Shut up head!

 Post #586

13/2  The merry-go-round of Covid conformity.

There's not a lot of options when regulations restrict a ride to within 5 km of home, 'round and 'round in circles about the most inventive thing I could muster at short notice.  How freaky that Emil had chartered the same course (Rudd, The Boulevard, Balaclava, Verney, Ford and Wanganui) when we compared suggestions for a Saturday spin.  And at my suggestion, Emil would bring (Kim) the Apprentice along (I was really hoping to tame Emil's tempo!)       There's some strange ones about at stupid o'clock on a Saturday, why you'd be pushing an empty supermarket trolley along the middle of the road at 5:30 I'll never know! But I guess riding a bike 'round in circles at this hour is a bit odd too!  Darkness doesn't do much for the motivation but I was hoping by lap 2 or 3 we might enjoy some daylight.   Emil set the speed in the low 30's considerate to the Apprentice's early days aboard two wheels, Balaclava's 23 man-hole covers (conveniently placed in the bike lane) sharpening our navigation, though there was little traffic to fight for a path around them.  $5M spent in the last few years has made Verney Rd a blessing on the backside and how good is luxuriously level hot-mix with a south southwester at your back?   We'll soften like marshmallows riding this too often!  

Emil continued as captain west into Ford Rd, the Apprentice content to command the caboose but I had an urge to make a contribution at Wanganui Rd.  With enough wind to make the muscles burn but at a speed where breathing wasn't at bursting point, the role at the business end was far from the pain  usually endured.   It made a nice change!  (so what drives this constant craving for riding at the limit?  Masochism?  Me thinks it's furthering fitness......and it's a perfect excuse to compensate the calories lost with banana bread!)   With the massive climb of Mt. Wanganui done (a whole 2 metres of elevation in 150 metres), Rudd Rd's southern stretch to The Boulevard raised the effort into the wind, listening intently for any squeaks of speed stress behind.  It'd be poor form to invite a guest along and put them o.t.a.   The swing east southeast into The Boulevard and among the trees settled the escalating numbers, the pace carefully raised to Tarcoola's roundabout  for Emil to take the reigns again.  And so the merry-go-round went 'round!   

Shifts had settled into a routine, Emil would do Balaclava, Verney and Ford, I'd do the Wanganui, Rudd and Boulevard bit, the Apprentice still happy to follow (though she's more than capable of doing turns if she can hang on in the 30's.  Maybe just a bit shy to drive?)  The  (now) south southwester wasn't letting up, making work on Wanganui, Wozza seen solo on his clockwise interpretation of Covid circuitry.  A k or so was trimmed off the speed for lap 3 (maybe the Apprentice's limits of labor were reached?), better to finish a ride on speaking terms than that awkward look of a knife in your back! There was chat at the back during my shift in Wanganui Rd, the Apprentice suggesting she turn in Kittles Rd and leave Emil and I to head on for a hurry.  Debate for the negative ensued, our argument apparently convincing enough for her to stay on.  Sun up finally came for lap 4 and the speed had sneakily built back up to lap one's pace, but no protests were lodged.  Time, the ever present enemy had tolled at lap four's end, fifty k's clocked at a pleasant pace, though shy of the usual Saturday social epilogue.

15/2   Creative circuitry?

Mentally mapping a circuit for a challenge was about the only motivation left to ride with Covid constraining the distance from home to just 5 k's.  Already many of the local circuits have become blase.  13 degrees and a southerly was hardly like summer and darkness was hardly that welcoming, but with an obsession to feed, wheels got rolling at 5:32.   The Boulevard and Rudd started the familiar path to the golf course, Wanagnui's length to the highway hardly an inspirational introduction.  And now for something completely different!   Starting at Verney's roundabout, I'd set a zig-zag path steadily southward, using the east and west streets to dial up the distance (and keeping me within the 5 km rule) A kilometre or so west then east then west again (ad infinitum) got up to a reasonable pace but the wear and tear on the brake pads for all those changes of direction was a bit above normal.  Hawkins, Pine, Graham, Balaclava, Rea, Knight, Nixon, Fryers, Stewart and High got me into the city centre, Rowe, Vaughan, Ashenden, Sobroan, Swallow and Hayes taking me further south, almost feeling like interval training on the legs as I tried to hold the average up to something near respectable.  Mary, Victoria and MacIntosh had me as far south as I should to be Covid compliant so the navigation of Fitzjohn and Tom Collins Drive (behind the lake) steered me homeward with a welcome wind behind at last.  A short thrash into the 40's was a last ditched attempt to get the average up.  Now to make tomorrow's tap a little different!

