WEEKLY TRANSITION, SWIM, BIKE, RUN, READ…..
- WORD FROM THE COACHES
- AMBASSADOR PAM
- END OF SEASON PARTY!
- PRO HOURS TRAINING
- APRIL RECOVERY MONTH
- BIKE BETTER – TRI VIC
- TRAINING SESSION UPDATES
1. WORD FROM THE COACHES
This weekend not only saw lots of chocolate being eaten but saw the peak of an Ironman build for one of our most dedicated athletes. Megan French has been out there come rain or shine crushing the k’s time after time. For anyone who has swum, ridden or run with her they know that Megan is ready. In two weeks time on the 10th of April Megan will take on Ironman South Africa in Port Elizabeth. Enjoy the taper and maybe a cheeky Easter treat as you deserve it.
For those racing Port Mac and Cairns their build is still going but only a few more weeks before taper town is reached.
Gatorade Triathlon Series Final Race 5 – St Kilda Sunday 10 April
Meanwhile for the short course crew we have the chance of a sprint or endurance OD this Sunday down in Martha Cove before the season finale Gatorade. We want to see as many TA athletes as possible at this race and there is sure to be an option for you on the day.
This year has flown by and we can’t believe we are already down to the last Gatorade Triathlon Race of the Series in just over 1 weeks time. Entries are filling quickly for this race as there is so much happening that you don’t want to miss out on! Firstly there’s the second Olympic Distance triathlon of the year which also incorporates the Victorian Triathlon Championships with podium medals up for grabs. Secondly, Aqua Bike is back and we are incorporating the first ever State Championships for this event with massive $1000 PhysioHealth voucher up for grabs for the winner! After the great feedback received after Race 2, Aqua Bike incorporates the 1.5km swim and the 40km bike leg of the Olympic Distance Triathlon and is a timed race that ends when you enter the transition area after your ride. You’ll then rack your bike and cross the finish line at your own pace. It’s really great if you have a running injury or just don’t like running.
To enter any of these events please check out the link here and ensure you select “Tri-Alliance” as your club to get your 10% discount.
Following the Triathlon season there is also the option of riding the Great Ocean Road in the Great Ocean and Otway Classic on the 16th. Riding inland from Torquay to Lorne then following the coast road home for the 145k loop is one amazing experience with many closed roads just for you. Other rides of 60k and 204k Epic are available for those who want a short or more challenging experience. Check out the details here and again register your club as “Tri-Alliance” (with sufficient numbers we then are allowed to wear the club jersey).
A number of Tri-Alliance athletes are also taking part in the wings for Life World Run on the 8th of May. Run as far as you can before the car catches you! this event is looking like it will sell out so ensure you get your entry sorted here very soon. Check out the video (1st story) of Wings for Life World Run ambassadors, Barney Miller and Mick Fanning, that aired on 60 Minutes over the weekend. It really paints the picture of what it is like for somebody who has suffered a Spinal Cord Injury.
https://www.9now.com.au/60-minutes/2016/episode-8
LORNE CAMP
A reminder to get the Queens birthday long weekend saved in your diaries for our first training camp of the 2016/17 season over the 13/14/15/16 June. We will be staying at the Lorne Life Saving Club giving great easy access to the Great Ocean Road for our rides and the trails and foreshore for a variety of runs. There will also be the pier to pub swim amongst other activities. So save the dates and start thinking about next season!
SAVE THE DATE – Saturday 14th May – End of Season Party. For more information and tickets for this very popular event click here.
FINAL ELWOOD BBQ – This Thursday will see the final full combo session at Elwood with the hour changing on Sunday meaning there will not be enough light the following week for a full session. We will still train from Elwood on the 7th but check the timetable and next week’s newsletter for the plan. We will also have another bbq to celebrate the season coming to a close so ensure you are at training to qualify for a snag.
Please do ensure you check the timetable and our Victorian Facebook page for training updates as these sometimes have to change at short notice. Click the session on the calendar to give you more details including time and location.
2. AMBASSADOR PAM – SUFFERFEST RACE REPORT
As the name suggests, expect to suffer and fest!
