Keeping cadence cooking.

 Post #604

19/6  Like Saturday's of yesteryear.

The Saturday grid really is the veritable box of chocolates ; who and how many will turn up is a mystery till 6am strikes.  Another cold morning would probably attract just a handful to the Sanctuary roundabout and a southerly wind thrown into the recipe lowered expectations even further.  There'd be work to do this morning, and plenty of turns to tax me.  Well, pickle my grandmother, there was a crowd at the start-line!  GiantAndy, Kreeky, The Godfather, Boof, Nev, TrekTrev, Liam, Molly, Bo, Rocket, Lance, Superman, Trav, Lenny, PistolPete, Joe (not Tony), Emil, Greg and Grumpy made it a Saturday squad of old.  

Prior predictions were erased, there'd be plenty of chat and probably just one turn in the drivers seat today.  The advance line didn't get many takers as PistolPete set the tempo south, plenty were waiting in the long line behind, probably to see what the speed would finally settle on.  With most of the performance at the pointy end any wonder division two's waited!  As the speed settled into the high thirties toward Mitchell Rd a few braved the advance line but many were choosing their "wheel of choice"  (the longer the wait the fewer the options folks!)   I'd grabbed Greg's wheel early in the game of musical wheels, who was on mine was anyone's guess.  

Looking rearward saw nothing but blinding leds and there wasn't a lot of chat to identify people on the acceleration toward Central Kialla.   The flurry would soon settle as heads and heart-rates grew accustomed. The bunch got a little squeezy as the procession found the slipstream so it felt like I was about to be impaled as Nev drew alongside on a flat-bar hybrid.  What? In a bunch of road bikes?  (It is Nev) Sentence swapping was underway in River Rd (it'd be a while before I was called up for driving duty) but Superman wasn't saying much.   It's been a while since wagging chins with GiantAndy and TrekTrev, Lenny and Grumpy not so regular on rides either but others wont be seen till late September (and that will be in the confines of the caboose)   

Wind direction suddenly became important getting closer to the front, would I draw the short straw of a headwind at the front or would turns roll sooner to spare me the suffering?  Get over it Foss!  One turn in fifty k's is hardly a workload!  My time had come beyond the Toaster but drawing level with Greg wasn't going to happen, the moment I'd get a wheel near his bike would grow longer, so I settled for the speed previously set rather than stretch the bunch (and the friendships)   There's no point keeping up with a half-wheeler (whole bike in this instance), preserving rhythm rules.  I'm sure Greg will appreciate the purpose of Rule #86 in time.  He's new.  He's excused......for now!   I was put to the task in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, there was just enough west in the southwester to make me earn my breakfast driving to Woolshed Rd, TrekTrev surprisingly swift given his rarity riding of late. Superman's shift was measured in milliseconds (something to do with fitness), so Lance must have been on his payroll, rolling straight over before Superman imploded.  

Pace seemed keen crossing Boundary Rd and a glance at the Garmin massaged the ego seeing velocity nudging forty, but it's tantamount to fraud when you take away the half dozen drivers ahead.  There's nothing like a bunch to amplify your abilities - trying it solo slaps you hard with reality!  Speed had become kryptonite for Superman in Ford Rd, retreating to the rear before it became an o.t.a. moment.  Would a lid be kept on the labor in Wanganui Rd?  I could name a few who hoped so!  A clear cross of the highway could have been the cork-out-of-a-bottle moment but the speed stayed at a simmer to Mt.Wanganui.  Not so tortuous along the Boulevard either where the consensus steered us to the Butter Factory.  Talk turned to credit card punishment, hoarding stuff and rustoration over breakfast as the sun finally got out of bed.  

21/6  Trial by temperature.

Like accidentally cutting your finger, you draw breath and get ready for the pain when you open the front door on "feels like minus 2.4".  Laying in bed doesn't make it go away, the only cure is to h.t.f.u. and ride!  That frozen feeling soon fades a k down the road anyway as everything goes numb.  Finding Greg, Kel, Bruce, Bo, PistolPete, Tina, Kreeky, Emil and The Godfather at the start was reassuring, there were others just as committed (or crazy) as me. Like most mornings, PistolPete provided the reality of real speed, the commute is just a soft introduction.   Joe (not Tony's) arrival at 5:40:08 only just caught the caboose. 