16/2  Obsessive circling disorder. 

A silly idea had infiltrated this skull and niggled away for a day till I'd committed to it.  I'd watched the inventive circuits many were forced to create caused by the Covid lock-down to stay within the set distance from home.   (Most at least tried to conform GiantAndy!)   But I was fast running out of fresh frontiers.  Yet another dose of Wanganui Rd would definitely fly me over the cuckoos nest!  Circles seemed to be in fashion and there was one close to home....at the end of the driveway in fact.   Parkside and Menzies are just residential roads that oppose in arcs and happen to meet at the end ; sort of peanut shaped that would suit my kind of nutty idea to lap.   And with a total of just 900 metres in length, there'd be a few!  Anti-clockwise guaranteed all left hand turns, far safer than turning across the path of Parkside's possible commuting cars later.  A light northeaster made half the lap luxury, the other half labor, the aim to keep up a pace worth posting.  Speed would slump at the two 90 degree corners so pace was applied in Parkside to make up the deficit.  Signs of households stirring from their slumber took a while, the first half a dozen laps finding the ideal line and what to keep a sharp eye on  (a piece of timber at Page Crt, a roaming cat at Delisle and a couple of lumpy road reflectors conveniently right on the apex of Menzies corner)  

It turned out to be good cornering practice, but mindful of cars about to emerge.  I'd lost count of the laps as a little light filled the sky, maybe the overall distance divided by that 900 metres would give the o.c.d. in me an answer?    'Round and 'round on this wacky mission cleared the head of work-a-day cobwebs, focus still on keeping that speed near respectable. The guy in his garage gym had a different routine almost each time I passed, bench presses one lap, squats the next, two laps later and dumb-bells were pumping.   Entertaining.  Lap after lap forced a steady routine and made smooth the pace with it, but with sun-up near several driveways now had movement, some (almost awake) making their way to work.  I'd been circling for just on an hour so called it quits before traffic (and caution) threw a blanket over it.   37 laps done.  (I did say disorder didn't I?)

17/2  A tap with Tony......sorry!  Joe.

What's App pinged a ride invite Tuesday night; company could cure this Covid confinement craziness!  A tap with Tony.....sorry! Joe, would at least make going 'round in circles a little more sociable.  With laps of Verney, Ford, Lemnos North and Old Dookie agreed to, a clockwise approach put us straight to work into a north northeaster, but we'd signed a peace accord about not bursting boilers, particularly as there's not a lot of respite to be had in a draft of one.  I'd fronted to Ford Rd's roundabout and let Joe (not Tony) take over, the tow to Grahamvale Rd just enough to mentally prepare for the next drive.  The future pleasure of the wind behind in Lemnos North Rd was about all that drove me on Ford Rd's 2700 metres.  Joe (not Tony) did the southern shift toward the soup tin, pleased at this pace rather than the full steam of the Sanctuary squad ; Frankly, he's capable of doing the division 2 thing but finds comfort with the Wannabees....is there a division 2.5?  (But what are the odds of the Wannabees surviving winter?  The same odds of BeerMat with the shop squad!)  

Old Dookie Rd back to town is  familiar tarmac to travel, but the wind wasn't quite behind us, so we didn't make the pace I'd banked on.  Threading the Hawdon St path back to Verney allowed some stocktaking of oxygen, that 2nd set of traffic lights only turning green the moment a foot touched the ground.  (Don't you hate that!)  Roles were reversed for lap 2, Joe (not Tony) did the Verney shift and I faced the first k of Ford ; can't say that either of us had an unfair advantage, though Joe's force was fading a k from Lemnos North Rd.  Now seemed timely to offer a tow. T'was sweet steering south again, commuters now making their presence felt.  Old Dookie Rd this time round had the breeze at our backs and that massages the ego a little after a battle with the head-winds prior.  Time was ticking to squeeze in a lap 3, so the diversion west at Ford Rd to drive Wanganui was a way to get me home on agenda (although it's a route all too common).  There's something special about finishing a ride with a tail-wind rather than a head-wind homeward, but then who'd finish a meal with Brussels sprouts when hazelnut praline is on the menu?

18/2         6, 5, 4.

