Post #665
1/10 For the sake of slower.
The knee nagged for a lap a little less labored. Friday's thrash had stung and the clunk in the old joint had continued throughout the day, so Saturday begged something slightly slower. A social spin with the Wouldabeens might be the remedy (or is there a use-by date for old knees?) A very cruisy commute with Jase, Wendy and Weapon made a change to the usual bolt to Sanctuary Drive ; the wait for Crossy (yet again a no-show) and the curious course to their Kialla Lakes Drive starting grid felt like another world.
TrekTrev, Shorty, Nick, Troy, not-so-GiantGlen, Superman and AlmostRetiredTrev made 11 but Rule #87 (the ride always starts on time. No exceptions) was relaxed with another wait for Crossy (Called. Woken. Intercepting later) Wendy steered the crooked course Indian filed to Sanctuary Drive where two rows formed for the southern stretch on Archer ; Weapon and I served to the truck route, then she and Jase to Mitchell, with low 30's the preferred pace. (I could get used to this!) That long monotonous stretch of Mitchell Rd to Coach Rd (the favored way for Wouldabeens) was a little less mundane as the sun blinded our way east and the social updates got underway with one-time Couldabeens Shorty, Jase, Nick and Troy. AlmostRetiredTrev seemed to be struggling with low 30's (a side effect of 10 weeks holiday?) while my knee still niggled (in sympathy?)
I'd paired with not-so-GiantGlen at the turn north into Coach Rd, his giant gastrochnemus not providing the pace I thought they would when he called it quits a k later (masses of muscles count for nothing ; it's the lithe Liam's of this world that produce the pace!) To prove it, Weapon's waif-like profile was the problem to pace with to River Rd. Most riders have their signature sit on a bike but one ahead (and about to blend into the bunch) was unfamiliar. A young (aren't they all Foss?) lad on an old but squeaky clean Giant wriggled into the rotation. Steve, keen on mountain bikes, was being converted to the path of righteousness on a road bike, but I'll brand him MTBSteve for now.
Crossy had dragged himself from his warm cot and appeared at the Broken bridges to swell the ranks to 13, while Shorty, Nick and Superman did their drives north. Towed to the Toaster by TrekTrev,Wendy and not-soGiantGlen, I had the northern leg to the Pine Lodge Church beside Glen then sensed a shelter from an easterly breeze (?) with MTBSteve to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd. Effort was easy in the slipstream although AlmostRetiredTrev was getting a little edgy as the velocity edged toward 36's (no doubt he'd impose the speed sanctions reaching the drivers' seat. Ah, ye olde days of a Saturday speed limit!) There's something strange steering south onto Verney Rd on a Saturday (Wanganui Rd is the stuff of nightmares for the Wouldabeens I believe) ; instead a steady tap to Graham St then a curious path to Belcibo for breakfast made a calm conclusion - and not a sprint in sight! Workloads, caravans and buying for bling's sake made the breakfast chat.
3/10 Hello darkness my old friend, daylight saving's here again.
Yet another morning where ; 1. Alarm goes off at stupid o'clock. 2. Coffee is made to motivate the mind. 3. Have a w.t.f. moment viewing the Bureau's data. 4.Tell self to h.t.f.u. when thoughts stray to going back to bed. 5.Apply multiple layers of insulation (feels like 3.6). 6. Get wheels rolling to Tarcoola. 7.Thrash the old engine into a headwind for 10 km in an attempt to keep up with Emil. 8. Circle Sanctuary Drive till launch time, hoping to avoid the first shift. It's the same old, same old procedure that's oddly repeated over and over in the hope of finding fitness, yet it ends in exhaustion and feeling no faster.....with a strange satisfaction for having done it! Except today, where the darkness of daylight savings time surrounded us. (Should be called daylight withdrawals time!)
Greg, Kreeky, The Godfather, Rocket, Kel, Emil, PistolPete, Jen, Bruce, Lenny, the 5ft Ninja and Bo did most of that prior procedure too, though without the "thrash" and with the "faster". The bell tolled for toil at 5:40, PistolPete naturally leading us into battle to Mitchell Rd. That south southwest breeze (headwind to me) felt tough enough at third wheel but it didn't bother Lenny, Bruce, Pistol or Emil at the front dragging us the distance to Central Kialla. I'd have liked to be a bit more social in the chat about the weekend but oxygen intake took priority to prepare for my time at the business end.
High 30's so far wasn't helping hopes of living up to expectations. The Godfather and Kel made the pace look easy from the dip to the quarter horse fence so thankfully Kreeky had a slightly slower interpretation at no-man's land (that empty space between the white fence and rooster corner) to Coach Rd. Northbound to the Broken beside Bo was bearable (he was on his best behavior being at a distance to The Godfather) though I didn't have a lot left getting there, so when Bo and Rocket got locked into a half wheel battle to the highway I was fast running out of fast. Jen and the Ninja pegged back some pace in Boundary Rd so the heart rate came down from the heavens and a word or two could answer Bruce's questions. Kel and Kreeky had no want to see the front again (glad it wasn't just me!) and with Lenny, Emil and Pistol about to serve time again, I guessed we were off the hook. Berthed at the back of the bunch at Dobson's, the day's first light lit the way west, so the dozen ahead provided the perfect slipstream for the swift shift to SPC.
