Week 51 ; Mental messages to labored legs

Post 426
16/12  Saturdazed.

News of Wozza's tangle with a car en-route to the early edition dazed the day, bike a bit battle scarred, Wozza wounded but walking.  Rocket, Kel, Bo, Grumpy, ScottMatt and (surprisingly) SuperMario assembled for a 26k prologue to the standard Saturday spin, the puff of a south southwester spoiling my speed out Channel Rd (and not letting the pairing with Rocket daunt my drive).  I was in real trouble matching Bo to Orrvale Rd till he said "I hope this is hurting you as much as it's hurting me!   Admiration for ScottMatt and SuperMario to step up to the pointy end when they're in driving defecit (aint it a bugger when work gets in the way of a good ride)  The work into the wind on Boundary Rd needed mind messages to drive the legs to reach River Rd, so what mental motivation drives you?

Legs were burning headed west trying to do my fair share beside Bo, but I was already dreaming of the draft when the turns rolled.  First light cast long shadows in Central Kialla, another effort at the front for me in Mitchell, then a length of Archer to the truck route labored me on the limit.  Finding the 6am crew was a comfort, delighting in the draft once we'd sprinted onto the bunch's bum.  Round two of the morning's greetings began with TatMat, BassoDan, TrekTrev, TatPaul, Sean, Shorty, Boof, The Godfather, Tina, Softa, Liam, CatCol, Travis, Tommygun and Tum, even Fisky had emerged from obscurity.   We blended into the rotations, back around to Mitchell and Central Kialla, relaxed in the bunch with the breeze in our favour.  Saturday's standard sociology started the sentences ; Tommygun finding fitness, the day's drought of gals, TatMat's forthcoming leave, KillkennyPaul's surgery success and CatCol's margarita mix.
A turn at the front between Bo and ScottMatt then east to the Toaster, back into the comfort of a tow to the 'big ring' then west toward town. I was nearing hard labor at the front as the bunch finished off Ford Rd, but the accellerator was squeezed when Rocket faced the front in Wanganui, drawing the pack long and silent.

Grumpy and Bo slipped into the slipstream, seating me fourth and flat chat as DECA blurred by.  Rocket's run was done, Grumpy then Bo's blast was brief as Pistol saved me from hell firing past to set the sprinters salivating.  Bikes belted by relegating me to the rear ranks rapidly to tackle Mt.Wanganui's ascent, then the calm to collect the carnage of the cooked for a Boulevard to breakfast bolt through town.   Climbing, being dropped and bigger distances was the breakfast banter, Temple and Wozza making an arm afflicted appearance.






A convivial Couldabeens Christmas gathering Saturday night at CatCol's for celebratory hydration bred a few headaches, great to have "the three arm-igo's" along drowning their accidental sorrows.



18/12   A lap lacking loquacity.
Sleep was scarce Monday morning, the cranial communications deafening enough to to rise from the cot and ride at 5.  A ye-olde Cat lap (Old Dookie, Boundary and Channel) was selected to loosen legs (rust sets in even after one day off), 17 degrees sublime to spin the 17 cog and pay no heed to speed.

An orange daybreak faded fast on Channel Rd, a rare sighting of the endangered Ozzie en-route to my Lemontree cafiene kick start, loquacity lapped up with Weapon over banana bread.


19/12  Tour de Torture.
Tuesday was a toaster (26 degrees & a 18-32k ENE'er) for Tum, Grumpy, Tina, BamBam and Ralphy, promising torture to Boundary and tempo back to town.  CatCol arrived for the Hares attempting to poach our participants, but all were devoted to driving with the 5:45's rather than hanging on to a quick caboose. Tum talked me into the lead role for leg 1 to Feiglin Rd where I relinquished the reigns, wrecked. Tum and Tina hurried us to Orrvale Rd, Grumpy and Ralphy driving to the Kinder where BamBam took over, somewhat sedately in comparison.  My flogging at the front came around too quickly as we reached McFadyen Rd, shorter shifts (to the cypress trees) my only hope of further contributions.  Ralphy ramped up the rate as Grumpy rolled off the pointy end, possibly the begining of the end for him.  Pointing south on Boundary Rd there was only five to drive, Grumpy'd gone OTA and was left for Hares to hunt down. Effort was easier with the wind at the portside but the speed was stoked up so suffering stayed on the agenda.

