Build Week #2: The Second Brick 🧱
Welcome to another new week, team.
If Build Week #1 was about laying the first brick, then Build Week #2 is about doing the very glamorous, very underrated work of laying the next one. Not as dramatic. Not as shiny. Not the sort of thing that gets a stirring movie soundtrack. But it is exactly where good athletes are made.
The first week of a build block is often full of good intentions. Everyone is fresh from recovery, spirits are high, training bags are packed, and someone has probably convinced themselves they are now a morning person. Week #2 is where we find out whether those good intentions can become good habits.
This week is not about suddenly becoming heroic. It is about finishing the build week properly. That means showing up, executing the key sessions, keeping the easy work easy, fuelling properly, sleeping like it is part of the program, and resisting the temptation to add a little extra just because someone else looked strong on Strava.
| The second brick matters because it proves the first one was not a fluke. |
Next week we move toward recovery week, and that is important. Recovery is not the week where training stops mattering. It is the week where your body gets the chance to bank the work you have done. So this week, finish the block with purpose. Not panic. Purpose.
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The 10% Rule: Good Intentions, Bad Decisions ⚠️
Last week we touched on one of the sneakiest training mistakes: not laziness, but enthusiasm in the wrong direction. Getting swept up in somebody else's session. Adding more because you feel good. Chasing a wheel, a pace, a number, or a group that is not actually your session for the day.
That is where the 10% Rule becomes more than a neat coaching phrase. It is a reminder that fitness needs progression, not sudden leaps. The body adapts beautifully when we ask it to do a little more, consistently. It gets grumpy when we ask it to do a lot more, all at once, because our confidence briefly got louder than our common sense.
The full article is now live and it is worth reading properly, especially as we move through the second half of this build block and into recovery week. It unpacks how good intentions can become injuries, why the problem often starts in group environments, and how to make better decisions without losing the benefits of squad training.
| Key message: the right session is not always the hardest session. It is the session that fits your program, your body, and your long-term goal. |
We have written this newsletter as though the podcast is embedded in the article too, so jump in and read or listen when you get a quiet moment. It is a good one to revisit before a weekend ride, a long run, or any session where you know you might be tempted to do a little more than prescribed.
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Why Hills? Winter Strength on Two Wheels 🚴
We had a great question during the week about weekend rides when the program says "hills". We love that. An athlete reading their program, thinking about the purpose of a session, and asking how to execute it properly is exactly what we want.
As we move into a strength block, beginning with the bike, hills become one of our best tools. Climbing builds functional strength without turning every session into a maximal effort. It teaches you how to apply pressure smoothly, hold form when the road tilts upward, and pace effort over time instead of burning matches too early.
For seasoned athletes, this is familiar territory. You know the climbs, you know the routes, and you know that the Dandenongs have a way of keeping everyone honest. For newer athletes, especially those entering their first winter strength block, the message is different: you do not do the advanced athletes' hills just because they are there. Remember the 10% Rule. Your hills will build up. Yes, we said it.
What hills buildStrength, torque, climbing rhythm, controlled pacing, bike handling and confidence under load. |
| What hills are notA licence to chase every wheel, skip progression, ride beyond ability, or turn a strength session into a survival story. |
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This Weekend's Rides 🗓️
There are two ride options this weekend. Please choose the ride that matches your program, experience and current ability. Riding the right session well is always better than surviving the wrong one.
Intermediate / Advanced Ride: Hills Dandenongs
Winter strength training on two wheels. The Dandenongs are where strong cyclists are made, and this ride is designed for intermediate and advanced athletes building functional cycling strength, climbing efficiency and endurance.
Meet: North Point Cafe
Departure: 6:30am
Suitable for: Intermediate and advanced athletes only
Bring: two bottles with electrolytes, spare tubes, tyre levers and CO2/pump, nutrition for your ride duration, mobile phone and money. Lights and Tri-Alliance cycling kit are compulsory.
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Short Course / First Winter Strength Block: Mordialloc
This ride is for athletes newer to winter training, developing cycling fitness, or tackling a structured strength block for the first time. The focus is not speed. The focus is strength, technique, consistency and confidence in a group environment.
