Turning up the hurry to hurt.

 Post #583

23/1  Sluggish for some, swift for others!

It was some comfort to find a few of lesser wattage than GiantAndy, Rocket, Bruce and Lenny at the grid, hopes of a not-so-hot pace raised as I parked (intentionally) rearward with Lance, Emil, Grumpy and Joe (not Tony) at the shop for Saturday's spin.  Hopefully the blend of the rank-and-file with the freakishly fast would balance the speed to something sustainable.  GiantAndy's opening serve set the bar high!  Those legs-like-oak-trees wasted no time with tempo south to Sanctuary Drive and beyond, at least his mountain like profile provided plenty of draft.  

Grumpy set the second shift steaming toward Mitchell Rd from the truck route at an admirable pace against an increasingly annoying southwester.  Lance had the leg to Central Kialla, Joe (not Tony) grateful to have the breeze behind him for the 2 k's to River Rd.  My turn next.  And wasn't I chuffed to have a little westerly in the southwester to put some shine on the speed to River Rd's bridge.  There was a little left reaching the channel but I'd want that in the bank, the wind was behind at the moment but would probably bite me later!  Bruce made my turn look lame by driving the 4 k to Coach Rd,  Thanks mate!  Lenny set the pace north on Coach Rd's length, first light casting shadows of 18 wheels on blurred bitumen.  Emil's found his place (and a rejuvenated enthusiasm) in this clan inside a few months, providing his pace toward Old Dookie Rd. 

  Lance and Joe (not Tony) divided the distance of Pine Lodge North Rd as we crossed paths with the '51 fellas, Liam in hot pursuit a k behind making up time lost from a puncture.  I was handed the reigns turning west onto Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, the bridge over Pine Lodge Creek baiting me 2 k's ahead.  The physical task to reach it was tough enough but the mental battle with the defeatist inside my head was harder.  Muscles, lungs and heart were yelling their usual objections but convincing the head to get to that bridge felt like a losing battle.  The oncoming Cat collective gave the incentive; put on the determined face Foss, not the agonised one!  I'm not sure which was the greater reward, reaching the target or the relief in the draft, but I'd need the 8 others to do their bit before I'd face the front again. With the chain onto the 12 and the posterior off it's perch, the sting in the legs eventually subsided, Bruce keeping the speed at a simmer all the way to Lemnos North Rd.  (Another humbling demonstration.  I'll chat to my therapist about it later!)   

That regular rhythm was a life saver ; haven't we all been in a bunch with a see-saw speed that crucifies legs and shortens brake pad life! (bunch identity withheld to avoid litigation!)  We are lucky to find comfort in that steady speed.   Lenny turned up tempo on Ford Rd and Emil dragged us closer to town with Rocket at the ready next , GiantAndy poised for pace straight after.  (There's that line up of wattage again!) Wheels hummed under the load of the 40's in Wanganui Rd and Lenny poked the GiantAndy bear by moving to the front to bait a sprint.  Joe (not Tony) was well into the hurt locker and losing grip on the draft.  That line between loaning a tow to one in trouble and fighting for your own survival gets blurred when you've extracted more wattage than you thought possible to hang on, self preservation ultimately driving me to catch Rocket's wheel as Lenny lit the fire toward Mt.Wanganui.  

Bruce was playing good Samaritan to the battlers, but Joe (not Tony) had hedged his bets using Kittles Rd short-cut as a leapfrog to the Boulevard.  GiantAndy rolled off the front in Rudd Rd and I called him in ahead of me ; Rocket and Lenny were serving speed again and I had no hope of horsepower to match!  (You know the saying, if you can't stand the heat........).  Besides, I now had the best seat in the house!  GiantAndy's wheel.  Dare I say a better draft than Kenworth?  Digging deeper and deeper to stay in touch (Oh the guilt of dropping a wheel if some behind me were dependent on the draft) had me surprised at the reserves you can find under pressure ; that horse may not be as dead as I thought!  Speed was still swift beyond Tarcoola, so the thoughts of carbohydrates and caffeine to come became the last drops of  fuel to hold the wheel, relief finally coming courtesy of the traffic lights en-route to the Lemontree.  Bo's hair, chilled descents and the town's weirdo's captured the conversation. 

25/1 The team returns (and welcome back Jen!)

Having the regular Sanctuary squad back from Adelaide brought me back into a certain comfort zone, playing in a more suitable division if you like, though there are days when I wonder if I'm on a rung to high in this division.   Bo, Kel, Col, PistolPete, Tina and The Godfather were back on home soil, Joe (not Tony), Emil and Jen rounding up the numbers to 10.  Who else but PistolPete started us off on the first shift south and just for a change, a northeaster eased our way to Mitchell Rd.  Jen opted to sit this one out in the caboose (8 months since she'd turned a wheel in tempo)   At second last wheel I felt duty bound to see she stayed aboard (the bunch that starts together stays together)   There was that whiplash effect at the tail as reaction times multiplied (by 10), me being the shock absorber as PistolPete hit the accelerator beyond the truck route. 

