Post #626
27/12 The curse of Christmas calories.
Wozza must have had an extra spoon of Erythropoietin on his Christmas pudding.....nudging 40 with a southerly (26-43 km/h) howling in at the starboard side thrust me quickly into the "hand me the tissues, this is going to hurt" mode. The usual over indulgence at the Christmas lunch table had added a lot of ballast in the hull though Bruce, Greg, Kel, Bo, PistolPete, Boof, Emil and brother Ant were probably in the same boat (pun intended)
Taking Saturday and Sunday off should have recharged my batteries bu they were flat (while I was flat out!) Enduring the toil to Central Kialla should end the pain, there'd be some respite with a tailwind to River Rd and by then Rule #5 should have kicked in. I hope! (let's hope that tailwind didn't provoke more pace) Tina appears a little earlier each week, today reaching Mitchell as we'd almost finished with it. The grief gauge eased back from the red-line on the way to River Rd, enough to harden up and face the windward side beyond the dip. (Keep banging your head against a brick wall and it goes numb eventually!) A couple of k's had been trimmed from the pace and it was odds on I'd get my turn at the business end on a northern leg, so that put a little hope into hanging on.
Tina was losing grip on the caboose nearing rooster corner, Wozza and I playing good Samaritans to tow her back aboard while Greg and PistolPete backed off the accelerator. Bo's command on the tail-wind was over-ruled by Kel taking over the lead at New Dookie Rd, so I had a little of the prevailing wind to prepare for the punishment at the portside in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd. This was an extended weekday lap, extra k's would berth us at the Butter Factory to suit their later holiday opening time. Christmas lunch hampered my hurry to reach the main eastern channel and handing the lead to Emil and Wozza needed that box of tissues again. There's a mental mountain to climb as well as a physical one enduring the effort in the hope it gets easier. It's hell at the time but it does get easier (particularly if you go ota!) Visitor Ant paired with Wozz for Ford Rd but rolled the turn a little earlier for a very important cause ; getting Bo to the front to face the wind for a change!
Bruce and Boof drove into suburbia so Bo could serve his penance in Wanganui and while I drew closer to the front hopes were on a shift with shelter from the southerly. Second wheel to Ant was like drafting a matchstick so when sibling rivalry of Emil vs Ant struck in the Boulevard, most of my biscuits burned. Bruce and Wozza took sympathy on a pickled pensioner and loaned me a draft so I'd get to breakfast intact. Holidays cancelled the hurry to get home so a second coffee (and breakfast for some) made for a casual conclusion (and time for legs to regain some feeling)
28/12 Simmering squirrels.
Ant was the stand-in squirrel in the squad on Tuesday, lil' Jodie was on a festive furlough and a slightly longer lap was planned to make the berth at the Butter Factory at 7, so that injected a little variety into the routine. Rubber stamp Emil's shift to the truck route and mine to the Kinder, though a bucket full of persuasion was needed to get me beyond Orrvale Rd. Tina got aboard at the ChaCha and Ant did the Central Ave shift into the southerly, continuing to the cypress trees (with navigational cues from Emil) but he's got that distance habit too, doing the drive to Channel Rd's end. With an atmosphere a bit like soup, Kim soldiered on to Boundary Rd's bridge, Emil's second shift dragging us to Old Dookie Rd then west to the Toaster. The change of Tuesday scenery was almost as good as a holiday. Tina drove the north leg to the Pine Lodge church, the breeze at the backside for the 1900 metres to Lemnos-Cosgrove felt a bit shy for my shift so the 2 k to Pine Lodge Creek was added to make it something like reasonable. Probably a bit presumptuous to think I'd be getting a tow home but I was reckoning that Ant would do a long drive (being made of the same stuff as his brother), probably toasting Kim a bit into the bargain, so Emil would do that familiar long drive to town.
Still a bit early for the Butter Factory's later opening when we'd reached Verney Rd, Emil called a golf course loop to conclude, so I'd get another shift after all. Tina was eventually granted a sit in the drivers seat when Emil elbowed the promotion at DECA's test track so I had the joy of Rudd Rd with that southerly in the face. Getting to Canterbury's roundabout and I'd had enough, Ant's youth could guide us toward coffee.
29/12 Sorta social.
I didn't find my second wind till reaching One Tree Dam, the 26 minutes prior had been flogging the proverbial dead horse just to stay in the draft while PistolPete, Kreeky, Rocket, Emil, Bo, Wozza, Greg, Kel, The Godfather, Boof, Molly, lil' Jodie and Tina spun the Wednesday circuit at a sort of social speed. Maybe this old engine would run better on premium unleaded? I'd put the poor performance down to "one of those days" (it doesn't pay to dwell on the why's and wherefore's , we'll see if Thursday's any better)
Liam, GiantAndy and Trav had clockwised the circuit to intercept at rooster corner, Tina finding us well before that in Mitchell Rd, so the pack was well populated. Lil'Jodie ahead provided the slipstream of a matchbox (laid flat) but a dozen more drivers should have made the momentum manageable. Heaven forbid, even Bo had done a turn into the southeaster! Anyway, a turn at the front wasn't such a worry now, Jodie ahead and Tina behind were kind company and I'd finally got some oxygen to spare.
Doing duty from the highway to the fig farm was low stress, Tina had stayed awake (she's recently contracted the Greg disease of riding at stupider o'clock) but conflicting courses were being called from the rear (Pistol reckoned it was north to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, Kel favored east to the Toaster but Emil had set the usual course west on Old Dookie ; and there's not a lot of options when the train driver swings left) The days of a social speed ceiling of 35 have slipped by the wayside though eyes are always open for those who may be losing their grip, so as the usual lads and lasses continue to turn up to Sanctuary (and no law suits have yet to be filed) we'll presume the km/h isn't so crucial. Tina had the hand of God (well, Trav's hand actually....and that's near enough) as she dropped from the draft of Emil's wheel nearing Central Ave so minor adjustments to pace saw the bunch stay intact to Indian file to SPC.