Venturing of the back of Ironman 70.3 Geelong, with the guidance of Coach Ollie, Olympic distance seemed to be the perfect distance to race and Olyfest was for me. Being 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run.
Warrnambool is a pleasant 3.5hr drive from Melbourne. Hubby and I headed down the coast on the Friday afternoon. Going early was part of the plan to be able to catch up with some friends in the triathlon family as this is a memorable part of the racing journey. As much as I loved this venue, so did he. I was excited!
Why? I have being racing for 7 years. Should I be feeling this way? Or had some mixed feelings about this race as it was the first race after Geelong. Just a note, in preparation for Geelong I peaked 2 weeks early and did not have the proper recovery time, as a result I bonked. This was a first hand experience of the dangers of peaking too early and slipping by the importance of recovery time. It was devastating. Over night I came down from being strong and ready to race with the best 70.3 prep ever to a possibility of a no race. Despite being an aged athlete, it was an experience that I would like to learn from and to forget.
Since then, once again grateful to coach Ollie in revising my training program to training with purpose to rebuild post injury. The importance of physios and myo-therapists is not to be understated.
On the Saturday morning the plan was to do the race recon, but I decided to sleep in. Now this was my body talking to me. I am told this is the kind of thing now I cannot ignore.
So, further in the day, hubby and I had a light ride to the bike course as well as to have a feel of this hill. It felt ok. I was in the groove. Looks were a little deceptive. And then a repeat just to settle in and it registered fine and happy! “Bring it on I said”. In an ordinary sense a hill as such is not a problem but this one being just at the start and rolling into it with out a warm up kind a stresses you.
Race Day
Race day started as a chilly 11 degrees, not much different than last year with the exception of no rainfall. A bit cold for our expectations in this time of the year. Forecast was 20-23. But this was not to come until mid day. It turned out to be one stunning day.
Headed to transition bright and early and set out to do a couple of run k’s up and back in to the run course in order to lift up my heart rate before slipping on my wetty. Usually at this point during the warm up I assess my race plan according to the way I feel on that warm up run. Despite running on elevation, I was feeling amazingly good. I set my self a swim time slower than last year (34 min) ,as this was the discipline I hadn’t recovered yet. Set a bike time around 1.30 and 1.10 for the run.
Swim
Takes place in a murky river, all flat, a pool like conditions. 2 cool laps of it with a mass start. Water temperature just a tad cold. No complaints at all, suits me. Checked out the position and the alignments of the buoys. On with the new prescription goggles, 1 gel and off we went. Couple of hundred meters into the swim I usually feel some palpitations and feel the need to pull back. Nope, not this time. Still feeling good except for a few hits on the goggles and need to stop to fix them. A comfortable swim it was. When I stood up the swim finish I took a sneak peak at the Garmin just to see if I was keeping on track. Wow! surprised myself as I clocked a 30.06. Then to run to T1 clocking 30.48. I never swam this fast. Never ever! This was the work of the stroke correction I did with Coach Ollie and Hillario paying off. Ok things were looking better than I thought. But not to get excited. Got to get through.
Ride
On to the ride. Time to tackle that challenging hill being approx 5% gradient at the start of the course. It hits you even before you have a chance to tighten your cleats. But it also compensates you with a spectacular view once you hit the top. And to repeat it twice. Just was assessing myself at this point to feel what’s in the tank. All felt fine and still good, rolling happily. First priority was to control the breathing. It was more about exhalation than inhalation as this is what I find works for me. Then to get in the groove of climbing. First lap was over in no time, relatively faster than what I thought. Onto the second lap and sipping more and more on that coke as this was my practised race nutrition. On top of the climb, now the wind is picking up. It wouldn’t be Warrnambool if it wasn’t windy. Descending that hill felt hard. One little peak on the Garmin just before T2. Oh Yeah! ahead of the goal time!! A fast T2!
