Spring is giving us more light and a little more encouragement to get out the door. That is worth enjoying, but it is not a reason to rush past the training block we are in.

There is still one month of the winter timetable before daylight saving begins on 4 October. These remaining weeks are valuable opportunities to build strength and endurance. When the summer timetable arrives, more of the focus moves towards combinations, transitions and open-water work. Bank the foundation now so those sessions have something solid to build on.

More daylight also means more riders and more cars sharing the road. Ride predictably, communicate early and keep enough space to respond calmly. Fitness matters, but handling and awareness keep the whole group safer.

Monday, 6.15pm–7.30pm: Monday Night Squad Swim, MSAC Outdoor Pool
Tuesday, 5.45am–7.00am: Run Intervals, Albert Park Lake
Tuesday, 6.15pm–7.30pm: Wind Trainer, MSAC
Wednesday, 5.45am–7.00am: Wednesday Morning Squad Swim, MSAC Outdoor Pool
Thursday, 6.00pm–7.30pm: Run at The Tan
Friday, 5.45am–7.00am: Endurance Swim (programmed athletes), MSAC Outdoor Pool
Saturday, 6.30am–9.30am: Long Course Ride, Elwood Beach
Saturday, 7.00am–10.00am: Short Course Ride, Elwood Beach
Sunday, 8.00am–9.30am: Fairfield Long Run, Fairfield

Make the most of the strength and endurance work that remains in the winter timetable. The goal is not to squeeze in more for the sake of it. The goal is to complete the right work consistently, recover from it and carry a stronger base into the summer schedule.

Use your programmed intensity. Keep easy sessions genuinely easy. In the key sessions, hold form and technique as fatigue builds. If you are unsure whether extra work supports your program, ask your coach before adding it.

Last week we introduced the idea that race nutrition has to be trained, not simply purchased. This week Ollie and Michelle unpack the practical side in an 8 minute 42 second podcast.

The companion guide turns their conversation into a simple next-session checklist: choose one key session, decide what you are testing, record what actually happened and change only one variable at a time.

The podcast is embedded in the article, so you can listen and keep the written checklist together in one professional resource.

Strength work helps triathletes hold form, absorb training and stay durable. This guide explains how to choose useful exercises, fit them around swim, bike and run, and keep the work specific enough to support endurance training rather than compete with it.

Nicer weather brings more bikes and more cars onto the road. Before the group rolls out, refresh the habits that give everybody time to react.

• Keep your head up and scan beyond the wheel in front.
• Hold a predictable line and avoid sudden braking or direction changes.
• Point out potholes, glass and parked-car doors early, then pass the call through the group.
• Check behind before moving right and signal clearly.
• Leave more space in poor conditions, on descents and while learning to draft.

Bicycle Network has a useful refresher on group signals, calls and wheel spacing. Victoria Legal Aid also maintains a plain-English guide to road rules for bicycle riders in Victoria.

If you know you will race all five events, the full-series entry is currently $513 for the Sprint series or $306 for the Fun Tri series after the 10% member discount. The Sprint package includes Sprint at Races 1–4 and Olympic at Race 5.

If you are racing four or fewer events, are unsure about availability, or want maximum distance flexibility, individual entries with the 20% member discount are usually the better fit. For the current Sprint pricing, the five-race paths are only $3 apart, so choose based on the format and flexibility you need rather than the headline percentage.

Our 2XU codes are for Tri Alliance members and are kept with us rather than printed publicly. Email us when you are ready to enter and we will send the correct code for your option. Whichever path you choose, select Tri Alliance from the club list so your results count towards club points. Current Early Bird pricing runs until 31 October, but always check the live price before paying.

Try the Tri is a welcoming six-week program for complete beginners. The first intake begins at Elwood on 31 October and includes coached swim, bike and run sessions, skill development and race-day preparation. If a friend has been curious but unsure where to start, send them the program page.

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A different kind of swim is coming to Sorrento on Saturday 13 March 2027. Escape from Quarantine begins with a ferry ride and a jump near Quarantine Station, then follows the incoming tide 6 km back to Sorrento.

Event director Grant Siedle says the selected tide should make it feel closer to a 4–4.5 km swim, not far from a 3.8 km triathlon swim. There are age-group categories plus wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions. A post-swim party is also planned, with details to come.

This is an external event announcement, not a Tri Alliance programmed session. Entries open in October.

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Monday, 6.15pm–7.30pm: Monday Night Squad Swim, MSAC Outdoor Pool
Tuesday, 5.45am–7.00am: Run Intervals, Albert Park Lake
Tuesday, 6.15pm–7.30pm: Wind Trainer, MSAC
Wednesday, 5.45am–7.00am: Wednesday Morning Squad Swim, MSAC Outdoor Pool
Thursday, 6.00pm–7.30pm: Run at The Tan
Friday, 5.45am–7.00am: Endurance Swim (programmed athletes), MSAC Outdoor Pool
Saturday, 6.30am–9.30am: Long Course Ride, Elwood Beach
Saturday, 7.00am–10.00am: Short Course Ride, Elwood Beach
Sunday, 8.00am–9.30am: Fairfield Long Run, Fairfield

These sessions were checked against the dated live VIC timetable occurrences for 14–20 September. Always check the timetable again before leaving home in case of a late change.