Meet: Attenborough Park Car Park, Nepean Highway, Aspendale
Suitable for: Short course athletes and those building confidence through winter riding
Bring: nutrition and hydration for your ride duration, spare tubes, tyre levers and CO2/pump, mobile phone, money and clothing for the conditions. Tri-Alliance cycling kit is mandatory.
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Athletes should ride within their ability, look after fellow riders throughout the session, and check their training program for any route or workout instructions. Climb strong now, and you will thank yourself when race season arrives.
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FTP Testing: You Cannot Manage What You Do Not Measure 📊
Tomorrow, most athletes will see an FTP test on the program for the wind trainer session. If you head along to MSAC tomorrow night, Les will administer it and you can tick it off in ideal conditions. If you are doing it on your own... good luck. We say that with love.
An FTP test is essentially a controlled way of measuring your current cycling threshold. It gives us a useful benchmark for setting training zones and tracking progress. It is similar in spirit to a time trial: not because we need every session to feel like a race, but because data helps us coach properly.
Without measurement, athletes often guess. They ride easy days too hard, hard days not hard enough, and then wonder why improvement feels random. With a current FTP number, your training becomes more specific. Your strength work, endurance work and intensity all sit in the right place.
| Testing is not about judgement. It is about information. Use the number, learn from it, then train smarter. |
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Run Melbourne Volunteers Needed 🙌
We received a note from Jared at Sole Motive during the week about a volunteer opportunity for Run Melbourne on Sunday 19 July 2026 at Melbourne Park.
They are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help bring the event to life. It is a great way to be part of Melbourne's running community from the other side of the fence, soak up the race-day atmosphere, and support one of the city's favourite running events.
As a thank you, volunteers can choose either a 20% in-store Sole Motive discount code or an entry code to a future event valued up to $80.
Run Melbourne 26 volunteer info flyer
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Good Luck: VIC Duathlon Series Race 1 🏁
A big good luck to everyone lining up for Race 1 of the VIC Duathlon Series this weekend. It is at Calder Park on Sunday 28 June 2026, kicking off the series at a brand new venue.
Athletes will take on the fast, smooth National Circuit and the iconic Thunderdome, the only purpose-built superspeedway in the Southern Hemisphere. With racing for all ages and abilities, including the series' only draft legal event, it should be a high-speed opener.
| Duathlon tips: warm up properly, do not sprint the first run like someone has stolen your bike, settle quickly on the bike, keep your cadence smooth, and be ready for the second run to feel a little rude for the first few minutes. |
Prepare like it is a triathlon without the swim. Check your gear, know the course flow, practise your run-bike-run transition, and make sure your shoes, helmet, race belt and nutrition are organised before race morning. The calmer you are in transition, the more energy you keep for racing.
Most importantly, race your own race. The first run sets the tone, the bike rewards control, and the second run rewards patience. Go well, team. We will be cheering from the sidelines and from afar.
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THE WEEK AHEAD - SESSION OVERVIEW
- Monday PM - Squad Swim @ MSAC (6.15pm start)
- Tuesday AM - Run session @ Albert Park Lake (6am start)
- Tuesday PM - FTP WT session @ MSAC (6pm arrival)
- Wednesday AM - Squad Swim @ MSAC (5.45am start)
- Thursday AM - Hot Laps @ Albert Park Lake (uncoached session)
- Thursday PM - Run session @ The Tan (6pm start)
- Friday AM - Endurance Swim @ MSAC (5.45am programmed athletes)
- Saturday - Road Ride from North Rd (6:30am) or Mordialloc (7am roll out)
- Sunday - Long Run @ Fairfield (8am start)
Friday AM: let's build this one
Our first Friday morning endurance swim was quieter than we wanted, and we know how much work goes into preparing a quality coached session. If you are a programmed athlete, please make the effort to get there this week.
Friday mornings are a great chance to bank an extra swim, build endurance through winter, and support the coach and squad energy. Set the alarm, pack your gear Thursday night, and help us make this session worth showing up for.
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Finish the block well 💙💛
This week is about doing the work that sets up next week's recovery. Climb smart, test honestly, race well if you are racing, and keep making decisions that your future self will thank you for.
See you out there,
Team TA
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