The timing matters. Monday closes August, then September begins our Strength/Endurance/Speed phase. We are not throwing away the aerobic base or strength developed through winter. We are keeping that foundation and beginning to layer in more speed and threshold work as Melbourne’s triathlon season moves closer.

The best way to arrive at the new phase is fresh enough to execute it. Recovery this week is part of preparing for what comes next.

There is no coached Tuesday morning run or Friday morning endurance swim during Recovery Week.

• Keep easy work genuinely easy and finish sessions feeling as though you could do more.
• Prioritise sleep, regular meals and enough carbohydrate to support the sessions that remain.
• Use the quieter week to check equipment, replace worn essentials and remove avoidable friction before the next block.
• Do not make up missed Build Week volume. Fitness comes from the pattern of stress and recovery, not from cramming.

The goal is to begin the September phase ready to handle quality, not still carrying fatigue from August.

That does not mean every session becomes hard. The phase works because aerobic endurance, strength, technique, quality intensity and recovery each retain a clear purpose. We are building a more race-ready athlete without losing the foundation that makes faster work sustainable.

Your individual program may not look identical to the athlete beside you. Race date, training history, current load and event distance all shape the prescription. Follow CoachingMate and ask the coaching team when you are unsure which part of the phase applies to you.

Speed and threshold sessions are exciting because the feedback is immediate. You see the pace, power or heart rate rise. But those sessions only work when they sit on top of endurance, technique and strength. That is what the winter program has been building.

Do not confuse the arrival of faster work with permission to race every session. Easy training still supports recovery. Technique still matters when intensity rises. Strength still protects your ability to hold form. The objective is to execute the prescribed quality well, then recover so you can repeat it.

This Recovery Week gives us the space to make that transition properly. Use it, then be ready to train with purpose in the block ahead.

Renee Camilleri also delivered a fantastic result at the Brighton Beach Half Marathon. She finished in an official 2:00:19, with Strava recording a new half-marathon best effort of 1:59:36. A brilliant PB and a well-earned milestone.

James “Robbo” Robertson was also due to race in Sydney but had to withdraw at the last minute because of circumstances beyond his control. We are gutted for him and sending him our best. As Robbo says, “it is what it is”. His health and wellbeing come first.

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What are you building towards this spring?

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There is no coached Tuesday morning run or Friday morning endurance swim during Recovery Week.

These sessions were checked against the dated live VIC timetable for 31 August–6 September. Always check the timetable again before leaving home in case of a late change.