Week 40 : The slippery slope of softening.

Post #520
28/9 Saturday sans sprint? Strange...

With a chance intercept of the Mat and Paul TatTrain (+ Lenny) , I hitched a ride to Saturday's start, finding a massed meeting of PistolPete, Boof, Liam, Superman, Rocket, Lance, Kreeky, Tina, Shorty, Travis, Molly, TrekTrev, Tum (and chum Chad), TrackStan, Wozza and CatKel at the carpark.  PistolPete played pilot on a sympathetic start out of town but were all unaware that Tum and Chad had been sidelined by a nail through a GP4000.   TatMat, Boof, TrackStan and Lenny were quick to form the advance line, so before thinking of the reasons not to, I jumped on Lenny's wheel before relaxation at the rear became irresistible.  A k into Mitchell Rd and my number came up, with Lenny to Central Kialla then TrekTrev to River Rd (enough to get me gasping)
 Sledging within the ranks of TeamTat entertained the eastern leg of River Rd, I'd reached the back of the bunch as we steered into Boundary, the rubber band effect (quite amplified with twenty in the team) almost dropping Molly from the caboose.  I slowed a little to tow her back aboard ;  my memories still sharp of being dropped many moons back.
(Oh, that ride of shame, frustration and disappointment home!)   There was time for recovery in the tow as the bunch barrelled to Old Dookie Rd, social sentences swapped now that there was oxygen to spare.

That southwester set a challenge when I hit the front again in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd with Lenny, trying to put in a decent drive to the bridge before reality told me to roll with the punishment of part two ahead. I was my own worst enemy setting Boundary Rd as a target, PistolPete kindly sparing me the suffering when I called it quits a hundred metres short.
Into Wanganui Rd and I'd opted out of the advance, the standards of speed ahead was well above my wattage.  Strangely, the speed was still at a simmer at DECA and some were questioning if they'd joined the wrong bunch, a handbrake had been applied to the hurry to prevent new pieces breaking off the back.  Most compassionate.

The spin along the Boulevard was pacey but painless, breakfast debatably as enjoyable as the ride.  Hard to pick the priority.  A certain grand final captured the conversation at the gradually lengthening Lemontree table.


30/9  A Monday menagerie.

A mild morning was as likely as a Trump truth, six degrees was chilled to "feels like two" by a southwester, not exactly a welcome to the week.  At least Bruce, PistolPete, Wozza, The Godfather and Kreeky had made it to the grid, me pairing with The Godfather for the first shift figuring he wasn't going to punish me with pace.  A squad of six promised more than a couple of turns for the thirty k course, a lesson in labour for the legs after a slack Sunday.

Bruce was climatizing to the cool after a week's warm getaway, duty calling me to the front again at the S bend, trying to keep the speed standard set by Wozza and Pistol putting temperature into my legs.  Part two with The Godfather was judged enough by the highway, there'd be more turns ahead and my tempo tank was limited.    I'd fallen into a fixed focus on PistolPete's wheel in Boundary Rd so the sudden sighting of a charging dog at Wozza's wheel caught me off guard, luckily the pooch halted in a hurry to spare us a horizontal hurt.  The oncoming Goat peace train called a caution of Skippy's ahead as we arrived at Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, so we pre warned of the pooch predicament.  That southwester trimmed our speed toward town, PistolPete just above idle as I turned myself inside out toward the bridge, half a dozen 'roo's bounding north through the canola in search of breakfast.  The Godfather turned down the velocity reaching Ford Rd, I thought I'd done all the suffering till Bruce and Kreeky copped the windshear of oncoming trucks. Wozza and Pistol turned up the tempo again approaching town, toil time for me again paired alongside Bruce now that The Godfather was at rest at the rear. Almost pickled reaching Wanganui Rd, I'd hesitated at another turn but pinned hopes on Pistol towing me to Rudd Rd so I'd get some sort of recovery.  Happily, he did. The spin into town stayed solid, work cancelling the chance of a coffee chaser.


1/10  A Tuesday tap for 10k.
Too much bunch riding might be sending me soft?  Well, that was my reason to ride at five past stupid o'clock, north on the road less travelled to the metropolis of Zeerust and back.

A change from the same old same old.  A month into Spring and the temperature is still stuck in Winter, four degrees and feels like one topped off with fog to carve through, but it made a scenic setting as the sun got ready to rise. Snow, Belly, Coggo, Sandy, JB, Heady, Tina, Hommie and HG arrived at the Verney roundabout to go Goat'n, Belly re-reading me the riot act as a reminder of the frailty of the few on a comeback.  HG rolled away on a half minute advantage (which evaporated in a minute) as Snow set the speed east into the sunrise.  Tina showed us what smooth meant to the end of Ford Rd, JB going great guns for his second ride since April.  I got the bit between the bridge and Boundary Rd, HG now m.i.a. as we set south with Sandy sitting on as backstop.   Heady's making progress on pace and Snow's mojo moved us to Old Dookie Rd, Belly's blast was brief in the drivers seat and Coggo hinted he'd turn up the tempo for his next shift.

