That concrete of commitment.

Post #534
15/2  Saturday sociology.

Timing this new commute to the car park (and searching the most rideable route) still needs some fine tuning, the eight and a half k spin to the Saturday starting grid got me there a little early (heaven forbid taking the lead role!) so a roll around the block contemplated my hopeful survival for the whole lap.  Trav, Rocket, TrackStan, GiantAndy, Dalts, Tina, Byron, Lance, Boof, Wozza, Kreeky, TrekTrev, TatMat, Bruce, The Godfather, Jase, Grumpy, PistolPete, Bo, Molly, TatPaul, Temple, Determined Dan, Vince, SuperMario, Josh and Lenny squeezed into the carpark, facing the headwind heartache in Archer Rd was averted when the old Saturday circuit was selected.  'Twas all very cruisy bearing east on Channel Rd , avoiding the roadwork rubble left on Mitchell and River Rd's (like riding on marbles I'm told).

Ye olde thirty five km/h limit seems to be set for Saturdays, it may well be snoozy for some ( I'll relish it while ribs repair) but many were enjoying a bit of social intercourse and a manageable tempo rather than holding on for dear life in silence.  The "Welcome back's" boosted the brotherhood of the bunch but it was a dark drive out to Boundary Rd and up to Old Dookie Rd before first light gave us something other than posteriors to peer at.  A head count (my only hope of recalling later all who rode) was difficult with two rows stretching into the distance ahead, so the social stuff satisfied till I could get a better view.

My Strava suffering score slowly subsides (fitness returning? with the speed of a snail) though the southerly made it's presence felt while I was stuck on the windward side of Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd.  Kreeky punctured a bit before the main eastern channel (bindii in bulk by the roadside ready to strike at those that strayed a wheel off the tarmac), the bunch fragmenting into social sects while repairs were underway. 

Rolling again, the speed steadily escalated as Wanganui Rd drew near, Bruce kindly cutting the breeze to assist those tested by tempo now in permanent residence at the rear. The sprint was considerately supressed and the hurry handbraked along the Boulevard, the bunch still united till the parting of the ways (ladies and gentlemen, choose your café) at Mason St.  Kit costs, food foibles and super long stages in the early years of T de F was babbled between bites of breakfast. 



17/2  A piece of peace.
By default, we'll nearly all take the easy way out.  The descent instead of the climb, a new tube instead of patching the old one, the draft rather than the drivers seat, so after sweating out Sunday on the end of a shovel, my soft option was the Goats train of peace. 

Friars footpath found Hommie, Coggo, Sandy, Speissy, Dippa and JB ready to roll, but Sandy was grappling with the Garmin for Hommie to harness his heart rate. Finally sorted, Sandy set off with pace far from peaceful, a long thin line speeding the streets to exit town, Deep Fry climbing aboard at SPC.  JB kept swiftness on the agenda to Central Ave, my turn to School Rd complying with Speissy's call for calm (well, I trimmed a whole two k's from the tempo).  A red led ahead baited Dippa and Coggo in Boundary Rd, the lure finally found to be Snow, absorbed into the fold just before the bridge.  Hommie was restraining any recurrence of his recent arrhythmia sitting in the caboose but time was ticking away for me, forcing a Channel Rd course to reach work for 7:30.   A breeze at the behind kept the average (and the morale) up but that stop start of city traffic dragged the numbers back to snails pace by ride's end.  I'd paid a pokey price for taking the easy way out.

18/2  Scenic spin 

I wrestled with the CBF demons as the alarm nagged it's 5am welcome to Tuesday (eight weeks off has me rusty on early starts), but knowing that endorphin overdose at the ride's end motivated the move from horizontal.  By virtue of first arrival, I inherited Heady's role to lead  the gathered Goats (Principal Skinner, Speissy, Coggo, Sandy, Heady, Phil, Hommie, Belly and Snow) from Friars, JB and Deep Fry found waiting at SPC on the exit of town.   Despite a breeze at the brow in Old Dookie Rd, this old engine was running ok, so I stayed on till Dobson's where Coggo formed a second row.  Hommie came forward for duty in Boundary Rd, cardiac concerns cancelled as he turned up the tempo. Ah, the Hommie of old is back! For a moment I contemplated a Channel Rd course homeward (the time vs lap position would cut things fine) but there's no gain from taking the soft option, just swallow that concrete Foss! Pace homeward will tune up that rusty old engine! 

The sky turned purple and orange to herald my 22,824th day and turns were ticking over rather nicely down to River Rd to lap up the easterly breeze for the return.  All were contributing to the cause, Hommie back on the front for a third turn and Heady wasn't shirking shifts either.  JB and Belly burbled the usual b.s., Sandy was silent keeping level with Hommie but Speissy had withdrawn to the comfort of the caboose by River's end, those roadworks not as rugged as rumoured.  Time was now well against me to reach home and, of course, there was plenty of oncoming traffic on the truck route trying to blow me backward and not one passing to loan a moment's draft.  I'd plied the 12 k's homeward somewhat spent to keep to schedule, but the endorphins arrived to repay the effort.  Pleased I'd ignored those CBF demons! 

