Post 396
6/5 Peloton populism
A perfectly syncronized arrival of Wozz, Tum and I at our Saturday morning rendevous, a chat southbound to collect felicitous femmes Mel & Cate, and then to commute to the Couldabeens grid, found yet another populated peloton forming in the 6am darkness. (Jase, Troy, Ralphy, TatMat, TatPaul, BassoDan, Kel, Rocket, Trav, Bo, AvantiTrev, Shorty, TrekTrev, Jen, AvantiAndy, Boof, Temple, ScottMatt, Popgun, Pistol, Merida-not-AvantiJohn, The Godfather and Cougar) Early arrivals had cowered to the caboose (front phobia?) for Tum and I to lead leg one, ever so gently on the accelerator till the Kengsington roundabout (to congeal the crew and calm the critics). A push up to Doyles Rd then into the draft, I started the headcount of the steadily rotating cast, BassoDan struggling with the speed in the drivers seat. Sunrise is now noticeably later as the rows worked east through the darkness, velocity varying as some salivated and some suffered the speed at the pointy end. The Godfathers vociferous traffic reports, Jen's statuesque sit, Temple finally conquering a cold, Kel's delicious demeanor, The king of kilometres (TatMat) return, Cate's genuine grin, AvantiTrev pickled by pace, boisterous Bo (a party imminent) and ScottMatt's stool study (spare me the details!) all part of the Couldabeens culture.
On comeback #2, Nath appeared at the Boundary Rd pig pen, while at Old Dookie's pork palace there was a symphony of squeals for breakfast time. A northerly on the nose made work to Emu corner, but the westward way home promised pace. I scored a second turn at the front on Lemnos-Cosgove Rd swift and smooth beside Cate, but a short shift as TatPaul rolled early in Ford Rd. Hey, how smooth & steady is TatMat? To hell with velocity variations as Ford Rd ended, Wanganui Rd beckoned a blast. I'd almost reached the bunch rear at Cleaves when AvantiTrev ushered me to the up-line, getting closer to the front and closer to the hill, the sultans of speed (Wozz, Pistol, Boof, Rocket et al) saved my toil at the pointy end by blasting by, the front now unreachable. Composure came on the Boulevard roll back to base, bike intimidation techniques, our riding apprenticeships and seat position were the talk topics while the Lemontree heaters, coffee, warm porridge and funny fellowship made for a difficult getaway
8/5 A piece of peace
Enthusiasm ebbed to a new low Monday morning, a chilly WSW'er clamped the lungs in its vice like grip, muscles seemingly hamstrung by the cold. At least I was out facing the reality instead of taking the soft Zwift option. Heady, AvantiAndy, Tina, Coggo, Cate, Hommy, Sandy and HG formed the Goat peace train, Principal Skinner just catching the roll out from Verney Rd's roundabout. Its refreshing to tackle the new track of Ford - Lemnos-Cosgrove and Boundary as a different route, but the legs were in no mood for motion, struggling to make the usual progress (winter woes?) Turns were swapped and weekend activities compared in our clockwise crank, several k's covered before a flicker of enthusiasm was felt (thoughts of those turning to marshmallow under the bed covers was an aide memoir). Principal Skinner came out of the caboose to serve a shift in River Rd, Heady rugged up for 4 degrees like Douglas Mawson, Tina still tapping tons of k's and HG making rides rare. Time ticked my usual shortcut to face the westerly solo on the truck route, a handful of semi's line astern eastbound almost blowing the Baum backwards.
9/5 Turtle tenacity
Running late elevated the h.r. to the Turtle grid Tuesday, a good preparation for forthcoming pace (the rush uneccessary as it happens ; first to arrive!) Cate, AvantiTrev, Jase, Cougar and KillkennyPaul were the only punters, so Indian file ruled for the 30k lap. Slowly up to pace kept me on speaking terms with most, silly me taking the first (and longest) shift to Doyles Rd. Cate headed leg #2 and KillkennyPaul put in a good contribution on #3, despite being off shore and off the bike for a week. Jase took us to the cypress trees and with a bit of a shift shuffle, AvantiTrev tamed the tempo to the S bends. I went easy on the accelerator as I took the drivers seat and wound up the speed to the end of Channel rd, a light southerly didn't deter Jase and Cate to keep up the pace to River Rd. Surprisingly KillkennyPaul took the reigns again, and so the turns swapped to Central Kialla, Cougar even putting in a turn on Mitchell Rd. KillkennyPaul's body language translated toil on the ascent from Dave's dip, the first signs of
headaling, changing gears, shoulders rocking (the several glances at the speedo doing nothing for positive thinking), but determination drove him on to the highway. It was my turn from Melbourne Rd and, tempered by the tow, set off on a long drive to Conrod straight (but protests of pace pegged back the wattage a little at Roubaix). "All good" was called soon after (AvantiTrev and Cougar content on a cruise home) so continued on to Conrod, giving the elbow for Jase and Cate to drive to the finish, happy ahead of the hares back in town.
