Week 44 : The obstinate optimist.

Post #524
26/10  The Saturday sextet.      Another big Saturday grid prompted another split, Tum, Wozza, Temple, MyRideTrev, Vince and I separating as a sextet from PistolPete, Lance, Col, Trav, Kreeky, Shorty, Manny, Kel, Tina, Bo, Boof, GiantAndy and The Godfather.  Deja vu (last week) being blown out Channel Rd as the bigger bunch steered south, a forecast breeze had had worked up to a wind so there'd be hurt homeward for both clans.  Thoughts of the work to come westward were forgotten on the Indian filed turns out to Boundary Rd, I'd set my sights on Vince's flouro Trek and it's quirky adjustable isospeed top tube to distract me.  Funny how focus fixes on the strangest things.

 The wind from the west wasn't as painful as predicted when my northbound shift came up at the bridge, handing the reigns to MyRideTrev at the fig farm and retreating to the rear to maximise recovery till duty called again. 

Sooner than I'd wanted, we were facing the work west in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, Vince taking the first hit to Woolshed Rd where the inevitable elbow ushered me to the front. A little shelter from trees helped with my hurry though thoughts of MyRideTrev sitting at second wheel said "don't bust the bike mechanic".  The next service might get very costly! Saturday's sun on the back had a psychologically warming effect, double digit temperatures are surely to be commonplace from now.  Teamwork wore away the k's to town and like last week, each had done plenty of turns at the pointy end to scuttle a sprint.  To breakfast via the Boulevard without bursting a boiler, coffee was in order while waiting for the bigger bunch to front, great to have Liam and mum Nadine drop by to join the babble on physical adaptability, a photographic eye and the rise of parkrun.  

27/10  The Bendigo classic.

Craving different scenery, I took myself to Bendigo for their 100k classic, one of those rides I favour ; the whole entry fee goes to charity, a small field of seasoned and mostly sensible riders, great support services, local catering and helpful volunteers (rather than a massive event to aid a lobby group run by a management company taking most of the profit where you try to keep clear of hundreds of nuff nuffs and get a cheap jersey and a frozen salad roll for your trouble)

The only reservation, there'd be a few bumps in this course.  180 entrants took to the 100k version (there was a 60 and a 25k for the less adventurous) sensibly waved off in manageable mobs of 20.  Exiting Bendigo through Flora Hill and Spring Gully on to Diamond Hill Rd, the few gradual ups and downs sorted the serious from the slow coaches to Manurang South.  Groups large and small settled into the sweat and suffer or chat and tap, some like me advancing or dropping back to find a suitable squad or slog along solo.  Onto Springs Rd and a short and nasty pinch tested little chainrings and big sprockets, some consolation that this flat-lander had a few behind him when the tarmac rose to ten percent.

Refreshment stops lured many to pause but I was happy to tortoise along to North Harcourt (grateful the course skirted around the testy Mt Alexander)  A brief blast along the old Calder Highway into Harcourt then on to Faraday, I'd been absorbed into a bunch of 20 which splintered into lots of broken pieces at the first testing incline.  The long uphill toward Sutton Grange was better tapped alone, there's a hesitation to hurry on an unknown course, particularly when hills aren't your speciality.  I wasn't about to use the reserve tank now.   A westerly wind had been a nuisance till steering onto the Sedgewick-Sutton Grange Rd, the tarmac was rough on the north eastern track but speed was at least a little easier.  A tail wind on Axe Creek Rd was heaven sent, passing many battling the 60k course amplified the achievement.  I'd paired with DeniliquinTrev (bedazzled by Baum) to work Hargraves and Red Tank Rd back into Strathfieldsaye, legs feeling the labour of 1000 metres of elevation.  Caught by a half dozen young drivers, we hitched a tow for the last five k (ignoring the blinguist among them), through the lefts and rights of Bendigo's streets to cross the finish line in 3:31:00.  I couldn't rest seeing just 99.57 on the odometer so a short spin up a short street satisfied the OCD in me to clock a ton.

28/10  A post ton tap on the train of peace.

The sit site was somewhat sensitive after 100k (how quickly we soften doing the same old same old on the saddle) and legs hurt at a hint of hurry (I'll blame those hills) so a tap on the Goat train of peace was my Monday prescription.  Coggo, Brendy, Heady, Tina, Sandy, Phil, JB, AvantiAndy, Hommie and Sandy proved peace was popular, Sly and Keeno joining in 'cause Cat commitment was crook to start the week.  Brendy led leg one to Grahamvale Rd, the lack of aerodynamics keeping the tempo tame, as is the peace train protocol.  Low thirties is all I could donate for leg two to Lemnos North Rd, the long Indian file behind me saying the speed was satisfactory (seems two lines to work in pairs wasn't kosha).  It took forever to reach the rear with a couple of brief chats on the way, Snow already finishing his drive and on the way back too.  Temperature was shy of eight degrees (feels like three made it more like July) but I was comfortable in the draft and on the flat lands of home as the dedicated drove long and the shirkers short shifted.  Time had ticked away at a tame tap so a short cut via Channel Rd was on my to do list (if I was to keep employed), a steady roll homeward on lax legs would count as recovery.