No dramas at the rear, Jen's fitness and new aerodynamics guaranteed she'd stay aboard.  Col was on 2nd shift to Central Kialla, Bo then Kel doing the standard 2 k drives east, north and east to River Rd's bridge.  Don't you just love the familiarity!  25 degrees and a northeaster at this hour had many of us feeling like a dim-sim.  Tina handed over to Emil at the dip, that wind blowing away any thoughts of an epic effort at the front.  The Godfather towed us to Rooster corner.   Joe (not Tony) took on the north drive in Coach Rd but must have graduated from The Godfather School of Echelon Education, there was no shelter from that northeaster for the last five in line, they were all grimacing in the gutter.  

I played savior sitting centre of the road.  Joe (not Tony) had tired of the toil 400 metres later anyway, so I soldiered on to the bridges for PistolPete to take charge.  Minno was found searching for company and tagged onto the tail, me caught napping rolling rearward when Jen called me in to 3rd last wheel. Col's contribution continued over the highway.  The Godfather's variables seem to have smoothed somewhat (could Adelaide's ascents have fine tuned his tempo?)  so brake pad wear was at a minimum along Old Dookie Rd.  Bo and Kel drew us closer to town and Tina towed us to the truck route, so maybe it was the early summer heat that tempted the tempo from Emil to sprint to SPC?  Only a few were that keen, most content with keeping the 36 average into town and began the search for caffeination as The Butter Factory was on a holiday.     

27/1 Oh, the woes of wind!

Wind whistling through the trees wasn't exactly music to my ears, nor was "feels like 8" the most inviting temperature with it, but I'd be turning into something like BeerMat if any little negative stopped a ride wouldn't I?  A good part of Wednesday's lap would have a tailwind and PistolPete would probably front a lot of the headwind anyway!  Emil and I had earned a lower grid position fighting the south southwester (24-33 km/h) all the 10 k's to Sanctuary's roundabout, and sure as eggs, PistolPete volunteered to lead us to Mitchell.  Nudging 40 if you don't mind!  Behind, The Godfather, Kel, Col, Bo, Tina and Joe (not Tony) made the line 9.   Emil set a similar speed although eastbound had less labor with the wind now at the starboard side.  I'd scored the north drive to River Rd so the wind behind should make it easy as.....but it didn't.  It seemed to take ages to build the pace up, though that was probably a bonus for the rearmost.  Plenty of attention went into keeping the speed smooth, the master of it was next in line.   My force was fading with 100 metres to go, thankfully I could use the oncoming car at the intersection as an excuse to handbrake the hurry.  Kel set the standard to River Rd's bridge, Joe (not Tony) driving a good turn to the dip.   

Col finished off the last k and a half of River Rd then stayed on for an encore to the Broken bridges in Coach Rd, a great effort for somebody who "couldn't be bothered" when the alarm went off earlier.   Bo was in his element, breeze at the backside and leading the line to the highway and giving the forties a fair showing on speedo's.   Of course, he continued the hurry beyond the highway, this was Bo at his best (and giving The Godfather grief at 2nd wheel)   How tactical that he handed over the lead at the fig farm.  The Godfather had a little of the tailwind to Old Dookie Rd and would be baited to take on some of the westerly work as a fair shift.  There was enough west in the south southwester to wear away wattage and The Godfather succumbed just shy of School Rd, but when PistolPete poured on his performance The Godfather was beyond the rivet.  The holler came just half a minute later of the disconnection (you could tell by the sudden silence in the squad!)   Always the gentleman, PistolPete eased the velocity till The Godfather re-united.  All aboard across Central Avenue, the Pistol power was on again (this time capped to 41) to the truck route (if that wasn't enough!)  I think that got Emil excited, speeding to SPC though I was content to captain a cruise of the streets to stop seeing stars Butter Factory bound. 

28/1  New crew .

Lil' Jodie had suggested a spin with '51 on their calm day (there'd be no hope for me on any other day!) but there was hesitation in the head about fronting un-invited.  Being ready to ride begged some sort of effort and hopes of Goats fronting Friars were slim....maybe I could just happen to be rolling on Ford Rd a minute or two ahead and jump aboard the '51 train?  At worst I'd go o.t.a. (or be asked to!)   

