from the earlier edition to contribute to the cause, Christmas culinary comparisons the conversation by most except for those exhausting effort at the front.  Weapon's regular intercept in River Rd rounded up the numbers to 20, the southerly wind buffeting the up-line while the downline soaked up the shelter.  It was my time for toil in Boundary Rd, promoted to the front to pair with Bruce, titanium twins in tempo to Channel Rd then alongside Nicholas to the Pub, really throwing the Trek left and right when off the saddle  (I wonder how long the spokes will stand the stress?)

The public holiday had motivated a course up Boundary Rd then west back to town via Ford, the extra k's to cull some calories perhaps?  Rene had confined himself to the caboose and Weapon withdrew from the advance as the tail wind put hurry into the holiday, arriving at Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd before we knew it.  Seems Santa had gifted lots of lycra with Bo, The Godfather, Kel and PistolPete (of course) in new kits, TrackStan the gifted one though with a new Avanti (as if he needs more speed!) I was back in the up-line on Ford Rd, relaxed with 10 wheels ahead to do a turn before I faced the front, though speed still simmered into the 40's despite the breeze at the portside.  Rocket, Bruce and Bo, with a love of the long shift kept up the work in Wanganui Rd, me in lucky lane sitting calm and composed at third wheel as a whiff of Mt Wanganui hit the nostrils. No-one was making a move so I hit the boost button and bolted, trouble being the wattage of MeridaAndy was glued to my wheel. I crested the hill in front but was bordering on bursting trying to last another 50 meters, MeridaAndy cruising past with ease to take the win as me, respiratorially ruined, squeezed in a second before Nicholas, Pistol, Bo, Rocket et al shot past to Rudd Rd.  Rapid recovery never came as the bolt on the Boulevard burnt legs further, the long thin line labouring under Rocket's rate back to the Lemontree.  A kit's comfort, hot rides and cold lunches kept tongues tattling, most constrained to just coffee considering Christmas's calories.

27/12  A Hare-less holiday.

17 degrees across the skin at 33 km/h would be savoured for the day's expected top of 42, the cool commute to the Couldabeens finding Grumpy, SuperMario, Ralphy (rumours of his retirement proved false) Nicholas, Bo, Rocket, BamBam, Kel, Rene, Tina, Wozza, The Godfather, Kreeky, Cate, Liam, not-so-newAvantiJohn, PistolPete, MyRideTrev, Col, Nev, Travis, TatMat and Lenny craving the cool too.  Rocket and Wozz had already warmed up in the cool with a pre-emptive 30 k but it was Ralphy who led the Archer St charge to the south for a Saturday circuit (seeing as a public holiday blessed most with the time for some kilojoule killing k's.  It was just too easy to sit back and follow the bike ahead, waiting for the natural progression to promote me forward ; I'll feel a Softa like state solidifying in me if I continue this cowering caper at the start!  Col's calorie concerns carried him to the drivers seat and I'd found the femme fatale fraternity on my wheel as we steered into the sunrise of River Rd's 6 km.

A dry groan of a thirsty bottom bracket begged attention as I worked up the wattage to keep up, the speed standards seemed to have stepped up since Spring where high 30's are now the expectation, regardless of wind and it's direction.  I'd finally joined the up-line in Boundary Rd and there'd be a long wait before facing the front, so Grumpy's Christmas excesses, not-so-newAvantiJohn's take on the vinyl revolution and Liam's festive staples of gifted socks and jocks courted conversation in the meantime.  We'd rounded up Eddy at the fig farm on his ritual ride (hope I can still turn wheels at 80) then steered east to the Toaster and north to the church, but Kel provided an intermission with a puncture.  Kel's repair was rapid though costly, needing a $10 note to plug a deep cut, and faster than Bo avoiding assistance , we were headed for the Big Ring to work westward back to breakfast.

Alongside Cate to Boundary Rd rubberised the legs then Col turned them to jelly reaching the bridge, so I was delighted the turn rolled and got me in the tow, but there was a sense of inadequacy watching Col and Kreeky crank effortlessly all the way to Lemnos North Rd. The join of the new tarmac in Ford Rd whacks wheels and stings sit sites, but I was comfortable having done a bit a bit before the Wanganui workout, so mentally prepared for the pace.  The fit were facing the front at DECA but kept a considerate cap on the labour, sprint-less up Mt. Wanganui for the whole bunch to turn together into Rudd Rd.  A swift yet smooth spin along the Boulevard kept the stress meter below the red line for yet another social soiree at the Lemontree,  an amiable epilogue to a weekday ride I'd be happy to make a habit.

28/12  Turn off one of those ladies and put some more ice on the fire!

A sweaty start to Friday with 28 degrees, 26% humidity and 24km/h worth of warm southerly to battle to the grid, though Travis, Tommygun, Shorty, Manny, SuperMario, Lenny, Nev, Laura, TrekTrev, Cate The Godfather and Pelly made the effort to front too.  Nev and Lenny led the lines toward Sanctuary's roundabout with me determined to shake off the softness and contribute an early turn.  In the pilots seat at the roundabout put a flogging to the forefront, a high thirties hurry and a headwind halving my expectations to reach the truck route conscious. Trek Trev gifted me a tow for leg 3 as he and The Godfather muscled their way to Mitchell Rd, the early edition of PistolPete, BamBam, Tina, Wozza, Kel, Bo, Kreeky, Bruce, Rocket and not-so-newAvantiJohn (fuelled by the Festive 500) almost equalling the 6am grid.

Despondency from a deficient drive probably prolonged my recovery but Manny's monologue and the Central Kialla tail-wind put thoughts back on track.  Bruce bolted to the front in River Rd with unknown news on pace, the cracks of communication widening of late as the bunches grow larger and longer.  My headcount began in earnest so I'd put names to the numbers later, this roll call ritual at least delays dementia (I hope!) as another year comes to an end.  Bidons were beginning to empty with 30k still to travel, though a smooth rhythm along Boundary was minimising gasps, a swing into Old Dookie Rd then a bolt to the Toaster (as a speedo-less Cate hammered out a turn) cranked up the consumption of oxygen.  Sweat worked well as air-conditioning for the westerly 20k to town, head down behind Tommygun to the kennels (like drafting a match with the wood scraped off!) then a turn alongside him to Boundary Rd, the tank emptying matching TrekTrev to the bridge before gorging on oxygen to reach Lemnos North Rd in his draft.

  Coherence returned in Ford Rd and the social sentences started, a keen eye though on position as the pack fanned across the tarmac in shelter from the southerly.  Laura's light did a dismount at Verney Rd but news didn't reach the front till Numurkah Rd, a halt in Wanganui Rd almost had the bunch back together but The Godfather's baiting at the front brought on a bolt to the Boulevard.  Sheer pig-headedness and an urge to belong drove the legs to hold on as Rocket and Wozza ripped up the road, a long thin line blurring the tarmac into the 40's.  Bits were breaking off the back as segment Kings and Queens were being decided, many in a lather at the Lemontree for latte's on ice as water bottles emptied to the talk on pre or post ride breakfast and festive challenges.

Week 52         291km       YTD 13,956 km