Aspiration vs ability

 Post #582

16/1  A Saturday smoothie.

This would be a different week ahead.  There'd be an exodus of several of the division 2's to South Australia tomorrow, so today would make the most of the partners in pace before sustaining the swiftness of the shop squad for a week  (I'm told we're assured of fair play joining them)  Sanctuary's regulars Bo, Tina, Col, The Godfather, Temple and not-so-regular Grumpy lined up behind PistolPete's mandatory move toward Mitchell Rd, so there was a feeling of comfort working with a familiar and fair team.  Ahead of me, Bo's bottom bracket creaked like the Munster's front door.  I'd have the third shift with that chilled west southwester at my side through Central Kialla.  

I'd drawn the same shift yesterday under slightly more favorable conditions.  Feels like 6 had the 16 sprocket in use so cadence became my heater, 2 k's passing without detonation.  Tina, Grumpy, Col and Temple divided the drives along River Rd, Grumpy's turn a little shorter than expected or was that the effects of Friday night hydration showing? (Penny drops,  that's why he's not with the shop squad this morning!)   Some just don't sense the winds' direction and The Godfather's a classic!  The rear of the line was right at Coach Rd's edge hiding from the west southwester, while The Godfather sat at the road's centre.  Grumpy hollering suggestions had no effect of course.  

The smooth, stylish shift of PistolPete got us back into the pace-line groove, locked into another world as focus sharpened on the wheel ahead and zoned-in on an engine like rhythm.  Nice to have Pete's reliable and rock steady drive to draft.  Covers k's quickly.  Bo creaked the 2 k's of Old Dookie Rd to the Toaster, the wind now a direct westerly to make us earn our breakfast back home.   A short 1500 metres to Pine Lodge's church suited me, Tina could cover the 1500 to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd and tuck in for a tow to avoid that headwind homeward.  Col and Grumpy could provide the towing duties!   Temperature sank in a few short sections (pleased I pulled a base layer out of Summer hibernation) to take a little more breath away, but being dragged along in the draft was nothing to grizzle about.   

GreatScottSteve had sprinted from a sleep-in to appear at Boundary Rd to join us.  Kreeky got us to Ford Rd, Temple and The Godfather sharing duties so we'd get to Grahamvale Rd.  I had complete faith in PistolPete and Bo doing the business to Mt. Wanganui.  Impeccable timing put me at the front as we turned out of that headwind and into Rudd Rd, and as my last shift was a lame one, a decent one was overdue.  To Canterbury Rd was something resembling fair.  Hey, wasn't I looking after Tina to hand over a tail-wind shift into town?  Onto the Boulevard and the shop squad had hunted us down , Tina finding the mid 40's tempo to drag us all into their draft.  For a k or so until legs and lungs went lax under the labor.     Fresh hotmix being laid in Knight St forced a footpath diversion but that didn't delay breakfast and the babble on old vinyl, dead rock stars and roof racks.

18/1  A pace promotion.

Bruce's assurance of fair play was some consolation making my way to the shop Monday, joining the fast fella's still brought a touch of trepidation though.  Tempo would be the test.  A combination of Couldabeen's clans assured decent numbers with many (from both sides) touring South Australia.  I felt like I'd steered a Suzuki Mighty Boy onto a Formula One grid arriving at the shop, Rocket, Wozza, Lenny, Bruce and Trav were ready and raring to roll.  At least the 'formula 2's', Temple, Emil, JJ and Joe (not Tony) arrived to balance the standards.  Wozza set a sympathetic speed out Channel Rd  (this was the set circuit of the shop squad on Mondays, us lower classes will follow the hosts) with a south southwester to whip at our flanks.  Rocket kept a lid on his wattage (just below 40) as legs and lungs began to tolerate the tempo, my head now happy with the hurry while these guys probably struggled to stay awake!  Bruce guided us along the smoothness of the ChaCha's hotmix, me just realising I'd have that wind to deal with for the 600 metres of Central Ave.  The following 700 east to the cypress trees would at least be easier.  The old bloke didn't do too bad (or was the snoring supressed?)  Maybe it's performance under pressure?  Happy with my form of hurry, I handed over to Emil but managed to ingest an insect when I left the oxygen door wide open in recovery at the rear.  (I'd prefer tastier protein!)  Emil did well to storm on to Boundary Rd, JJ (fresh from Adelaide and Brisbane hills) turning up the tempo a tad to the Pub then on to the fig farm.  