An easterly raised a little effort on the Wanganui Rd warm-up, though running a little too early prompted a lap around the block to get the timing right.  A few had assembled at Verney Rd as I rolled out Ford, just a couple of k's slowly building up pace and the crew were suddenly overtaking.  Not too rapidly.  (Hopes rose)  Lil' Jodie, Doc Pete, Eggy and Sharpy I recognised (the 3 others I wasn't sure), so I took the punt and caught the tail, watching intently for the protocols (keeping to the f.i.f.o. principal)   Seems the pace-line was taking turns of a minute or two, and with speed manageable, I'd try my luck.  Worth putting a toe in the water so to speak.   Doc Pete steered us swiftly into Boundary Rd, smoothness a part of the job description, so the pressure was on to deliver a drive worthy of being made welcome.  Mr Bianchi ahead did the subtle elbow thing crossing New Dookie Rd so I took a  guess at 2 minutes duty being a bit before Old Dookie Rd  (I'm way too familiar with turns to landmarks rather than time.  This wasn't something you could set an alarm to though)   I'd done my best to simulate the speed so far and peeled off the front, pleased there was no objections.  (Not a word spoken means I did ok doesn't it?)  Pleased too that there was enough in the tank to catch the tail.  Shorter shifts were easier, just that there'd be more of them.  Minor differences in time and tempo at the business end had me due for duty again at the Broken bridges, so One Tree Dam became the target for this turn.  Another (unknown) joined the line but that didn't mean less work, the tempo had turned up a little more.   Rather than River Rd, this lap took the Mitchell Rd route, memories recalled of rides many years ago while I waited in line for the next shift.  Given the lead with two minutes worth to Central Kialla, the breeze behind helped to keep me to the standard, cars approaching on the Euroa Rd splitting the line at least allowed some oxygen stocktaking while the line reassembled.  Eggy dialed up the effort beyond Galbraith's gate and Mr. Bianchi kept the pace percolating into Conrod straight, no pressure then for me to be given the lead with 700 metres left to the finish line!  Preserving the speed and holding the line was the only option I had, thankfully a few rolled by with 50 metres to go ; I had nothing left to offer.  A solid 37 average baited another try one day....if the welcome mat was out.

29/1  Ride like the wind.  Like the ride, not the wind!

A small window of opportunity had opened on Friday, a chance to squeeze a ride in before the rain, but of course there was a price to pay.....wind, and plenty of it! That northeaster (20-43 km/h) certainly made the 10 k spin to the grid quite cruisy, but there the honeymoon ended.  A headwind and speed was on the work list thereafter.   Only PistolPete, The Godfather, Kreeky and Emil had bothered to turn up (has the rest of the regulars softened?) so there'd be more than one turn today!  PistolPete played fair to the truck route and steadily built the pace to Mitchell Rd, the real work would start from now.  

Kreeky had the pleasure of the headwind first, 2 k's to Central Kialla was a tough introduction back from holiday.  The Godfather took us north and, as expected, the rear three were in the gutter with no room to echelon left.  No point hollering, The Godfather's course was set in concrete.  He continued the lead role into River Rd but at least all could get a decent draft with room to the right.  Emil had the drivers seat at the bridge and turned up the hurry to hurt; it's alright for these young guns to push the limits but I'd be pegging back the pace when given the job.  If I could last that long!  A fixed stare on his elbow wouldn't make it flinch so the wait went on....while the wattage waned.  Finally at the quarter horse stud I was handed the reigns and out of that draft was like hitting a brick wall!  Mid 30's was my max, and if the others didn't like it, they could lump it!   The last 1500 of River Rd was certainly laborious, a little relief reaching the rumble strips to find Bruce, Lenny, Boof and Gazza  arriving from a poorly populated shop squad. 

PistolPete's pace into Coach Rd unearthed reserves I thought to be beyond me ; funny how you find that bit more in the tank to hold on.  The eagerness to stay in the draft got me far too close to the wheel ahead and you can't rely on a steady wheel to follow in these gusts.   It took a concerted effort to ease off that wheel, the fear of loosing the tow at Pistol's pace was considered a fate worse than death, it would be a very long and windy ride home without it!  Kreeky took over at the highway but was somewhat toasted at 2nd wheel to Pete, speed sinking at the bridge so The Godfather took over tempo (he still had the oxygen to sledge southbound Cats though)   Emil's excitement west on Old Dookie Rd put the business back into the 40's, mine was the mind game of convincing this engine to perform after Emil's effort to Central Ave.  Given the task, a slow build of pace was key to surviving the distance to Dobson's bridge, It was barely a kilometre to travel but at the prior pace, a pain.  Something was needed in reserve 'cause ending this turn would be pulling the cork on Boof, Lenny, Bruce and Gazza to taking over the front.  Thinking my drive at 42 was worthy was a bit presumptuous, Boof took to the captain's job possessed with pace to the truck route, those reserves tested again into town. Quite the effort to end the week.

This week  257 km    YTD 1,092 km