|
2022 2XU triathlon season done! Can you believe it? Not only did we get through a full 6 races, but we also had 5 out of 6 race days with amazing racing conditions! After the past two years of interruptions and an even longer history of races going ahead in less-than-ideal conditions (or being changed to duathlons), 2022 was actually an incredible success. And you could see that translating into growth of the triathlon community. There were more and more participants at each race, the number of new athletes kept climbing and the vibes on race day were some of the best we’ve seen! We’re thrilled with the progress and positive culture surrounding triathlon – the future seems bright. Big shoutout to the crew at O2 Events, who put together the race series. Without them, none of this is possible. And a special shoutout to all of you, who are part of the TA Family. The tent was buzzing last weekend and we are surrounded by so many supportive, dedicated, and inspiring people. You are what makes us strong! So, on to the event wrap up. What a day. There were 3080 athletes participating (and 400 in the Kids event alone), and this is by far the biggest field ever assembled at St Kilda. And we had representation is every race. From the littlest of the kiddies (thanks to Dicko & Eleesha for the schoolyard recruitment), through all distances and even the Aquabike. We know of so many of you who are thrilled to have smacked out a PB in this last event or used it as a solid train through for Port Mac, or even come out of semi-retirement to snatch a spot on the podium! Well done to each and every one of you. What a way to end the season! And some extra claps to the following who finished top 10 in their categories: SPRINT 1st – Jules 2nd – Tegan, Paul, Doug 3rd – Cuzzy, Sue, Genevieve, Lara 4th – Narelle 5th – Ellie 6th – Zoe, Riccardo, Mitch 7th – Tamara 8th – Sonya 9th – Louise, Jen 10th – Jaime
OLYMPIC 1st – Sarah, Chloe 2nd – Alice 3rd – Lauren, Maryann, Shane 4th – Michael 7th – John, Andrea 8th – Charlie 10th – Angus, Karen, Stephen
FUN 3rd – Lara, Jolien 5th – Eleesha 9th – Eugenio
AQUABIKE 5th – Les 7th – Claire
TEAMS 5th – Team Europe (Elisa, Alejandro, Marcos) And an extra mention to everyone who helped over race weekend. Whether it was tent put up or pack down, helping with the Kid's race or just making sure Head Coach was caffeinated, it all counts! And to Daniel & Narelle for supplying us all with sweet treats and to Dil & Sarah who cooked the BBQ and kept you fed.
And so now with the short course season behind us, many of you will be in recovery mode. April is traditionally a time to wind back the intensity, enjoy the social side of training and give your body some time to rest and recover from the months of race-prep. It is impossible for you to maintain this level of greatness all year round, and so you must respect the training phases. Below you will be able to read all about the purpose of such periodised programming, as well as learn how and when we move through the different phases. This also brings about some changes to our timetable (as does daylight savings). I have included a summary below and have updated it online. If in doubt, just ask and we’ll point you in the right direction.
If you haven’t quite hit recovery mode yet or are still looking for a challenge to keep you ticking over, then The Great Ocean Road & Otway Classic may be for you. We have secured a 15% discount for all our athletes. Just make sure you sign up by selecting join a group (Tri-Alliance) and it will prompt you for a password, similar to the tri series. This event takes place on the 30th of April.
Speaking of bikes...if you are in the market for a secondhand Giant TCR or GIANT Trinity (TT bike), check out these ads from Andy. We are helping to sell them on behalf of one of our members, who will be able to use the profits to purchase a tandem bike and keep him out on the road:
GIANT TCR
GIANT TRINITY And probably most importantly of all, is to start getting yourself organised for the End of Season Party! I do have to let you know that the date has changed :( The venue is only available now on the 7th May, so that will be the big night. I will keep coming back with more info, but your job is to clear your diary!
Just before you all start scrolling, let’s give a big pat on the back to all the long course athletes out there still logging kms and doing the hard yards for their upcoming races. We’re inside the final month until Port Mac and this is where it starts getting tough. If can you provide some support, some training company or even some comic relief, I know these athletes will appreciate it. You can get along to the sessions at Elwood Thursday night and Sunday morning to show them that we’re wishing them all the best for their final countdown. |