I could deliberate my drive at the front, being ninth wheel gave me tons of time before being put to work at the business end.  Bruce continued the tradition of high thirties to Central Kialla, Greg following suit to River Rd where The Godfather silently (a rare occurrence) spun toward the bridge.  0.2 degrees kept it's vice-like grip on the lungs.  Probably constrained by the cold, Kreeky and Bo made shorter shifts than usual , Tina using too many reserves at the front then struggled to keep the role of caboose as Kel captained to rooster corner.  A calm half k into Coach Rd closed up the gaps.  With calm and considered use of the accelerator, Emil towed us north to the highway in the  36's and 7's, an ideal intro for my shift.  Way better than starting a turn half cooked!  Maybe that's what left a bit in the tank at Boundary Rd's bridge?  It's usually gone blurry by then!  The smooth stretch of tarmac stoked a bit more speed out of ye olde engine and the fig farm looked to be the best target to call it quits till the call of "car back" brought a bonus.  It was a truck!  That draft was like being vacuumed along, just the inspiration to go the distance to Old Dookie Rd.  Joe (not Tony) was gentle enough on the throttle so I could catch the caboose and start catching my breath.  I'd just got enough by School Rd to survive the shifts of PistolPete and Bruce to drag us into town. The slow to turn at SPC felt almost warm!

22/6 Three as therapy.

To turn into Channel Rd with Kim and Emil at the last moment was a drop-of-the-hat decision, I'd got all psyched up for the Sanctuary thing but had missed the memo on these two doing a separate circuit till the intersection was almost on us.  Why not I thought (in a split second), a different course and a whole lot of turns at the front would change the routine a bit.  And change is as good as a holiday they say.  With thanks to Rocket and Wozza for the tow along Archer, we swung east into Channel Rd's darkness and into a light easterly as it happens, but that almost promises a tailwind home to look forward to.  Indian file and long turns in the drivers seat were the order of the day, but cooking Kim was out of bounds.  Thou shalt not shatter the aspirations of one new to the addiction.  Besides, I reckon Emil probably toasts her enough!  There was more beyond the truck route, continuing to Orrvale Rd was Emil's want, so I took on the ChaCha then extended the effort to the cypress trees in reply (gotta feel like you're earning your keep)    There was no expectation for Kim to copy, just to put in her two bob's worth, however long or short.  Smoothness came naturally 'cause all were on the same page of pace, not  quite the cohesion of the three tenors or Peter, Paul and Mary ( maybe the Marx brothers would be a better analogy?) but it was a chance to fine tune the rhythm and focus on keeping the speed static. Couple that with riding a straight line and you're on a winner.  Well that's my theory for what it's worth.  "Keep it straight and keep it smooth ; the speed will come naturally" an old time pro once told me.    

In a dose of deja vu, I'd been given the lead at the highway to drive north on Boundary, a couple of k's off the effort needed yesterday but this was just one turn of many due today.  I wondered for a moment if Old Dookie was the chosen path home so elbowed Kim to the drivers seat a 100 metres short.   Back into the slipstream I found the course was still set north, up to Lemnos-Cosgrove then west back to town.  Just a handful of Cats toured south, their "new" course from Verney's roundabout to Boundary and back in Channel no different in attendance to the old lap, but then winter won't swell the ranks much.  If there was a lure of free beer it probably wouldn't raise the numbers either! Captain again pointing west toward Lemnos, the bureau's reported easterly had little urge about it, maybe adding a k to the cruising speed, but that was enough to further my aim to reach Ford Rd.  The hum of wheels behind and the shadows cast ahead told me the tempo found favor  (Darkness and silence or yawning would say otherwise I suppose)  Kim dialed up the determination along Ford Rd while I tucked in for the tow at the back, how refreshing to note Emil's La Pierre restored to a shiny state.  (Rule #65 as homework young man!) Street lights glowed between the dark grey of the tarmac and the darker grey of the sky to tell town wasn't far away, the effort would soon ease and at home the thawing could begin.  (Well, that was the best inspiration I could muster at the time)  We'd most likely gob-smack the workmates that we'd toughed out that temperature then spend the day building bravado to do it all again......tomorrow. 

23/6  Gimmie shelter!