40's were the norm with the wind at our backs.  Bruce kept an eye out for those of lower rank, Lenny making the haste to New Dookie Rd, but it was Temple's tempo that got bums off seats toward the rail-line ; I'll have what he's having for breakfast!  (great to see the guy back aboard with new found mojo)   Rocket took to Ford Rd at 40 despite the west southwester being almost head-on, a new bike (Trek Emonda SLR) under that sort of engine surely contravenes some homologation rule?!  To the town's edge at 3rd wheel spelled work in Wanganui Rd for me, I'd got up to speed after crossing the highway to get the relief of "Easy" being hollered from behind.  A few had dragged the chain into Wanganui Rd.  The slow was heaven but the acceleration for "all on" hurt.  Plans to reach Mt.Wanganui were far fetched, wattage being sought was barely at a trickle, so a twitch of the elbow gave Emil the job to finish the 400 to Rudd Rd.  A cruisy ride along the Boulevard was never going to happen but JJ kept the speed at a steady simmer.  Joe (not Tony) started to drop the wheel as Lenny kept legs labored toward Tarcoola, Bruce quick to drop back to guarantee nobody was left behind. 

20/1  What wattage?

Monday's lap was challenging and despite the lax legs feeling, it was addictive enough to go back for more on Wednesday.  That "banging your head against a brick wall" theory?   There's not much light at the car park at 5:38 anymore, now beyond the summer solstice the days steadily shorten, but the leds of Temple, Trav, Emil, Rocket, Bruce and Wozza soon lit up the grid for the 5:40 effort.  It must have been Groundhog Day.  

Wozza again led the line out Channel Rd with a similar southerly to Monday's shoving at the wheels, Rocket the second shift yet again to Orrvale Rd.  The difference was I'd avoid the wind today, Trav and Bruce were ahead and yet to serve their speed at the business end.  Bruce seems to have that PistolPete / Rocket / Wozza gene that cancels the effect of a headwind, pace impressive down Central Ave then east to the cypress trees.  Though he'd set a standard I felt duty bound to follow.  And that duty was now due!  I could tackle the 1500 metres to the S bend but another 1200 to Boundary Rd was beyond my wattage, so I gave Emil that chore.  (Done admirably.....and he added another 600 up to the pub for good measure) 

Temple took on the shift to the bridge and that ended division 2's first round of contributions, the four fast fellas line astern now presented their pace to hang onto.  Wozza made the task look easy to Old Dookie Rd, Rocket that little bit easier to New Dookie Rd.  Trav's smooth shift up to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd used the last of the tail-wind, the toil of a side wind now against us for the west way back to town.  Bruce held the reigns toward Lemnos while I banked on his velocity not to cook me ; it's the length of the turn that can toast me quickly.  BigBen on a solo spin joined in, Bruce's smoothness saving me from turning crispy, so my engine was well and truly warmed up to face the front in Ford Rd.  

Lucky me had a little shelter from the southerly for almost a k but the exposed section thereafter put plenty of strain on sustaining the speed.  I'd delayed throwing an elbow for a white posts or two (extending the limit that conservative head was telling me) but signals from the legs soon sent an involuntary twitch to elbow Emil to the front.  I was delighted to see traffic at Grahamvale Rd to force 10 seconds of stationary oxygen overload.  Here's hoping the 6 left to do duty would get me back to town ; what wattage I had left wouldn't pull the skin off a custard!  Rocket seems to relish a long shift, working Wanganui Rd with his trademark tempo, that little more light from the rising sun all the better to avoid the sticks littering the tarmac from last nights gusts.  Trav kept the hurry and the heart-rate up to the Boulevard, BigBen making his driving debut to keep the squad silent to Tarcoola. 

21/1  I-solo-ation.

A solo spin can be argued as good therapy.  Hiding in the draft of a bunch, doing a turn or two for a few minutes then wax lyrical about average speeds can elevate the ego a bit beyond normal.   Self said it was time to face the reality of solitary speed and strength (and maybe suffer a little!)     Thursday was one of  those rare mornings where wind wasn't out to kill me, in fact hardly a hint of the forecast south southeaster was blowing.  That explained the better than expected pace east on Wanganui Rd.     Steve (the machine) was assembling his squad of speed at Verney Rd (way beyond my league) but I was happy to play "bike bait" a few minutes ahead.  It'd keep my pace perked up to Boundary Rd in a disillusioned drive to hold them off.  Maintaining a decent pace meant keeping just under the red zone (You know,  when all goes blurry and you feel the need to update your Will!), the velocity a little easier bearing south, so a couple of k's were added without fear of early implosion.   Steve's squad soon swamped me at New Dookie Rd in a humbling hurry.  My argument of aspiration vs ability said staying solo suited me better.  No use flogging a dead horse!  