Rather than jump straight into the deep end, a lap with the Wannabee's was judged a better introduction back to bunch riding than the pace of division 2.......call it a toe in the water of tempo if you like.  Besides, a different course and spreading yourself around socially won't wear out any welcomes.  There was a new found freedom with our state now out of lock-down, but only Jase, Shorty, NearlyRetiredTrev, Roscoe and Ralphy fronted the Kialla Lakes roundabout ; here's me thinking lifted restrictions would open the floodgates?  Shorty did the opening shift to Channel Rd, a northeaster calling on effort early.  I managed to find something in the tank to front the pace to the truck route, Jase with reserves to speed us to Orrvale Rd.  Roscoe started the ChaCha easy on the throttle and built the velocity to the Kinder, Ralphy leading us to the cypress trees.  NearlyRetiredTrev had just settled into his drive east when the call of "Easy!" eased the speed at Beckham's bend.  Roscoe had retreated rearward then promptly u-turned to tap home (the engine a little out of tune apparently)  And then there were 5.  NearlyRetiredTrev pressed on to the S bend, Shorty left with the short straw to drive into the last of the head-wind to Coach Rd.  Hadn't I been handed Christmas on a stick! the breeze almost at the backside for my lead south.  Gotta have a win sometimes!  With that sort of advantage I went beyond the Broken bridges and One Tree Dam too, almost to River Rd when I remembered Mitchell is the way west for this mob.  Jase could do duty to the Main Eastern channel.  Ralphy did a decent drive on Mitchell and NearlyRetiredTrev toiled on to the dog-leg, I was quite comfortable at second wheel thinking Shorty would tow me to Euroa Rd but I was shown an early elbow with more than a k left to get there.  (It's good to be put on the spot sometimes, eliminating all that un-necessary thought and worry.  The old engine responds regardless of forethought funnily enough)  

Jase took charge crossing the Euroa Rd, my time in recovery at the rear shortened when Shorty called his exit in Archer Rd.  Isn't it a shame when work interrupts a good ride!  And then there were 4.  (25% more work and 25% less rest!)   Jase handed the reigns to Ralphy to drag us to the highway so I now sat on NearlyRetiredTrev's wheel suspecting I'd get the task at the front leading the line to Conrod straight.  Recent roadworks have left a few loose stones but it wasn't the cyclo-cross track of a few weeks ago. AlmostRetiredTrev did retire from work at Galbraith's gate so I had that northeaster to deal with as Raftery Rd swung more northerly toward Arcadia Downs.  Legs weren't quite so keen on reaching Conrod straight so I left Jase to head the hurry into the last 1000 metres.  An admirable effort too, only pulling the pin with 300 left.    Ralphy dug deep to polish off the remainder but wouldn't be baited for a sprint when I edged up alongside. 

19/2  He is not man....he is machine!

Getting thoughts out of defeatist mode was difficult, legs and lungs were fine, and why not with a northeaster propelling the pace to Sanctuary Drive, but the head wasn't happy about the hurry.  (To mess with Mr. Voight's phrase.....Shut up head!)   Too bad, the Sanctuary squad's speed was soon to snap me out of that.  Emil had berthed first (wise move to take the wind assisted shift to Mitchell Rd), Kel, The Godfather, Jen, Grumpy, Bo, Col, PistolPete and Tina slipping into the line of labor behind, silly me at second wheel!  I'd get the headwind first. Shown the front east into Mitchell, 35 k's was tops into 28 worth of northeaster, too bad if that tempo was tame to others 'cause I was givin' it all she's got Capt'n!    Kel's smooth shift to River Rd was perfect recovery time, now to hang on as Grumpy and Bo set sail east.  Staying straight and smooth to minimize the tsunami effect was a big ask while the wind made our path a rather drunken one,  Tina then Jen's shift to the quarter horse stud far more sympathetic to my labored legs.  That respite at the rear was put in the bank, Col and Pistol had yet to make their mark. 

 Col dragged us the last k to rooster corner, then stayed on in the drivers seat to the Broken bridges, maybe flagellation is his forte?  Pistol Pete had played patient, waiting a whole 21 km of the lap before being unleashed, his swift shift to the highway was to be expected, but to add another 2700 metres (nudging 40 into that wind mind you) to Old Dookie Rd made up for his delay driving.  Does his battery ever flatten?  The Godfather did well to hold his wheel and then do duty west to Central Ave but hang on!, forget about what others were doing, I was now second wheel again as Emil cut loose on the drive to Dobson's estate!  As his first turn was wind asissted, now he really opened the throttle toward town, so my last hurrah (spelled : h  u  r  t )  would be the sprint to SPC.  (My heartfelt thanks to the traffic light at Wheeler St for turning red to spare me continued cruelty)  

This week 254 km    YTD   1,881 km