JB on the Pinarello (squeaky clean by Mr Sheen) towed me from the Broken bridges to River Rd, so I gingerly squeezed the accelerator westward, ready to handball the blame to Coggo should Belly bellyache on pace.  With the shadows of eight behind me cast ahead I soaked up those few rare moments where wheels hummed, speed rose and heart rate behaved for a couple of k's...till legs protested the punishment and triggered that elbow reflex.  Belly, Hommie and Heady did their thing to Laws Drive, Coggo turning the team silent to River Rd's end.  Tina was heading to the hills again so was on a similar shortcut mission to me, so we shared a solid spin back to the suburbs and clicked over my ten thousand k's for the year.

2/10  'Twas tough for a tap.
Boof, Shorty, TrekTrev, Tina, Wozza, Batman, PistolPete, The Godfather, Bruce, Kreeky and Superman was a slim showing for the Wednesday tap considering the "toasty" temperature of five.

  PistolPete was vigilant with velocity to start the six a.m. launch till somebody hollered "all on!"  He opened up the throttle to Sanctuary's roundabout, Boof beside him only serving to spike the speed into the forties and squashing my thoughts of doing an early turn.  (Oh, that's me sooking at second wheel)  Bruce and Batman took a little sting out of the speed but pace had cemented a few into the caboose already.  And this is the quiet lap of the week!  A couple of k's climatizing and my sulking subsided, time to contemplate Rule #5 and join the advance.  The Godfather, gripped by the ghastly gout, eased the effort through Central Kialla but speed was back on the menu in River Rd just in time for my contribution in the drivers seat.  That east northeaster in the face felt like I'd left the handbrake on, TrekTrev testing my tempo to the dip then PistolPete (six rungs up the fitness ladder) to match thereafter.

I guess we're lucky to have a bunch where the pacey and the pokey can cohabitate.  Well, on a Wednesday and a Friday at least.  It seemed like a mere minute had passed when Superman and Tina were calling me back into the up-line, feeling the breeze at the portside bow on Boundary Rd where the Goat train (thinned to three) passed our path.  Relief was rapid on the turn in Channel Rd, the breeze that almost broke me now a blessing at the backside for our eight k back to town.  "That'll do me thanks Trev" came out calm (despite my imminent internal implosion) as I rolled across at Jamieson Rd, matching PistolPete to Central Ave driven by the dregs of determination left.  I don't know where the energy came from to hold PistolPete's wheel to the Kinder, keeping Boof and Wozza within view as they launched at the ChaCha I'll attribute to their velocity vacuum.  A slow at the school got The Godfather back aboard for a spirited spin into town.

3/10  A friendly fifty.

A new chain hummed a happy tune on a peaceful prologue of the golf course loop, seven k's of serenity before gathering with the Goats (some may say a soft option but social supplanted speed today, less I lose the 'lust' in cyclust)  JB, Snow, Coggo, Manny, Sandy, Belly (yep, that caution came again), Carl, Tina and Hommie steered into the sunrise bound for Boundary Rd, an east northeaster (unnoticed at the Verney Rd grid) causing heartache to those facing the front (Carl's count at 170 bpm).  Short turns worked to ease some effort till pointing south, speed now steadily brewing in Boundary Rd.

Sandy baulked at advancing with concerns on her cardiac count, but I spurred her into the drivers seat suggesting she ignore the numbers (she could still talk at the front so was well short of her limit).  Tina and Coggo turned up the wick to River Rd, what started as a relaxed ride now had a bit of spice to it.  JB and I fronted for duty while westbound, but his sentences were shortening by the Angora farm and rolled across.

Time allowed me the rare chance to do the full circuit, Manny and Hommie dragging us to Mitchell Rd where Sandy withdrew to the caboose.
Carl was still stepping up for duty and Snow was primed for pace, Hommie wasn't saying much and I'd scored Coggo's draft as we worked to the highway.  Speed was getting serious by Galbraith's gate, Carl, Hommie and Belly had dipped out on driving and the turns were turning shorter and swifter.  JB and Snow called it quits as Conrod straight came into view, just Manny, Coggo and I left to labour the k to the finish line, but line honours didn't seem to matter, caffeine was the trophy back in town.

4/10  A headwind hurry.

That divide between the warriors of winter and those hurting from hibernation certainly isn't closing (I'll rank myself as able to hang on to the hurry and too stubborn to slip to the slow) so it was no surprise to find the familiar faces of the fast (Bruce, Shorty, Kreeky, Tina, Rocket, TrekTrev, Liam, Superman, PistolPete, Trav, Wozza, Batman, Boof and The Godfather) assembled for the six a.m. spin.  The headwind hadn't hampered Wozza and Rocket driving the bunch swiftly south, I'd done my ride research to start midfield to time my turn at the front with the wind behind.  Even so, TrekTrev was in fine form and kept my speech silent to River Rd's dip, Liam (with the utmost respect for his elders) dawdling beside me till my legs would give no more.

We should be grateful rather than grizzle that the quick push us out of the comfort of cruising and show just what's really in us. That slippery slope of softening is closer than we think, just look who's slid down there this year! Forty was fair in Boundary Rd, given the wind assistance from behind, but there was no let-up in Channel Rd with the wind cutting in from ten o'clock.  The procession of pace setters advancing for duty quickly called it a day for me, joining the survivors Shorty, Tina, The Godfather and Superman as rear carriages to the train bound for the ChaCha.  Wozza let loose at Hopeful corner and strung the line long, the bunch mostly in one piece reaching Orrvale Rd to enjoy the oxygen overdose to the school (and some still silent to the truck route)  

Week 40     296km                        YTD 10, 176km