Season Done. Reset Begins.

Well… that was a massive weekend.

Three races. Three locations. One very busy Tri-Alliance crew spread far and wide across St Kilda, Geelong and the Gold Coast. Safe to say, we had people everywhere and doing everything.

We don’t have a full results list just yet (there’s only so many tabs one person can have open at once 😅), but we’ll pull everything together and give it the full wrap-up it deserves in next week’s newsletter.

For now, what matters most is this:

You showed up. You raced. You finished.

Whether it was your first race or your fiftieth, whether it was smooth sailing or a grind from start to finish, you are already ahead of everyone who didn’t make it to the start line.

A quick snapshot of the weekend:

St Kilda – Race #6 (2XU Series Finale)
The final race of the local series brought everything you’d expect: fast racing, big energy, and that end-of-season buzz. The marina swim, familiar bike laps and flat run course made for a great closing chapter to the summer.

Geelong – IRONMAN 70.3
One of Australia’s iconic middle-distance races. A bay swim that can keep you honest, a fast but exposed bike, and a run along the waterfront that rewards those who paced it right. Always a tough but rewarding day out.

Gold Coast T100
A big stage, world-class racing and an incredible atmosphere. The T100 format continues to grow, and to have athletes from our squad competing up there is something pretty special.

Three very different races. One very big weekend.

🏆 The St Kilda Crew – Led by Les

Now… this next part deserves some serious recognition.

For the first time ever, both Ollie and I were unavailable across a race weekend. Not ideal timing… but what happened next is exactly what Tri-Alliance is all about.  Les stepped up. And then some.

When we say he led the weekend, we mean everything:

• Tent and infrastructure setup

• Coaching duties across the weekend

• Running the Tips & Tricks clinic

• Lock-up Saturday / Early arrival Sunday

• Supporting athletes all morning

• Racing himself

• Full pack down

• Trailer Tetris (which is basically a professional sport at this point)

• Leaving everything sorted so Ollie just had to pick up the van

Honestly… can you believe it?!?!?!?  That level of ownership, leadership and care is something pretty special.  And of course, he wasn’t alone.

A huge thank you to everyone who stepped in and made the weekend happen:

🙌 Set Up & Pack Down Legends

Saturday Crew
Naomi, Jo, Andy, Tania, Maria, Petey, Andrea, Hugh, Alissa, Jodie, Annie and the entire Try the Tri #6 crew

Sunday Crew
Amy, Andrea, Naomi, Mario, Andy, Jo, Jon, Jodie

With special mentions to:

• Narelle for holding down all things TA

• Andy, Jo and Tania for keeping TriShop running smoothly

Let’s be clear...this weekend does not happen without you.

This is exactly what makes our squad what it is.

🔄 Season Done → What Happens Next?

And just like that… the Short Course racing season is done.

Now, this is where things get important, because what we do next actually sets up everything that comes later.

If we zoom out for a second and look at our annual training cycle, it generally flows like this:

👉 Base Phase – Build consistency, technique, aerobic fitness
👉 Build Phase – Add intensity, structure and race-specific work
👉 Race Phase – Execute, perform, and compete
👉 Recovery Phase – Reset, absorb, and refresh

We’ve just come out of the Race Phase.

And that means we now move into the most underrated (but arguably most important) phase of all:

👉 Recovery

🧠 Recovery Month – The Big Picture

This year, we’re committing to a true Recovery Month across April.

This isn’t about “doing less because we’re tired.”
This is about deliberate reset.

After a full season of training and racing, your body is carrying:

• Fatigue (whether you feel it or not)

• Small niggles

• Mental load from structure and routine

If we roll straight back into hard training… we just carry all of that forward.

Instead, we:
✔ Reduce structure
✔ Reduce load
✔ Keep light consistency
✔ Create space mentally and physically

So that when we start again in May…

👉 We’re fresh
👉 We’re motivated
👉 We’re ready to build properly

🗓️ What This Looks Like (April)

We’re simplifying the week to three key sessions:

• Tuesday – Wind Trainer (MSAC)

• Thursday – Bootcamp (Elwood)

• Saturday – Ride / Brick (Elwood)

That’s it.

No swims. No overloaded schedule. No pressure to “fit everything in.”

And outside of that?  This is your chance to:

• Try something new

• Move differently

• Spend time with family

• Catch up on life

You’re still active...just not locked into the usual grind.

🔽 So Where Does This Week Fit?

Good question, because this is where it can get confusing.

👉 This week = Recovery Week
👉 Next month = Recovery Month

This week is the transition.

A soft landing.

You’ll notice:

• ❌ No Tuesday morning run

• ❌ No Hot Laps

• ✅ Reduced intensity

• ✅ More flexibility

It’s not a full shutdown, it’s just the first step in easing out of the race season.

Think of it as:
Back things off this week… before we properly reset next month.

🔁 Why This Matters

The athletes who improve year after year aren’t the ones who train the hardest all the time.

They’re the ones who:

• Train hard when it matters

• Recover properly when it matters

• Respect the cycle

This is where the gains actually lock in.

So embrace it.  Slow it down.  Freshen up.  Reset properly.

Because come May…

We go again.

🍻 End of Season Drinks

Let’s celebrate it properly.

Narelle has organised End of Season Drinks, and we’d love to see as many of you there as possible.

📍 West Beach Pavilion, St Kilda
📅 Sunday 29 March
⏰ From 3:00pm

This is a chance to:

• Celebrate the season

• Catch up with the squad

• Share stories (and probably a few war stories)

If you haven’t already, please RSVP via the Facebook event so we know numbers.

Don’t be the “I’ll just show up” person… help us plan properly 😄

✈️ A Quick Heads Up – Out of Office

From this weekend, Ollie and I will be out of office for a couple of weeks.

Perfect timing with Recovery Month.  We’ll be taking some family time to reset as well.

In our absence:
👉 Les and Greg are in charge (you’re in very good hands)

We will still have access to emails, but responses may take a little longer than usual (so… business as usual 😅).

For anything urgent:
👉 Reach out to Les or Greg directly

And if you’re not already in the Tri-Alliance Training Symposium Facebook group, now is a great time to join.

It’s the best place to:

• Stay updated

• Ask questions

• Get support from the community
  
  

🔁 Wrap Up – The Reset is the Secret

This part of the season is often underestimated.

Everyone loves racing. Everyone loves building.

But not everyone respects the reset.

This is where long-term athletes are made.

Take the break.
Enjoy the flexibility.
Stay active, but stay relaxed.

Then come May…

We build again: stronger, fresher, and ready for what’s next.

💙💛 Team TA