30/10  Welcome stranger.

A day off two wheels had recharged this old battery so there was a bit more tempo in the tank on Wednesday.  Bo, Kel, Boof, Tina, Trav, Shorty, Wozza, Kreeky, Col, Rocket, PistolPete, Bruce, The Godfather and Superman had rolled into the carpark, BeerMat trying the 6am promotion and Cate had emerged from a six month abstinence. The pack set south on Archer Rd with a little help from a northeaster to send us to Mitchell Rd, the speed not the usual spicy standard.   By River Rd the ride was almost relaxing, a caboose was out of the question as all were taking turns, or was that The Godfather handbraking the hurry at the front?
A few faced the front that hadn't driven for some time, hopefully casting off that unfounded fear of the drivers seat.  Cate's lost no speed though her shift was short, BeerMat braved the front (albeit briefly) and Tina turned on a strong drive to Channel Rd.   Bo reached the front and got the bit between his teeth, now we were back into familiar velocities (but would that return some back to the rear in retirement?)   Bits weren't breaking off the back and there was still some chat at the back so we were way off meeting the man with the hammer but the natter did cease reaching the ChaCha for the mandatory thrash to the line.


31/10  All aboard (minus HG)

The 10k warm-up on the golf course loop achieved little, struggling to get into the low thirties I was beginning to doubt there'd be the wattage to deliver in the drivers seat of the bunch.  I'll talk to my therapist about performance anxiety, or read Rule #5 more often. Coggo, Belly, Snow, Tina, AvantiAndy, Heady, Tum, Sandy, Hommie and JB gathered for the six am start, Head Goat served with sledges as he rolled by on an early get-away.  AvantiAndy set the start speed to Grahamvale Rd as ten hurried to get aboard, Tum grinding The Godfather gear (the biggest one) to Lemnos North Rd, the bait of HG ahead no doubt tempting Tina's tempo. 

Catching Head Goat as Heady threw his elbow at me, I squeezed the throttle a little more to test his tenacity ; 'tis the privilege of enduring winter's worst to dish out a little hurt to hibernators isn't it?  Reaching Boundary Rd I handed the reigns to Snow, rolling back to the rear receiving kudos suggesting speed was suitable (Previous pangs on performance put to rest)  

Ooops! Head Goat was no longer a passenger.   I figured he was on that pondering pedal homeward again.....    Heady was now hanging out in the rear gunna's role (gunna bank a few breaths before braving the front again) while others cranked their contribution to the cause.  
Tina handed another turn to me at One Tree Dam, taking the team to River Rd where I figured that'd be my driving done till the solo exit for my shortcut home.  JB hammered the big gear toward the dip, Belly not quite back to prior form, AvantiAndy well and truly on the comeback trail and Coggo cranked consistently as always (Vote #1 the New Head Goat?)  I bid my early adieu's as always at River Rd's end to beat a path homeward and satisfy a 7:30 start at the coalface.











1/11  Friday flaggelation.

Time saved on kitting up (the long held habit of multiple layers, warmers and overshoes was ditched for eighteen degrees!) made for a relaxed roll to the carpark with a bonus breeze at the backside to get me there.  Tina, Boof, The Godfather, Shorty, Kreeky, Superman, Kel, Wozza, Rocket, Bruce, Cate, Lenny, Determined Dan, Pistol Pete, Bo, Col and Temple turned up for Friday's festivities, Boof taking charge for the charge south on Archer Rd.  Common sense and tactics paired me with Boof to Sanctuary's roundabout (there'd be a headwind to face if I left my turn till later) so I was well worn two k's later when the turn rolled.  Surprise surprise, Superman was my co-pilot to the truck route.  BamBam caught the caboose as PistolPete's pace proved to be Superman's kryptonite, those blessed with wattage now driving us to Mitchell Rd and through Central Kialla.

The social stuff occupied River Rd where long-time-no-see Tommygun jumped aboard, me gradually demoted to the rear for a brief g'day to Temple before joining the advance again.  Plans of avoiding that headwind were soon scuttled when several short shifted their turns ahead of me in Boundary Rd.  Paired with Boof at the Broken bridges, that obstinate optimist in my head set a target to Channel Rd, though reality had a hard time delivering the dream.  My involuntary gasps and groans may have alarmed Boof beside me (it's just an aged exhaust) but stubborn won the day to reach the turn, hoping I'd whittled down Superman on my wheel to get a less enthusiastic part two to the shift.  It worked.  Real respite came at the S bend where bigger breaths could be taken.  The Godfather was wasting breaths sledging Rocket and Wozza as they worked the drivers seats and that just put more sting in their speed to the ChaCha (though nearly all were rewarded with a Strava trophy for their efforts).

Week 44    300km      YTD 11,251km