From Brighton to Busselton

Well, THAT was a weekend.

Here in Melbourne, we wrapped up 2025’s final 2XU race of the year with conditions that can only be described as classic Melbourne chaos:
Beautiful sunshine ➝ wild Saturday rain ➝ early morning winds ➝ and then, magically, a picture-perfect race day.

The swim? A washing machine.
The back section? “Character-building.”
The kids’ course? An extreme sport in its own right.

And yet, you all showed up. You raced. You adapted. You proved once again that Tri-Alliance athletes are built for the unpredictable.

A special shout-out to our podium girls who absolutely crushed it:

• 🥇 Brona – 1st place

• 🥇 Andrea – 1st place

• 🥇 Zee – 1st female overall

• 🥈 Bernice – 2nd place

And a HUGE thank you to our superstar volunteers who kept the show running smoothly:
Les, Tanya, Amy, Janine, Casey, Bernice, Maria, Laura, John, Mario, Andrea, Alissa and Henry
We finished early both days (unheard of), because of YOU.

That wraps the 2XU Series for 2025! Enjoy the break, recharge, and get ready for Race #3 at St Kilda on Jan 11. It’ll be here faster than you think.

🌊 Busselton: Beauty, Brutality & Big Efforts

Across the country, our Busselton crew battled one of the most iconic, and deceptively tough, race courses in Australia.

Ironman Western Australia is known for:
✔ Glass-flat turquoise water
✔ A long, fast swim
✔ Coastal winds that always pick a favourite
✔ A flat but mentally punishing bike
✔ And a marathon that tests every decision you’ve made in the last six months

Ironman 70.3 WA shares the same scenic beauty… and the same reality:
These races are NOT for the faint-hearted.
Not for the unprepared.
Not to be underestimated.
You only get out what you put in.

And despite a few hurdles along the way, every athlete who toed the line dug deep and covered the distance. That in itself is something to be proud of.

Here are the Tri-Alliance results:

⭐ IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia

• James Robertson – completed IM 70.3 Western Australia in 6:10:11
  Finishing 32nd out of 51 men in his age group.
  (Swim 41:52 | Bike 2:48:17 | Run 2:26:12)

• Jen Ashman – completed IM 70.3 Western Australia in 7:15:20
  Finishing 12th out of 17 women in her age group.
  (Swim 42:05 | Bike 3:18:14 | Run 2:54:58)
  

• Doug Ashman – completed IM 70.3 Western Australia in 7:18:01
  Finishing 2nd out of 2 men in his age group.
  (Swim 44:19 | Bike 3:27:05 | Run 2:46:30)

• Jo-Ellen Wood-Rich – Covered the full 70.3 distance in 8:57:13
  Not officially classified due to the cut-off, but she finished every kilometre, and that takes courage, grit and heart.
  (Swim 1:04:31 | Bike 3:54:07 | Run 3:42:09)
  
  

⭐ IRONMAN Western Australia (Full Distance)

• Steven Baxter – completed the full Ironman Western Australia in 13:30:46
  Finishing 67th out of 103 men in his age group.  
  (Swim 1:14:31 | Bike 6:12:52 | Run 5:22:25)

• Juliet Cooper – completed the full Ironman Western Australia in 15:24:07
  Finishing 13th our of 15 in her age group.
  (Swim 1:42:21 | Bike 7:29:30 | Run 5:57:30)

Ironman isn’t just an event, it’s an experience, a lesson, a physical and emotional reckoning.
Well done to our Busselton legends for stepping into the arena and giving it everything. 💛

⭐ Additional Annual Member Results

While they weren’t training under the TA program this time around, we also want to acknowledge a few of our Annual Members who lined up in Busselton and put together fantastic performances. Being part of our community means celebrating your achievements wherever your training takes you.

IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia

• Sri Iyer – 5:47:24

• Joey Vessey – 5:29:44

IRONMAN Western Australia (Full Distance)

• James Tyler – 11:50:11

• Monty Cooper – 13:47:13

A massive well done to all of you. No matter the path, covering these distances is always a milestone worth recognising.

🔥 Hell Week Is Coming… Prepare Yourself

It’s nearly time.

Hell Week 2025 kicks off Saturday 20 December, and for one glorious, sweaty, chaotic, character-shaping week, Elwood Beach becomes your home.

For those who need a refresher (or a warning), Hell Week is:

• All sessions at Elwood

• A test of consistency

• A mental battle disguised as a training block

• A fantastic way to gain fitness, confidence and resilience heading into the new year

• Something we highly recommend you don’t wing

Full guide here (worth reading!):
https://vic.tri-alliance.com/guide-hell-week/

🔥 Hell Week Ride Ready

And to prep the new crew, Coach Les dropped this into the FB group:

“I’ll be running group riding essentials at Hot Laps for the next two Thursdays.
It’s all about learning to ride safely together — no high speeds, no pressure — just skills, confidence, and coffee at MSAC afterwards.
If we’re lucky, Gaz might even join in.”

If you’re new, nervous, or rusty = GO.
If you’re experienced = GO and help others.

🧘‍♂️ Recovery Week (Yes, Again… and Yes, It Matters)

This week is Recovery Week, which means:

• ❌ No Tuesday morning run

• ❌ No Thursday morning Hot Laps (but skills session with Les available)

• ❌ No Friday morning swim (12 Dec) — MSAC swim champs

• ❌ No Monday night swim (15 Dec) — MSAC swim champs

Why? Because your body needs it.

Recovery isn’t a reward...it’s a requirement.
It closes the loop on your training cycle so you can come back stronger for the next build.

If you skipped sessions last week, you may feel like you don’t need recovery…
But your body disagrees.
Stick to the cycle. It works.

✅ Wrap Up

From Brighton chop to Busselton grit, from windy rides to Ironman marathons, you’ve shown once again what this squad is made of.

Use Recovery Week to recharge.
Use Hell Week to rebuild.
Use 2025’s final stretch to step into 2026 stronger than ever.

just keep showing up.

💛 Team TA