19/2  ……..as a baby's bum!

A headwind hurried the heart rate down to the Archer St shops (not helped by a car bullying it's way past  on a roundabout, despite me arriving first) but there'd be no rest in a big bunch today, only the tough (Pelly, Nick, Kenworth and Laura) turned up to face the Wednesday whip-around.  Chat on which lap concurred it was back to the regular Wednesday lap, roadworks and loose gravel should have tamed by now. That unspoken but understood Indian filed formation attacked Archer Rd's southwester, Pelly (in fine form) piloting the first leg to Sanctuary's roundabout.  Nick drove the second shift to the truck route and Kenworth delivered the draft down to Mitchell, elbowing me the pleasure of a prevailing wind to propel me to Central Kialla.  

Smoothness comes as standard when a small band of similar wattage work together, the 6000 metres of River Rd slipping by with focus purely on the trains' tempo.  Last week's electricity bill, the state of the garden and the next tax return didn't rate a thought.  Are we escaping reality via chain and sprocket?  My shift at the front to Boundary Rd's Broken bridges had a whisker of southerly from the west southwester as help, so rather than be greedy, I handed the helm to Laura to take us to Channel Rd.  There'd be suffering for the westward leg home.  Pelly poured on the power to the S bend and beyond to Beckhams, Nick kept the hurry going to Jameson Rd where Kenworth took the drivers seat to Central Ave.  That headwind hurt when I emerged from Kenworth's draft, but trees sheltered the stress into Kinder corner, a metre of downhill to Hopeful corner got the pace percolating so stayed on till Prentice Rd.  Time had come for Laura to take the chocolates on the ChaCha so I elbowed her to the lead role ( and despite her objections) towed us with tempo on tap to Orrvale Rd.  The steady spin back to town contemplated the swiftness softening of those who failed to front.

21/2  The daily double.

Wind wore away at the wattage again on the southerly trek to the start line, I reckoned there'd be few fronting with that southerly blowing up to 40 km/h.  I'd arrived at the shop with seconds to spare, only Jase, Nick, Pelly, Joe (not Tony), Steve and Kenworth were there to set sail.  Seems most of the 'wannabees' wanna be in bed!  Jase stepped up to the chore of first turn and six slipped quickly into his draft, Steve's fairly new to this bike business but had a crack in the drivers seat anyway, a short but sweet shift then retreated (out of order) to third wheel.  Reality retired him rapidly to the rear when he saw another turn was due so soon.  I got the lead role for the first leg of River Rd, legs were turning at a respectable speed but the heart rate was ridiculously rapid.  A big serve of stubborn got me to the bridge to hand over, hoping that Pelly's performance didn't put me o.t.a.  I had enough in the tank to hold on but Steve was losing his grip. I took news of Steve's stress to the front, the group slowing to get him back aboard.  We're all in this together.

With a little guidance on peloton position for the best draft, he hung on for a k but broke off the back again at the quarter horse stud.  My peek rearward found him about faced and halted. Returning, we found him elbow deep into a puncture repair, surprised that we'd returned.  Division 1 passed by at pace, dislodging SuperMario from the rear, and wasn't he pleased to see us!  With a crash course in CO2 operation, Steve had fixed the flat and we were on our way again, Nick (never to be labelled a tail-wind hog) sharing the Boundary Rd blessing of a breeze up the bum.  The synchronised spin west on Channel Rd sped us toward coffee (with a little elbow education thrown in for Joe (not Tony)), a rare r.d.o. bringing me the bliss of a brew and babble at the Butterfactory in town.   

With time still to spare, extra k's beckoned ('bout time I stretched the daily 40-50k habit) so joined Tina for a tap to the Adams family.  Don, Axle, Patrick, Jim, Chilly, Ken, Ron and young Brian (hope I'm going that good in my 70's) among others filtered in for the 8am start, all rather tame in tempo down to Mitchell Rd and along River.  I'm getting dangerously close to qualify for this senior squad!  Low thirties was ideal therapy, though some were struggling as that southerly gusted.  
North on Boundary with the wind up our 'whatsits' split the squad into 'swift' and 'softening', some on a shortcut agenda to town left to their own devices.  None could wipe the grin off Tina as tempo took hold to New Dookie Rd, and I was the mug meant to match her!  But reality calmed the crew turning west into Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd.  Legs were happy with the 80k's done so far, but palms and shoulders were under duress from distance (that crème de concrete needs liberal application!)  Wanganui Rd drew near and speed struck the senses at DECA, hardly the hurt the Couldabeens dish out, but with nearly 90k in the legs, muscles were moaning to maintain 40.  Back along the Boulevard I bid my adieus, 'twas home time, satisfied that a decent distance was done.  

This week : 255km      YTD 496km