1. WORD FROM THE COACHES

Massive congratulations to Coach Kat after coming 15th in the 19-34 female age group at the 2016 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Perth. We all feared that she may not even race after only 9 weeks ago being hit by a car on her bike. The determination and grit shown in coming back from that has been amazing and shows that anything can be done. Kat went far beyond her known limits and comfort zone in bringing home this amazing result and we wish she has a great recovery and holiday to celebrate – you deserve it.

Congratulations also go to athletes Jonney and Paul who both raced in the male events on a similar course in Perth at the weekend. Recover well for the Tri season coming up.

In other racing Dan Weekes raced in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Moolooabah on Sunday. He unfortunately had his first racing flat which took the edge off a great day and with having raced and trained for most of the last year now deserves a little RnR before his next challenge.

2. EVER THOUGHT ABOUT GOING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION?

With a few of our athletes racing in various Championship races recently have you thought about representing your country in Triathlon?

For those who are Australian citizens there are many races across the country which act as qualifying races for the main events. Athlete Lisa MacFarlane who has represented Australia at Olympic distance racing and this year is going for long course gives you the low down on how to go about it.

It is a great way to see the country, race somewhere other than local races and maybe have a few holidays to boot. So whether it’s racing in QLD, WA or NT that grabs you and then racing in Europe (Rottendamn, Holland for short course 2017) have a read and chat to your coach about how to approach this.

There are several different world championships in the world of triathlon. The “M-dot” Ironman brand is probably the most-recognised – their iconic Ironman World Championship at Kona each year is the holy grail for many long course triathletes, and places are hotly contested and not easily achieved. But did you know that Ironman also hold a 70.3 World Championship?

This year it is being held in Mooloolaba, Qld, and next year it is in Chattanooga, Tennessee USA. There is the Challenge Championship, to be held this year in Samorin, Slovakia. Both these events require a top 3-5 finish to qualify, much like Kona.

There is also the ITU Long Course World Championships (in Penticton, Canada in 2017) and the ITU Short Course World Championships (in Rotterdam, Netherlands 2017). What makes these so special is that you go to them as part of the Australian Age Group team, wearing the green and gold race suit with your name emblazoned on the front and back.

Qualifying for the Australian Age Group team is very different to qualifying for the Ironman or Challenge Championships. Triathlon Australia allocates 6-8 races throughout the season where you gain points for racing and placing in each event. The top 25 finishers in each age group for each race are allocated points (with the winner getting 25 points, going down to the 25th place getting 1 point). You are allowed to race as many times during the season as you wish, but only up to 3 of your best placings will be used. At the end of the season all the race points are calculated, and the athletes with the most number of points (up to 20 athletes per age group) have the opportunity to race as part of the Australian team, wearing the green and gold.

So this is where smart racing and smart choice of racing becomes important. To give an example: last year at Challenge Shepparton (which is a long course qualifying race this season) there were 67 finishers in the Male 40-44 category. So finishing in the top 25 requires a decent race! Last year at Murray Man (which is another long course qualifying race this season) there were 24 finishers in the Male 40-44 category, so finishing in the top 25 is a bit easier. Doing a bit of online research becomes helpful in order to decide which races to target and how much travel you want to do. And your fastest race may not be your “best” race in terms of placing, depending on the field size.

The calendar of events is on the Triathlon Australia website (click on the link: National Calendar 2016-2017).

There is also an Australian Championship race (for long course this season, it’s Hell of the West in Goondiwindi, Qld). Competitors who finish within the top 25 in their age group get double the points. So if you finish 10th in a normal qualifying race you’ll get 16 points, but if you finish 10th at the Australian Championship you’ll get 32 points. And how many points do you need? Again, a bit of net-time is your friend here, but as I’ve done the research I’ll help you out. Here’s the link to the Australian Age Group team going to the 2016 ITU Long Course World Championships in Oklahoma, USA: long course team 2016.

Whilst Triathlon Australia has the option to take up to 20 athletes per age group, those spots don’t always fill up. Some people will argue that only one good race is needed, but 2 races means that you’ve got 2 races-worth of points, 3 races even more points. So what’s the catch? You have to be a member of Triathlon Australia (as Tri-Alliance athletes we’re already members, which is great); you have to complete an “Expression of Interest” to show your interest in qualifying for the event (here’s the link to the Triathlon Australia 2017 Age Group page – the selection polocies and other information are now on the following link: Age Group World Championships), and of course you have to finish the race(s)! As a side note, you also have to be an Australian citizen.

If you’re from England or Ireland or Spain or other, head to your National triathlon body’s website for details, as qualifying may be very different! “But I’m a short course triathlete” I hear some of you cry. Well, that’s the beauty of the ITU championships over Ironman or Challenge. There are 7 different disciplines through which you can qualify for the Australian Age Group triathlon team: Sprint, Standard (previously known as Olympic), Long Course (which is usually a half-iron distance), Duathlon, Aquathlon, Cross Triathlon and Paratriathlon.

The Sprint, Standard and Paratriathlon events are held together as part of the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final and World Championships, which are in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2017, and Gold Coast, Australia in 2018. As suggested in the title, it is also the Grand Final of the World Triathlon Series, so not only are you racing in the green & gold against other countries, you also get to watch the elite triathletes (Royle, Moffat, Gomez, the Brownlees, Jorgensen to name a few) racing on the same course later that weekend.

