That’s 5 down and only 1 to go for the 2XU Triathlon Series and what an eventful weekend it turned out to be! To quote the head coach “this is THE worst winds I have ever seen in 20 years…ever”, and that’s saying something. It’s hard to describe to those who weren’t there just how insane the day was. Picture this…crashing waves, both into and out of the pier, flying inflatable donuts cutting a path through the swimmers, cross-winds blowing bikes from one edge of the road to the other, dust storms you could see coming from 100 metres away, an epic tailwind heading out on the run followed up with a brick wall on the return, and hanging bodies used as human sandbags to pin down flyaway tents…dramatic enough?!?! Let’s just say, a huge kudos to every athlete and supporter out there in those conditions. Read more in the weekend wrap up, including our congratulations to the podium getters in both Sprint and Fun Tris.

In this edition, we also meet a new TA member (thanks to our Ambassador's interviewing skills), we announce the EOSP venue (eeep..so excited!), Greg becomes a granddad, important housekeeping matters (time changes, windtrainer sessions, cancelled swim session) and a great article from Mizuno about the importance of posture while running.

Time to nuzzle into the couch, the bed, the banana lounge (!) with your liquid and get reading!

Drum roll please.....we are thrilled to announce that our 2018 End of Season Party will be at the fabulous Top Paddock in Church Street, Richmond!  Food lovers, party lovers, TA lovers get excited because this year is going to be the best one yet!  Tickets are going on sale very soon and these will be limited, so you'll have to get in fast!  Stay tuned for how you can secure your tickets and see out the season in style!

Huge congratulations to Grandpa Greg who celebrated the arrival of his first grandchild, a beautiful girl on Saturday night. We have never seen the General so smitten and proud sharing his news with excitement. We send our best wishes to the whole family in this happy time.  Be sure to ask Greg for some more pics - we know he is only too happy to share!

The nights are getting longer and the mornings are certainly darker.  Our 3 stooges are testament to that, having to delay Sunday morning's OW swim until the sun came up.  So now it a timely reminder to change some of our summer habits and get ready for the inevitable winter!

• Sunday morning OW swim sessions will now start at 7:30am, followed by the run at 8:30am.  Please note: your run session is your priority.  If anything needs to be sacrificed/shortened, it is NOT your run.  Amend your swim if need be, but run volume and intensity should be as per your program.
• Lights - athletes will not be able to join group ride sessions unless you have front and back lights.  And we don't mean little button lights.  We mean proper, bright, see from a mile, shine the way kind of lights.  These will get more and more important as we enter the cooler (rainy) months.    

Friendly reminder, windtrainer sessions are very busy! Firstly, you need to get there in plenty of time to set up and be ready to ride at 6.15pm. Secondly, due to high numbers, there are not always enough windtrainers to go around. Athletes who have their own windtrainer are encouraged to bring them along to sessions and if you have been thinking about getting one, now might be the time to do it! If you’re looking for a secondhand windtrainer or if you have any questions, send an email to [email protected]

We also have a whole bunch of NEW skewers (on order - we sold out too quickly so be patient while the new ones come in) - for sale only.  Existing athletes need to ensure they have the correct skewer to attend wind trainer sessions going forward.  You can purchase these from us at session with cash or card, or you can pre-purchase on the Tri Shop website prior to the session commencing.  Cost $10.

The Melbourne Grand Prix 2018 programme commences on 20th March. The Grand Prix race will be run on March 25th. As part of Race Week, Albert Park will close to the public next week.

This week, the VIS Car park is closed to the public. It will remain closed for a time after race day.  Road users should expect that Aughtie Drive will be closed for several minutes at a  time from today until the week after race day. Lakeside Drive will continue to be closed during the day and soon will close to the public.  Aughtie Walk which is the shared path between Aughtie Drive and the lake, will become increasingly congested with Grand Prix build vehicles for the next 3 weeks.

A reminder that the working hours for the Grand Prix are from 7-5 on weekdays and 9-3 on weekends.

Melbourne Water will start works to upgrade the 100 year old Brighton Main Sewer from Monday 5 March 2018.  

Changes to traffic conditions

I am an advocate of the belief that running is one of the hardest things to start and once you have started, one of the hardest things to stop. There is nothing better than travelling to a new destination, lacing up your shoes and exploring the new destination while you go for a run - TIM FORD