Crossing Old Dookie Rd I found another bunch of bikes a k or so behind me, figuring it'd be the Felines kept a keen pace as a priority.  A cruisy speed seemed counter-productive.  A sense of achievement was found closer to that red zone.  A once-in-a-while peek back kept the gap in check and with time on my side from an early start, the route to River Rd was in my sights (hadn't ridden this way west in ages).   Skippy was in my sights at the turn too (right in the middle of the road mind you) so a holler got him in a hurry to hurdle the fence.  A glance back reaching the quarter horse stud sighted those bunch lights only just entering River Rd, so it was no real challenge to stay ahead at this rate.  Couldn't be the Cats this cruisy could it?  These must have been snails!  Time had turned a little more precious nearing River Rd's end, so old faithful short-cut on the truck route to Archer had me home on time to keep employed. 

22/1  Licorice legs.

Half a dozen starters meant toil for Friday's fling, so didn't I do the sneaky shuffle to the rear as the clock struck 5:40!  Yeah, delaying the inevitable, but I needed maximum time to psych up for speed.  Lenny, Rocket, Bruce and Oscar far out-ranked Emil and I (no disrespect Emil!)  Where were the other division 2's anyway?  Some, not all were in Adelaide!  Surely the stay-at-home homeys hadn't softened and slipped to the soft side of the Wannabee's?    Bruce opened the account into Channel Rd (here's me thinking one weekday might have been on the River Rd circuit) with barely a breeze from the southeast.  Stick your head out of the draft at Bruce's pace though and you'd claim a neck injury!    Rocket remained consistent in scoring 2nd shift to Orrvale Rd.   How much easier is it to keep pace on the billiard table smoothness of the ChaCha?  So good that Lenny bumped up the speed to make sure nobody was snoring.  Oscar had the Central Ave / McFadyen Rd leg and took us to the cypress trees post haste, his somewhat shorter stature make his tow a little lame though.  

 Emil took on driving duties while I tried mental telepathy to make the S bend his limit.  My legs were licorice already and I'd yet to contribute a thing!   The telepathy worked, I got the 1200 metre drive to Boundary Rd (my head was already denying thoughts of driving on to the Pub)   Just as well the Garmin had turned itself off, I didn't want to see the heart rate numbers as I struggled to reach Channel Rd's end.  I'd preserved just enough push to catch the tail as Bruce took over, stocking up on oxygen as he kindly went easy on the accelerator.  Till he crossed the highway.  Suck up that speed Foss!, Bruce was on a mission of motion to Old Dookie Rd and that only baited Rocket's second drive to be a long one too.  (no complaints from me though, that meant more time in the tow before I'd face the pain in the driver's seat again)   

Photo credit ; Rocket.

Lenny led the Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd shift west, thank the breeze being at the backside for helping me stay aboard.  Oscar did the Ford Rd flight as I prepared for the predicted duty in Wanganui Rd, but as Emil put the sting into the speed over Grahamvale Rd, Bruce hollered a halt to extract a bee sting from his hand. That was oxygen time for me.  Far sooner than I'd hoped, Emil was back into bolting to Numurkah Rd, the 3200 metres of Wanganui Rd in front of me a sight to suffer.  I'd apply a seniors discount and do the drive to DECA, Bruce could manage the rest.  

Those licorice legs just managed to clutch the caboose when Bruce opened the throttle to Mt.Wanganui, so it was almost pleasing (in an unintentionally callous way) to see Bruce had suffered likewise as he rolled rearward in Rudd Rd.  Rocket took his time restoring tempo toward the Boulevard, bless his cotton socks, but Lenny seemed to relish making the final drive to Tarcoola's roundabout close to torture.  Division 2's return next week will be be welcomed!

This week 236km    YTD  835km

Hey!, get well soon TatMat ; took a tumble and shed some skin on a Tat pot-hole.  

Good to catch up with Coggo during the week too, steady improvements but there's a distance to travel yet on the recovery road. Chin up young man.