30/12 Sprouting squirrels (and a supplementary spin)
It's hardly the stuff of Frankenstein though it seems a monster has been created. The squirrel population had multiplied Thursday, the shop's car park filling with Kim, lil' Jodie, Wendy, Molly and Emil for the fling of 40 k's. Something has struck an accord. Possibly no pressure on performance? The Indian filed formation? A chance to lead the pack on your own terms? Maybe it's Emil's epic tow to town? Whatever the attraction, the squirrels success shows promise. (Let's see if time and temperature whittles down that enthusiasm) Emil and I did the usual opening performances, Tina jumped on board and lil' Jodie shot into Central Ave like a cork out of a bottle when given the front seat at the Kinder. (Wendy bore the aerodynamic anomaly) Those cypress trees must emit an aroma fueling determination? Whether it's Emil, lil' Jodie or (today) Wendy, there's nearly always an enthused effort to drive the 2800 metres to reach the end of Channel Rd. Stubborness maybe?
Kim scored a slight southerly as an assistant to Boundary Rd's bridge, handing over to Molly for her debut drive (a chip off the old PistolPete block) delivering a shift that prompted a gearchange to keep up. For a moment I thought Emil had a touch of Bo about him, thieving the tail-wind to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, but he redeemed his actions by taking on a couple of k's west to the main eastern channel (Isn't it weird how certain landmarks become the standard for most to drive to). The spotlight was on Tina to do her thing and she had no trouble with tempo to deliver us to Lemnos North Rd. So the 2700 metres of Ford Rd to Grahamvale was my contribution, gingerly on the accelerator for the opening 100 metres to avoid a knife (or knives) in the back, then came the juggling act to keep the speed smooth, the odd glance at the Garmin needed to keep the variations at a minimum. But Lil' Jodie launched at full boost beyond the truck route, bums swiftly off seats to get back into some sort of formation toward Verney Rd. (with this habit to hurry, she's scored a new moniker; the 5ft Ninja) Emil took on the tradition of the "tow-me-to-town-for-caffeine-infusion" shift , today travelling the brand spanking new billiard table tarmac of Hawdon St as a treat to the posterior.
Beyond the Butter Factory break, Wendy was keen to rattle the usual 46k routine and extend the effort some more, so with temperature in the teens, the sun up and a bit of a breeze swinging east southeast to easterly, why wouldn't you! The north exit of town to the golf course then east on Wanganui set us on a path to Pine Lodge, the focus off speed and turned toward just doing the distance. It doesn't take long before the bum numbs, legs want stretching and the grip on the bars alters by the minute. We go soft doing this regular ride repetition thing don't we! Timing the breeze to perfection, a tail-wind tap from the Toaster, south on Boundary and back via Channel clocked up 85k.
31/12 The 2021 swansong.
Getting 34's out of the old engine into a southeaster gave a hint of hope at the years' end, 2021 seems to have been my year of being a little fish in a big pond.....or have I left the handbrake on? Greg, PistolPete, Tommygun, Kim, Emil, The Godfather, Kreeky, Bo, Kel, Wozza, Liam, Rocket, the 5ft Ninja and Trav amassed at the roundabout for the final fling of the year and hadn't I berthed like Bo! Third wheel in the left line as Pistol and Tommygun set the train in motion so I wouldn't see duty at the front till well into Coach Rd.
Tommygun's rare appearance braved the co-pilots role alongside PistolPete, and although he has the aerodynamic credentials Pistol's power had him in a pickle by Mitchell Rd. Wozza and Liam were well qualified to take the team toward Central Kialla, despite cooking themselves yesterday on a rigorous ride of Mt Buffalo and Tawonga gap. But then, they're a bit beyond human aren't they? There wasn't a lot of noise from the back of the bunch....or The Godfather for that matter. I pondered the plight of Kim ; she'd probably come along for a social spin! Headed north toward River Rd was a little less taxing, maybe because many were sheltered from the east southeaster and if I played my cards right, I'd avoid it in the face at the front.
17 degrees had all arms and legs bared, most following the Friday formality of team kit. (we'll wait for the Knights of Suburbia to do a Ninja size) The sun's tardiness to rise is already noticed, once blinded by it for River Rd's last k we're now having it appear over the right shoulder nearing One Tree Dam (it's hard to believe or remember we start and finish in the dark mid-winter) With Bo being chivalrous beside, Kim braved a shift at the business end in Coach Rd with Tina as team-mate for part two (there's a lot of comfort with a compliant co-pilot) Emil was on his best behavior when Tina rolled for her part two. Sharing the lead with Emil at Channel Rd, I could feel that wind swinging northeast but some wattage remained at the highway so I stayed on till the Boundary bridge.
The 5ft Ninja came alongside and despite punching out 130k's yesterday, had me close to the red-line at the fig farm. A call for a course via Lemnos-Cosgrove and the golf course back to base camp caught me thinking coffee would be sooner rather than later but a few extra k's to round off 2021 wouldn't hurt. Besides, 14 others had there turn before my number would be called again. Wozza and Liam had the reigns again so there was plenty of pace back to the suburbs. Without a lot left in my tank for another contribution, I was grateful several lapped up longer turns in Wanganui and Rudd Rd's 'cause I'd been promoted all the way up to second wheel by the Boulevard's end. Missed it by that much! Like a lot of other great laps, coffee created a convivial conclusion. A quiet roll homeward after contemplated the year that was, hopes hanging on 2022 being better.
This week 299km The year 13,841km
Happy new year!
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