My reserve tank was emptying trying to stay aboard as Tum and Ralphy took the drivers seat in River Rd, at least BamBam's pace allowed my h.r. to dip below 180.  I'd recovered enough to put in a reasonable drive to Laws Drive but barely had enough to catch Tina's wheel (there's the sound of that growling bear again!)  Up and over the bridge to Rivers end, through Central Kialla and another shift beckoned to test the limits.  Mental messages to labored legs were getting rude replies as we whistled west and shot across a clear highway, my view ahead blinkered by blurred edges as Tum turned up the torment to Galbraiths gate.  Tina's turn of tough tempo terminated at Arcadia Downs as I set my target to the curve into Conrod, but had nothing to fill the gap on BamBam's wheel when Tina called me in.  Four cranked onward on Conrod, cooked, encouraging words to Tina to take the chocolates then we all collectively caved in to gorge on oxygen to the skinny bridge, chuffed at a 39.3 average.

21/12  Five contrived to drive.

Thursday's temperate temperature (12) was warmly welcomed, though the 5:45 roll-up only favoured four (Cate, Tum, BamBam and Ralphy), seems speed spooks the spasmodic.  I'd made a concerted effort to moderte my  contributions at the front (to leave something in the tank to finish), peeling off at Feiglin Rd for Cate, Tum, BamBam and Ralphy to do their bit.   Over the truck route, past the school and round Kinder corner it was my turn again, compromising between Tum and Ralphy's 40 and BamBam's 36, opting for longer rather than faster (if the old engine allowed).  The theory was working when Ralphy showed his elbow for my next go at Boundary Rd's bridges, enough energy for a better than basic turn into the SSW'er to River Rd.  Kindling covered the corner from Wednesday's wild weather, but we threaded a path west sharing the 6k length as the sun put some light on the subject.  Another round of rigor by the troops and I was on the front again at PistolPete's, feeling a bit guilty at a 90% effort I towed the team to the highway as compensation.  A sneak peek behind  at Roubaix corner saw Hare headlights gaining, but thanks to tenacious teamwork we crossed the line 200 meters in credit, content with a 38.3 average.
22/12  Festive Friday.  Quite a change to roll to the Couldabeens with NewAvanti(not-OldAvanti-not-Merida)John, a mindset on a social spin rather than the torment of toil.  Chops, Travis, Liam, Tina, Nick, Nev, BamBam, Shorty, MyRideTrev, Sean, SuperMario, CatCol, Pelly and Kenworth assembled in a similar social style, Nev doing the honors of towing us out of town. 

Intercepting the pre-dawn prologue'rs (Kel, Rocket, Grumpy, PistolPete, Trav, Bruce, ScottMatt, Bo and The Godfather) at the truck route almost doubled the attendance, a chance to gas-bag instead of the gasps that are the only communication on Tuesday's and Thursday's. And so the crew cranked the usual course, thoughts distracted from mortgages, meetings, mothers-in-law, money and management. We came across Tommygun nearing River's end, then steered north, a whip crack of acceleration as two dozen drove to Channel Rd.

Rocket spurred on the speed as he headed the herd into Kinder corner, Liam taking the lead-out task at Prentice Rd.  Sitting in a dream draft at 6th wheel, I was expecting CatCol and co to fly by, but had a hair-raising hesitation when Nev touched wheels with NewAvantiJohn, setting the sphincter a quiver. All remained vertical, a split second pause on power, then Nev was hurtling toward the horizon. I'd picked off forth and third to finish as second fiddle, and not one go at the front!  Week 51        222km          YTD 13,742km  

 

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