So that’s another week ticked off.  That’s one more week of base fitness for some athletes; one more week of building towards Cairns for others; and one more week of recovery for others still!  Wherever you are in your training/racing/recovery phase, know that everyone is on a different journey….a different path, so this is going to look different for each and every one of us.  What you do have to know is…. where YOU are, where YOU should be and the plan to get YOU to where you want to go.  On that note, we have been busy planning our first Team Meeting for the season, which will coincide with our annual goal setting session.  This night is super important (for all of the reasons I mentioned above) as well as helping you plan out the rest of your season, whilst receiving some valuable insight from coaches and current athletes.  We’re flagging this now as ‘Upcoming’, and as soon as we have the date locked in, we’ll let you know.  So, stay tuned! (But I’ll be within the next couple of weeks.)

It's timely that we sit down and reflect on the season that was (which proved to be quite long for some!), as we look forward to the season ahead.  We have noticed a real shift in the landscape of our season, largely due to the ever-increasing racing calendar.  No longer are we in the position where a season starts around Oct/Nov and finishes up by March, giving athletes a much-needed break, some down time and the chance to rebuild in a ‘true’ off-season.  More often, athletes are in race prep for longer periods of time, extending their seasons, hopping from one event to the next and the cycle of periodization is getting lost.  As a result, OUR calendars are also needing to shift to reflect the needs of our athletes.  It is with much disappointment that we had to make the tough decision to cancel our annual Lorne camp this year.  We simply do not have enough athletes who are ready and in a position to spike their training for their Winter build, to make this camp viable.  The nature of the beast that has grown our industry has also affected the local racing season, resulting in these changes.  That’s ok.  We know everyone has different goals to meet.  Just make sure you are training for yours….. smartly.  Tri Alliance will still be holding it’s Thailand Thanyapura camp, which is ideal for athletes with alternate racing calendars and will provide you with the boost you need to take you to the next level.  So…why not lock it in now.  See below for more details.

So as we stay a little closer to home, a little bit of housekeeping.  We know Beach Rd can get incredibly busy with cyclists.  We know that not every cyclist is educated and responsible when out on the road.  But what we also know, is that it is our responsibility to keep everyone safe and promote respectful road use when we are out on bunch rides (and when I say “our”…I mean a collective ‘our’!).  Time to lay it all out there…..if you haven’t done so already, you should have read our Road Safety and Bunch Cycling Etiquette guidelines on our website (link in article below).  At the very least, you should know basic road rules, how to ride next to other people and how to signal.  This is expected in all group rides.  We don’t need to see athletes flogging themselves down Beach Rd in the off-season and making the ride unsafe for our group and for others that we are passing.  Calm down….it’s May for goodness sakes!!!  There’s a long way to go before race time.  Above all else, just treat other road users with respect and courtesy……and don’t be THAT guy!

Ok…enough of all that.  Time for you to get a wriggle on and consume all the goodness that is the Weekly Transition.  That includes a reflection on time trials from the Ambassadors, the Weekend Wrap Up, Time Trialling and the change to Thursday night this week, a call for Run Melbourne athletes, seeking writer’s input, a few bits and pieces for sale and a huge discount off an AVOW and Rivet helmets at Giant South Yarra!  Where to start first?!?  Get on with it…..read on!

Over the winter months and leading into the main race season, we concentrate on technique, strength and endurance. Time trials give you an indication of how your strength training is progressing and you should expect to see consistency over time or some improvement. For some of you there will be major gains and for others there will be some minor improvements.  You cannot expect to PB every time you time trial, however, you should take note of your result, performance, perceived effort and recovery to measure your progress. 

Remember, these phases of our training are all about building your expertise, strength, endurance and technique, to get you to the start line where you really do want to swim, bike or run your PB. It’s no good being a star on the training track and then leaving it all behind come race day!

As with the swim and bike (FTP), run time trials are held every 6 weeks over the Winter training block.  This session is run around the Albert Park Lake walking track (approx 4.7kms), rain, hail or shine!  If you're not sure why it's important to time trial, make sure you go back and read the segment above - no skipping over it this time!

Meet inside MSAC main reception by Lakeside Sports Medicine, ready to begin the warm up at 6pm.

Suggested Distances:

Long Course athletes – 10kms

Short Course athletes – 5kms

New/Beginner athletes 1-2kms

Get yourself a timed run this week that you can use as a benchmark to rack your progress over the season.  It's more important than you probably realize.  Remember, it's just you against the clock - no one else cares  

Run Melbourne is happening again this year on Sunday 29th July in and around our beautiful city.  This event hosts a 21km half marathon, 10km and 5km run.  It's well-placed to give you a small goal to aim for, build in some race prep and to keep you motivated over Winter.  So.....we want to know who's in?  It's so much more fun training in a group, so we want to get these happening.  Also, did you know that you can also have a specific run program attached to your profile to help you meet your goals?  So if you're planning on hitting the pavement in Run Melbourne, shoot me an email so we can get a little #squadgoals happening!  

Do you have a passion for triathlon, health and well-being? Are you good at writing? Do you like to share things with others? Then you're exactly what we're looking for! We're looking for members to contribute to our newsletter, by providing content that you think others would enjoy. Maybe you have read/seen something recently that interested you? Maybe you have some expertise in an area? Maybe you've been to an event, completed a recent race or have a story worth sharing? We are keen to hear form people who'd like to support our community by working collaboratively and sharing their knowledge, experience or words of wisdom with everyone!   

We've heard of some Tri Alliance gear that's up for grabs at the moment.  A couple of days ago a former athlete posted this to our FB page:
1 x long leg warmers (2014 design) $15
1 x arm warmers (2014) $10 
Tri-suit (2014 design worn maybe 5 times) $30
2 x Caps $5 each
If you want anything, get in touch with Mich Pasmanik (we know some of these items are well sought after!)

And out friend Emma will be off to the Navy before we know it and is looking to find a home for her bike bag:
"In good condition, bought 2016 $850. Price neg $400-$450?"
Get in touch with Emma King for more details

Looking to get yourself into the best gear around?  Look no further than GIANT South Yarra, who this week have some pretty slick deals for our Tri Alliance athletes.  First up is the 2017 LIV Avow Advanced Pro 0.
"PERFECT FIT, EASE OF ADJUSTMENT AND AERODYNAMICS CREATE AN UNSTOPPABLE TRIFECTA IN THE WORLD’S FIRST TRULY WOMEN’S-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE TRIATHLON BIKE".