Headlights circling the block pierced the Sanctuary's streets, even Joe (not Tony) was early.  A keen wind that blew us to the grid would humble us for most of the lap now, several seeking the shelter of the caboose before we'd even started.  As sure as eggs PistolPete set us south, that northeaster priming our egos into the lofty heights of A grade....but reality was just around the corner.  30 k's worth of gusts at the port-side soon had two orderly lines scattered like the National Party administration, Wozza (by chance in the drivers seat) instantly branded the perpetrator......again!  I'd lost the fear of being stabbed today, Nev had considerately chosen a road bike to blend into the bunch. 

Lenny had the (almost) vintage steel Cannondale in use so with Bruce and I on Ti, we were the only metal fans in a crowd of carbon connoisseurs.  River Rd's 6k length felt longer wrestling the wind coming in at 10 o'clock, The Godfather's vernacular still audible over the wind howling between the ears (and you reckon all this is mundane Laura?)   Kim's  wattage went to a trickle nearing Rooster corner but Bo kindly loaned her a draft.  Nev and Emil set the perfect pace north on Coach Rd, positioned well too, providing the shelter for most from the now starboard wind.  Christmas had come early for me when I contemplated position in the peloton along Boundary, Kel and Kreeky paired for the long drive to Old Dookie so Tina and I hit the front for the west way home with the wind at our backs to accelerate our efforts to acceptable.  

Tina requested a roll straight over at School Rd, I'd guessed her 176k and 1,190 metres of elevation yesterday may have had something to do with it!  Bruce and I played tow trucks to Central Ave.  Wednesday's cap on velocity was chucked out the window as PistolPete and Bruce stoked up the boiler to town but I heard no complaints ; maybe they were drowned out by The Godfather's garble or were lungs too busy downloading oxygen?  

25/6  Target practice.

There's no escaping it.  Unless you're BeerMat, Hollywood, Whispering Jack or Nick, hiding under the covers.  The wind blew again on Friday which was a help to the start line but would hurt for most of the anti-clockwise circuit.  Just as well Bruce, Bo, Rocket, Tina, Wozza, Boof, Kel, Emil, The Godfather and PistolPete arrived to share the stress of it.  Pistol is usually the one facing the wind first, today he got to relish a tailwind to Mitchell Rd for a change.  And here's me, on Emil's wheel yet again and silly enough to be third wheel, the sucker to suffer the head wind first!  Emil ensured I was well warmed up for it.....almost burnt to a crisp in fact, second wheel at 40 to Central Kialla.  

Starting a shift at 168 bpm wasn't going to set any PB's!  It wasn't a good idea to look toward the (expected) end of shift, even in the dark of 5:50 am that tiny pinpoint of reflective light off the River Rd sign seemed a world away. And I was going to be in a world of pain to get there.  I found it better to take my eye off the target and shoot blind.  Ignore the heart rate, just keep the cadence cooking old boy!  (hey, where was those passing trucks when you needed them?) My fate was in Tina's tempo at River Rd, I wasn't answering the kudos given by the 10 passing by, too busy overloading on oxygen so I'd catch the last wheel.  Tina tore into her turn toward the bridge while I tried to silence that growling bear, but Tina's enthusiasm outweighed the energy just shy of the bridge and rolling to the rear, couldn't catch the tail.  Just Wozza's luck to be on the front as the call of Easy! went out.  He scored the blame again (not guilty of course, but many seized on the chance to sledge)  

With a little trimming of tempo, Tina was back aboard and careful use of acceleration restored the speed to Trevaskis Rd.  Boof kept the squad swift and silent to Coach Rd.  Riding gravel has turned Grumpy a little gaga, the Bureau said it felt like 4 but Grumps turns up in short knicks.  Maybe that turned up his adrenaline north to the Broken bridges?  Rocket set his sights on a hurry to the highway.  I reckon it was The Godfather driving the Boundary Rd shift, I couldn't see who was cutting the north wind  but 15% variance in velocity signed his name to it.  Silence gave the game away too!  Kel got my vote for the maillot blanc with her swift shift to Central Ave, Bruce then let loose to the truck route in the characteristic cadence that would turn cream to butter.  PistolPete's pace needed heads further down and effort further up to SPC, wringing an extra watt or two from labored legs was possible knowing the rush would end soon and the first aid of caffeine could be applied to the wounded souls. 

This week 246km      YTD 6,766