Run
A breath-taking epic run course. Within the first 500m from the start line it builds into a 1km up hill run into the next 2km and then flattens right out. Out and back. This time no look at the Garmin until at the half way turn around point. Being short sighted, the interchange is a bit of a struggle. At 5km I continued to surprise myself. Now I was on the home stretch. It was time to give it all you can. The hard work of the run interval sessions and the new Saturday training structure coached by Coach Greg was paying off. After 7 years in this game, I was now learning how to race.
Loved every minute of this course. Walked away with an unexpected PB.Overall race time, from last year’s 3hr 22min to this year 3hr 04min was an 18 min PB! On a challenging course and an all time OD PB. It was my day!
Trust your coach! Trust your training ! #trainingwithpurpose
3. END OF SEASON PARTY – TICKETS ON SALE NOW – SATURDAY 14th MAY
Tickets can now be purchased at the early bird price of $75pp via TryBookings here. 
Our End of Season party is booked and we want everyone to be there. This cracking event returns again to The Village Melbourne and Ormond Hall and is open to all Tri-Alliance members, friends and family.
Running from 6:30pm until 11:30pm we will have drinks and canape’s on arrival with dinner served between our much anticipated awards. Who will take out the much coveted Zoolander award from last years winner James Tyler (or can he repeat!!). Other awards will go to our short and long course male and female achievers along with the John Cornish Scholarship and best newcomer.
Don’t miss out and double book yourself. If you are wanting to help out on the organisation of this event then please do email us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
There has been great feedback from Pro Hours as we look to build on this in the coming weeks. Many thanks to all those who have come along and made the most from the sessions.
Please share and spread the word about these sessions and if you happen to have a day off or can adjust your schedule come along and give them a go. With many athletes having flexible working arrangements and the power to adjust their own training schedule it was about time we offered some “Pro Hours” training sessions.
- Can’t make our early morning or evening sessions?
- Got to drop off or pick the kids up from School?
- Work from home and need a break?
- Like a sleep-in before training?
- Don’t do the 5am wake up?
- Have a flexible working arrangement?
Then Tri-Alliance “Pro Hours” could be just right for you. The sessions will cover pool swims, run technique and interval sets and work on the bike such as road skills, strength and endurance. If you are interested, have a question, want more info or want to register please email us at [email protected]. Our timetable is out now and more details can be found here.
With the end of the season approaching for many we are now planning April and our recovery and transition period. Look out soon for the timetable of sessions.
This is a very important time of the season where you need to unwind, rest and recuperate. Sessions will be fewer and much less intense to give tired bodies the rest that they deserve. Last year we mountain biked, went indoor rock climbing, ran boot camps and did some strength and conditioning.
We want to hear from you some suggestions on activities that are different from the normal swim/bike/run, don’t cost an arm and a leg and can be a good social occasion for all to join in on. Please email us at [email protected] with any suggestions you think would fit the bill.
Workshop, ideal for coaches and athletes – ‘Bike better for triathlon workshop’. Registrations close today.
Presented by: Ryan Mannix (Australian Elite Duathlete/International runner), Brendan Sexton (Australian Olympic Triathlete) and Jonathan Cantwell (Australian Professional Cyclist)
Date: 2nd April 2016
Where: MacRobertson Girls High School, 350-370 Kingsway, Melbourne
What: Bike maintenance & bike fit – Jonathan, Transitions – Brendan, Periods of training & body maintenance – Ryan
Time: 10am-1pm
What to bring: bike, shoes and helmet
Costs: TA member coaches $60, TA member volunteer club coaches $20, TA member athletes $60 & Non-member athletes $90
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). This weeks highlighted sessions: (please ensure you 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.
- Thursday 31st March – Combo & Run & BBQ Elwood @6pm .
- Saturday 2nd April – Long course ride – Elwood @630am. Check your programs for distances.
- Saturday 2nd April – Short Course Combo Elwood starting @ 6:30am. Bring all your gear but be prepared to ride first leaving the rest of your gear in your car (or a fellow athlete’s car).
- Sunday 3rd April – Short & Long Course run & swim – Elwood @7am
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. top
Safe & Happy Training
Tri Alliance
