Race Week, Take Two!

And Summer… Sort Of?

It’s the start of another week which can only mean one thing: it’s newsletter time, and more importantly… it’s RACE WEEK (again)!

This Sunday we roll into Race #2 of the 2XU Triathlon Series, hosted at the ever-scenic but deceptively spicy Green Point, Brighton. If you haven’t raced this course before, here’s your friendly PSA:
It. Is. Not. Elwood.

The swim can get a little punchy, the bike course has enough “texture” to keep you honest, and the run route will take you along trails, down to beach level, and back up again just to test your legs (and your vocabulary). In other words? It’s proper triathlon terrain and an awesome chance to push yourself a little more than usual.

If you’re racing: brilliant.
If you’re not: come down anyway. Cheer, volunteer, yell loudly, wave a cowbell.  The TA vibe at Brighton is always huge.

And please make sure you’re registered under Tri-Alliance when entering.
🔹 Discounted entry for you
🔹 Points for our club total
🔹 A stronger squad presence on race day
Win-win-win.

🏊‍♂️ Ironman & 70.3 Western Australia – Go Get It, Team!

It’s a massive Sunday across the country because Busselton is also hosting Ironman Western Australia & Ironman 70.3 WA, both run on the same iconic course under the shadow of the Busselton Jetty.

We’ve got several athletes making the long-haul west to test themselves over the big distances.
Long-course racing is a whole different beast.  It requires discipline, patience, laser-focused endurance and a willingness to dig deeper than you ever thought possible. We’re incredibly proud of everyone lining up in Busso this weekend.

Whether you’re chasing a PB, chasing a finish, or chasing the version of yourself you’ve been working toward all year...you’ve earned your start line.

Go well, go brave, and know that the whole TA crew is behind you.

🌦️ Weather Report: Still Unpredictable. Always Character-Building.

Welcome to Summer!*
*Terms and conditions apply. Summer may not look or feel like summer. Melbourne may continue doing whatever it wants.

Day 1 of Summer greeted us with cold rain, grey skies, and a general sense of betrayal, perfectly reinforcing the point we’ve been making for weeks now:

Train for all conditions so that race day conditions don’t rattle you.

The weather is unpredictable, the bay is unpredictable, and some days your legs are unpredictable too. Flexibility + preparation + resilience = the triathlete superpower trio.
If you can train through a Melbourne Spring, you can race through anything.

📈 Build Week #2 — Lock It In

We’re rolling into Build Week #2, which is where the magic gets cemented.

Week 1 sets the tone.
Week 2 reinforces it.
Week 3 delivers the reward.

This is the week where consistency counts most. Momentum gets strengthened. Fitness gets layered. Habits get locked in. And if you dipped a little during last week’s chaos (yes, the weather discouraged several of you, we saw that)… this is your time to get back on track.

Tuesday morning run is ON.
Thursday Hot Laps are ON.
Race day is coming whether you’re ready or not.  So let’s make sure you are ready.

❌ Sweat Testing – On Pause

We didn’t quite get the numbers needed for the Sweat Test night with MX3, so we’ll park that opportunity until the new year.
Don’t worry, it’ll return when everyone’s brains aren’t melted by Christmas shopping lists and end-of-year chaos.

🧠 Mini Motivation: Control the Controllables

If Race #1 taught us anything, it’s this: perfect conditions are a myth.
Storms roll in. Swims get cancelled. Courses change. Bays turn brown. Puddles become small oceans. And triathletes?
We adapt. Every. Single. Time.

This weekend in Brighton (and over in Busselton) your mindset will matter as much as your fitness.

A few truths to keep in your back pocket:

✔ You can’t control the weather — but you can control your preparation.
Pack the extras. Test the gear. Know the course. Be ready for plan A, B and C.

✔ You can’t control what the race throws at you — but you can control how you respond.
Frustration burns energy. Flexibility builds resilience. Choosing composure is a skill.

✔ You can’t control who shows up — but you can control how you show up.
Show up prepared. Show up focused. Show up proud of the work you've put in.

Racing isn’t about perfection.
It’s about problem-solving at speed… and staying calm while the world around you gets soggy, windy, wavy or weird.

Whatever this Sunday brings, be adaptable, be brave, and back yourself.
You’ve trained for this more than you think. 💛🏊‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♂️

🧭 Guide Needed...Can You Help Support a Fellow Athlete?

We’ve had a really special request come through from two new members joining our upcoming Try-the-Tri #5 program at Elwood.

Daniel is vision impaired and an incredibly accomplished athlete.  He’s completed fun tris, marathons, and even developed his own open-water navigation app to help him train independently in the bay. Pretty extraordinary stuff. He’ll be joining the program with Yajie, but to ensure both of them get the most out of their training (and so Yajie can focus on her own sessions too), Daniel is hoping to connect with a sighted guide for:

• Some of the Try-the-Tri training sessions, and/or

• Race day at Elwood

He runs with a short tether, rides a tandem, and in the water uses his navigation app, but having a guide alongside him in open water is essential for safety, accuracy, and race conditions.

We are putting the call out to the Tri-Alliance community:

👉 If you’ve ever considered guiding, or you’re interested in helping Daniel train and race, please hit reply or email [email protected].

No pressure, no expectation...just an opportunity to support a fellow athlete and give someone the chance to race with confidence and independence. Anyone who has guided before knows how rewarding it is.

We’ll also share more details once the program starts, and Les will be leading most of the open-water sessions, ensuring course layouts are clear and predictable so Daniel can set up his app beforehand.

Let’s rally around our community the way we always do. 💛

✅ Wrap-Up

Race Week is here again. Brighton awaits. Busso awaits. Summer might arrive soon.
The season is rolling, momentum is building and the squad energy is lifting.

So, whether you’re racing, training, supporting, or slowly convincing yourself to enter Race #3…
keep showing up.
keep doing the work.
keep building the foundation that your race-day self will rely on.

💛 Team TA