The Reset You Didn’t Know You Needed

It feels like a bit of a changing of the guards this week.

The local race season has wrapped up, the dust has settled, and we now move into something that might feel unfamiliar to some…

👉 Recovery Month

And we want to be really clear about this.

This isn’t an accident.
This isn’t us “taking it easy.”
This is deliberate, structured, and purposeful.

Every strong training cycle follows a rhythm:

• Build
• Race
• Recover
• Rebuild

We’ve just come out of a big race block. If we don’t properly absorb that work now, we simply carry fatigue into the next phase...and that’s where stagnation happens.

We’ve had a small number of athletes question this approach. That’s okay, not everyone will always align with every decision.

But here’s the reality:

👉 The athletes who improve year after year are the ones who respect the phases
👉 The ones who don’t… tend to stay exactly where they are

We’re not here to keep people busy.
We’re here to help you get better.

And this is part of that process.

🏁 Race #6 Snapshot (Not the Full Story… Yet!)

I still haven’t had the chance to pull together the full results (holiday mode is real 😅), but I’ve gone through what we’ve got and picked out Tri-Alliance athletes who finished Top 10 in their age groups across the available categories.

As always, this isn’t exhaustive, just what we have on hand right now.

🥇 Sprint Distance – Top 10 AG

• Chase Costello-Manning – 1st (20–24)
• Chris Dixon – 1st (40–44)
• Andrew McPherson – 2nd (55–59)
• Naomi Corrie – 3rd (35–39)
• Naomi Shorman – 6th (40–44)
• Ian Jeffrey – 2nd (65–69)
• April Richardson – 8th (35–39)
• Andy Finestone – 4th (55–59)
• Bernice Ryancruse – 2nd (60–64)
  

🥇 Olympic Distance – Top 10 AG

• John Noel – 3rd (45–49)
• Patrick Gilfedder – 8th (60–64)
• Andrea Crompton – 3rd (MCO21 / Para category)

🥇 Fun Tri – Top 10 AG

• Brona Reel – 1st (40–49)

We’ll pull together a full race + series wrap when we’ve got everything in front of us.

🍻 End of Season Drinks – Done Right

A huge thank you to Narelle for organising the end-of-season drinks yesterday.

From everything we’ve seen and heard, it was a great turnout, great weather and great vibes.

These moments matter more than people realise.

The racing is one thing… but the community, connection and shared experiences are what keep people coming back year after year.  Sorry we couldn’t be there, but we’re already looking forward to the next round when we’re back!

☕ Fat April Rides (The Real MVP)

Now… let’s talk about one of the true highlights of the Tri-Alliance calendar:

👉 Saturday morning “Fat April” rides

If you’re new, this is where:

• The pace relaxes
• The pressure disappears
• The coffee stops are mandatory
• And yes… pastries are very much part of the program

This is what Recovery Month is all about.

Still moving. Still riding.
But doing it because you want to, not because it’s written in your program.

We’d love to see as many of you out there as possible.
And yes...Ollie and I will absolutely be joining a few.

💪 Thursday Bootcamp – Don’t Sleep On It

Thursday nights are getting a shake-up…

👉 Bootcamp @ Elwood is in

This replaces the usual combo session, and honestly, it’s one of the best things you can do during this phase.

Why?

Because:

• It challenges the body differently
• It builds strength you don’t get from swim/bike/run alone
• It keeps things fresh and engaging

And let’s be honest, training in a different way is exactly what most of you need right now.

Coach Greg will be there… loud, energetic, and ready for you.

🧠 Reset the Mind (Not Just the Body)

Recovery isn’t just physical.

For most of you, the bigger load you’re carrying right now is:

• Structure
• Routine
• Expectation
• Pressure

Training all year fills the bucket.

Recovery Month is where we empty it out.

Because you can’t keep pouring into something that’s already full.

This is your chance to:

• Switch off a little
• Train for enjoyment
• Reconnect with why you do this

Come May… we’ll be asking for focus again.

So now is the time to reset.

🗓️ What Recovery Month Actually Looks Like

Let’s make this really clear.

This is the structure for April:

• Tuesday – Wind Trainer (MSAC)
• Thursday – Bootcamp (Elwood)
• Saturday – Ride / Brick (Elwood)

👉 3 sessions per week

That’s enough to:
✔ Stay consistent
✔ Stay connected
✔ Stay active

And outside of that?

We encourage you to:

• Try Pilates
• Do yoga
• Walk, hike, climb
• Or just spend time doing something you haven’t had space for all season

This isn’t a step backwards.

👉 It’s a reset before the next build.

And from May…

We’re back on like Donkey Kong.

🔚 Wrap Up – Trust the Process

This part of the season always divides people.

Some embrace it.
Some resist it.

But over time, it becomes very clear who benefits.

The goal isn’t to train the most.

👉 The goal is to train consistently, intelligently, and sustainably.

So take the break.
Enjoy the shift.
Lean into something different.

We’ll be back soon enough.  And when we are…

We go again.

💙💛 Team TA