10/5 Roundabout rumba
All the layers came out Wednesday as armor against 1.6 degrees, a large lunar lamp lighting the way to the carpark in the south. Troy, BamBam, Pelly, Wozz, Boof, Car+Mel, Pistol, Weapon, Shorty, Cate, SuperMario, AvantiTrev, Kel, Kenworth, Avanti-not-MeridaJohn, Hollywood, Cougar, Rene & the Mixmaster, Trav and Dalts were proof that temperature doesn't drive down attendance, the carpark exit again fracturing the formation till Kialla Lakes. Wozz then Boof formed the up-line, the wait for followers....forever! I made up the 40 metre abyss and settled into the up-lines' tow (and mental preparation for the front) approaching the Sanctuary roundabout. It all turned suddenly uneasy with a quick and rare appearance of a car from the right, a holler of "slow" caught Hollywood (taking a swig) and Troy (locking brakes) off guard, Hollywood horizontal and Troy shunting to a halt. After a pause for composure (no injuries apart from a small dent in Hollywood's pride) the train got rolling and steadily built up to cruising speed, a huff and puff for me matching Boof to Mitchell Rd. Mixmaster wasn't being social but BamBam was talking up his efforts, the joys of winter plumbing were mused with SuperMario and Pistol Pete's panache paraphrased with Weapon. I'd reached the pointy end with Boof again at the Broken bridges, the patchy fog was like pushing through soup as we sped to Channel Rd. BamBam looked like he had lead-out duties for the ChaCha, a tough gig with Troy ahead, but the following fellas were well endowed with wattage, Boof and Wozz fighting out the finish honours.
11/5 Too cool for Cats?
And so it was the dedicated (or the delirious?) that faced the elements of Thursdays chill (feels like -0.2), Joey, Heady, Cate, Coggo, Tina and Belly huddling at the Verney Rd roundabout for a Goat spin. Insulating layers were compared till the 6am gong, those first few hundred meters taking the breath away till climatised to the cold. Belly defined hardman in short knicks as we worked east, a mouse scampering across our course on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd. Coggo, in for a long haul in the drivers seat, burnt the fossil fuel south to New Dookie Rd, others seemed to put in shorter turns which had me back to do it all again beyond the Pub. At least several turns at the front flourishes the fitness, a lap with just one or two (Wednesday & Friday) seems to only tread water on condition. A foggy River Rd soon passed and time tolled for my early exit, the sudden desire for change steering me north on the truck route back to town, an ample emergency lane and a change of scenery was life's spice homeward.
12/5 Friday's fresh frolic
Sitting midfield in Friday's bunch escaping town, I was careful to chose a partner as the up-line formed, Troy, Boof and Pistol (nice guys that they are) are just a bit too quick for this old engine on an early turn, Merida-not-AvantiJohn chosen as a considerate contender. 20 had populated the pack of Couldabeens, Grumpy, Pelly, BamBam, SuperMario, Rocket, Shorty, Nick, Kel, Bruce, Dalts, Cougar, TrekTrev, Mel, Jase and Cate rolling through the rotations, all contributing a grizzle about the winter weather that hasn't really started yet. Merida-not-AvantiJohn and I had the reigns in River Rd, I was well toasted reaching the bridge when Bruce drew alongside. I'd ruggedly resisted calling a roll at Laws Drive (read Rule #5) as the Garmin numbers inflated, overwhelming relief when Bruce did what I'd been thinking 100 meters later. Suppressed gasps of recovery in the tow were soon calmed, kit exclusivity conversed with Kel, the TFIF factor compared with Dalts, TrekTrev talked taming illness, and the logic of tackling testing temperature analysed with BamBam.
It was relief to finally get at the bunch back for some olfactory download, though 'tis the season where sniffing is almost socially acceptable. Caution and space were given to a few bikes roadside as we neared the Kinder corner, seems Cats had tangled with a dog causing Cam a calamity (the death of a carbon frame). Around Kinder corner, BamBam launched an early attack, futile with the big wattage still brewing to reach the front. Pistol was left to cook at the front as the pace percolated to Prentice Rd, the bunch front growing fatter as one after another rose to overtake. I sat (sauteed) in Merida-not-AvantiJohn's wake (as he sat in Boof's, as he thrashed it out with Troy), working up beside Merida-not-AvantiJohn in the dying metres to have a photo finish for third as Boof and Troy photo finished first. The huff and puff of recovery went way beyond the school as I tried to keep pace with Troy on the roll back to town, still not enough oxygen and legs of jelly till we reached the starting grid.
Week 19 232km YTD 4,700km
And so Amanda Coker tackles day 354 of the World Highest Mileage Record in Florida as I post this blog, 138,000km is beyond epic (that's 389km/day), an inspiration when you read her history. Have a look at goamandacoker.com
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