4/10 Missing persons.
Tarcoola's roundabout was empty and a cruise along the Boulevard found nobody, save for Lenny clocking up the early k's. Wendy was 'Wouldabeening' but it was most unlike Emil and Kim to be awol at 5:15. I'd given them the benefit of a minute or two so set off south in search of any squirrels. Tina had flown north to Queensland, I had doubts that Jen would ride on her birthday and LiamM & Lili were in Melbourne yesterday, so this might mean a hardening up for a hurry with the Sanctuary squad? ......till Lili's light lit Rae St and Jen was found cruising ahead (LiamM had chosen the soft option of a warm bed) Finding the 5ft one at the shop made a squirrel spin viable ; a little more labor than usual, though that would make the Butter Factory's brew taste even better.
With Emil absent, I was handed the reigns and responsibility of the first shift to the truck route, so I felt a bit guilty setting 35's instead of Emil's usual enthusiastic expectations. Channel Rd's roadworks are almost complete, just a bump to negotiate till the final layer of tarmac is laid, then the Ninja captained us to Orrvale Rd. I'd had just four minutes of recovery while Lili towed us to the Kinder and Jen led us to the cypress trees till being elected to front again to aim at the Not a breeze to battle in any direction was a rare treat, there was only the struggle with negatives bouncing around in the head when you're at the business end. The Ninja added a burst to the highway when she'd dragged us to Coach Rd but with only three reactions to the accelerations, we'd closed the gaps quickly.
Lili led into Boundary Rd making good progress to the bridge ; delivering 34's to get there shows big improvements in recent weeks (what I'd give for an extra 10% in pace!) Jen drove on to Old Dookie Rd bearing the windshear of oncoming trucks, and as quick as The Godfather runs a red light, I was back in the drivers seat again, although the 1200 metres to New Dookie Rd was a small shift to pay. All were ready for the Ninja's launch toward Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, so the four were back in line by the first rumble strips. Lili braved the front again for the west way to Lemnos and divided the distance with Jen at the channel as two approaching lights u-turned to join the line (Emil and Kim sheepishly out of bed to intercept us) With more lined up behind for duty, Ford Rd's opening 3 km to Grahamvale would be my last shift, so the Ninja did the leg to Verney where Lili would set us south toward Balaclava. Of course, Emil's coup d'etat for the lead role came soon after, turning up the effort toward the traffic lights, the frolic (of course) fruitless to change the traffic lights from red.
5/10 Wet, windy and well worn.
The risk assessment was high for Wednesday, the forecast showers and a threatening radar for a 7am soaking looked likely, but with wet likely for the rest of the week, this might be a chance worth taking. An easterly packed some energy (19-30 km/h) and the moment the headlight was switched on, it lit drops falling from the sky. Just as well I'd messaged "I'm game" to Emil's "Thoughts?" 'cause making the commitment to ride stopped me heading straight back indoors. Maybe a blind faith in yr.no 's accuracy helped?
I found Emil at Tarcoola and found the easterly painful just to keep a 30's pace to Sanctuary but sure enough, other "weirdo's" (Bruce, Greg, Rocket, Kel, Lenny, The Godfather and Bo) had fronted for the 5:40 grid. It was most unlike PistolPete to be absent so Bo started the circuit southbound. Berthed at the back was the best place for me though duty would come all too soon with just nine formed in two rows. Bruce and Lenny had the northbound shift through Central Kialla suitable centred on the road so most behind had some shelter, so when Lenny and The Godfather paired to battle the headwind toward River Rd's bridge I was about to be thrown in the deep end. I'd guessed The Godfather would be the easiest to match at the front (given his recent form) but he had torque on tap today. I had all the motivation in the world to get to the dip, trouble was I didn't have the engine to match it!
The mathematics of 34's into a 30 km/h wind didn't add up, so called the shift short of the mark. Imminent engine failure meant I begged Rocket to roll straight over, though holding onto Greg and Rocket's shift to the quarter horse gates was just millimetres from an o.t.a. moment (I was still on the red-line as Kel and Bo towed us rooster corner) Whether to sit on or join the advance was the internal argument raging in my head along Coach Rd, and the case for a-short-shift-is-better- than-none won. Exposed to that east northeaster in the advance line wasn't so inviting, but surely others had the same stress? (maybe I'm the master of showing it?) Bruce and Lenny kept it swift but smooth to Boundary Rd's bridge though The Godfather bit the bait of sledges he was served and turned up the tempo.
And that turned up the trouble for me as a big gap opened to his wheel ahead.....and I was busting a boiler to bridge it. (Bruce saved the day and left me a space in the left line for respite) The turn west into Old Dookie brought peace from that incessant wind whistling in the ears but with peace came pace as the tailwind boosted egos and the velocity with it. The slipstream home was nothing to grizzle about. A few more drops from the heavens spurred on the speed to mid 40's to Central Ave (39's toward Dobson's felt quite cruisy in comparison). Burning the afterburners toward SPC opened up a few gaps in the Indian filed epilogue but Lenny (and the Wheeler St lights) saved me from being relegated to a solo spin to the cure-all of coffee. Quite the Cheshire cat conclusion arriving home just as the showers started. (In <yr.no> I trust).
This week 202km
YTD 10,203km
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