For the first time next year, the remaining disciplines are being held together as part of a Multisport week-long festival – a format confirmed for the following 2 years as well. In 2017 it will be held in Penticton, Canada. In 2018 it will be Odense, Denmark, and 2019 it will be in Pontevedra, Spain. So you can qualify as a long course athlete, a duathlete, an aquathlete, a cross-triathlete, or any combination of the above.

If you want more information, head to is the Triathlon Australia website below:

3. PERSONALISED COACHING AND FREE ATHLETE MENTORING

Would you benefit from having a TA mentor? Many athletes have already taken this option up so don’t miss out.

We want to encourage all athletes to link up with a TA mentor to support you through the season and help you to get where you want to go. In addition to personalised coaching, all our coaches are available to be a mentor in your training and racing, at no additional cost to your weekly group membership.

No obligation – as a mentor, they will be happy to chat generally about your program,training/racing and any other questions you may have, as well as take an interest in you during sessions.

If you have a specific coach that you have a great rapport with or want a little more input from someone in particular, drop them an email to let them know you would like to be assigned to them. To see who you are currently assigned to, check your ‘profile’ section on your TA Dashboard. Coaches’ ability to take on more athletes is subject to their availability.

We have had a number of athletes already take up our personalised spots with Coaches Greg, Kat and Scott so if this is another avenue you want to explore drop them an email.

For personalised coaching we have Level 2 coaches Greg and Kat at $77 p/w and Level 1 coach Scott at $55 p/w for a fully detailed personalised programs specific to your needs and requirements with direct access to the coach. This also includes access to all relevant sessions within your training program.

4. FREE TRIATHLON TRAINING

With Race 1 of the Gatorade Series less than 3 months away we are busy organising and preparing for our next group of beginners and first timers. As in previous years we are offering those who are first time entrants into the Gatorade or Fun Tri Race 1 and Series a free 6 week training course getting them ready for that race. They can also bring a friend free along to the sessions who may not even yet have entered.

Starting on Saturday October 22nd we have 100 spaces available and hope you our members can help spread the word encouraging family and friends to give this great sport we all love a go.

Athletes receive:

• 3-4 coached training sessions a week, designed to cater to all abilities and confidence levels
• Learn all the essential triathlon skills, including bike handling, run technique, transitions and open water swimming
• Access to some of Melbourne’s best triathlon coaches, all keen to support you to achieve your goals
• Access to fantastic sponsorship discounts usually reserved for Tri Alliance athletes, such as bike discounts, Wetsuits, Triathlon and cycling Gear and sports health care
• On race day, it’s the simple things that make all the difference! As a special Tri Alliance guest, you and your supporters will be invited to hang out in the TA Taj (the biggest tent on race day, equipped with warm up facilities, massages, bean bags, storage space and a BBQ afterwards!)

For bookings and more information on this please share the below link:

http://vic.tri-alliance.com.au/events/free-triathlon-training-melbourne-201617/

Gatorade Tri Series Entries

For Gatorade Races this season you’ll get a 20% discount which for the series equates to an $88 saving! GATORADE TRIATHLON SERIES – ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Challenge Shepparton Entries

CHALLENGE SHEPPARTON – ENTRIES OPEN NOW. Early bird prices are closing this on 31st August with a $30 rise from the 1st September.

CHALLENGE MELBOURNE

Get in now and plan your season with the final Victorian domestic long course race of the season. CHALLENGE MELBOURNE ENTRIES OPEN NOW

KEY RACE FACEBOOK GROUPS

Even though we are in the midst of winter, planning and training is already underway for some of the first races in the 2016 season. We have created Facebook groups for both Noosa (OD race on Sunday 30th October) and Ironman WA and Ironman 70.3 WA (Sunday 4th December). We will be communicating through these groups all things race related so if you have entered either of these please request to join up.

This will also help you know who else is training for those races and enable crew to train together in preparation.

Busso Facebook Group – JOIN HERE

Noosa  Facebook Group – JOIN HERE

We are also going to be creating Shepparton, Ballarat, Geelong and Challenge Melbourne groups so please let us know what races you are doing and we can hook you up with others doing the same races so you have more buddies to train with.

If you are requiring accommodation for Noosa the Tri-Alliance house has 2 single beds spare so please ping us an email at [email protected] if you’d like more information or to snag one of these

5. TRAINING SESSION UPDATES

Training Spike Sessions.

Friday the 9th September

Saturday 9th September

Sunday 10th September

Please ensure you check the calendar regularly to know where and when sessions are as they do sometimes change (this is especially true for swim sessions at MSAC as these can change and are often unfortunately beyond our control).

Also check your program or consult a coach so you attend the appropriate session and that you know your distances – remember you are accountable too!. When out riding please do so safely and pay attention to all the road rules and others using the road. Read on for a guide to cycling etiquette and bike road safety and ethics.

A gentle reminder that key to enjoying these long rides and getting the most from them is to dress adequately for the conditions and ensure that you fuel and hydrate before and during the ride so energy levels do not drop too much on the last bit. Correct recovery afterwards is also very important.

When riding on a Tri-Alliance coached road ride it is a requirement to wear team colours. This helps keep and identify the group together and provides more safety in the fact that other riders from outside the group are less likely to join in the group – we do not know them or their riding abilities

Safe & Happy Training

Team Tri-Alliance