A Well-Earned Long Weekend

It’s Build Week #1, but today is also Labour Day in Victoria, so most of us have enjoyed a well-timed long weekend and a rare Monday without a structured squad session.

These public holidays always create a funny rhythm in Melbourne. Training schedules loosen slightly, people travel, the weather shifts, and suddenly the structure of the week feels a little different.

But as we all know… that doesn’t last long.

The sessions kick back into gear tomorrow morning with the run session in St Kilda, and with that comes the familiar rhythm of early alarms, head torches, and the steady grind of getting the work done.

Build weeks are where momentum happens. They’re not glamorous. They’re not easy. They’re the weeks where consistency quietly stacks up in the background.

You don’t remember every interval or every swim set.  But come race day, you’re very glad you did them.

So, enjoy the final hours of the long weekend… and then tomorrow morning we get back to work.

🇳🇿 Ironman New Zealand Weekend – Taupō Delivers Again

This weekend the endurance world turned its attention to Taupō, New Zealand, home of Ironman New Zealand and Ironman 70.3 New Zealand.

This event is one of the longest running Ironman races in the world, first held back in 1985, and it’s famous for its incredible community atmosphere and honest race course.

The race begins with the swim in Lake Taupō, a freshwater lake known for its crystal-clear water and calm surface. It’s usually a fair swim, but the cool temperatures and nerves of race morning make it feel a little longer than the numbers suggest.

The bike course rolls through rural countryside with long exposed stretches that test patience and pacing. It’s not brutally mountainous, but it’s rarely flat either.  The type of course that rewards athletes who respect their power and manage their effort.

The run course hugs the lakefront, giving athletes incredible views but also reminding them exactly how far they still have to go. It’s a mentally honest run where good pacing early pays dividends later.

Taupō has a reputation for being fair, scenic and community driven, and once again the event delivered a fantastic weekend of racing.

And of course, we had our own athletes right in the middle of it.

🔵 Our Athletes in Action

Jen Ashman

Jen executed a fantastic race and did exactly what every athlete hopes to do on race day... trust the plan.

She followed Ollie’s race strategy, stayed disciplined throughout the event, and finished not only completing the race but exceeding expectations and setting a new PB over the 21.1km run distance.

That’s what happens when preparation meets execution.

Outstanding racing, Jen.

Doug Ashman

Doug unfortunately had his race cut short after being pulled from the swim when he began feeling breathless early in the event.

Anyone who has raced long course knows how much preparation goes into getting to the start line. Doug had trained well, even swimming part of the course earlier in the week without issue, and was ready for a strong day.

Sometimes races simply don’t unfold the way we plan. It’s never easy walking away from a race you’ve prepared so hard for, but the start line itself represents months of dedication and work.

Doug will absolutely be back.

James Robertson

Robbo continued to show the consistency and determination that endurance racing demands.

Taupō is never an easy day out, but James stayed composed across the swim, bike and run and added another strong race performance to his resume.

Solid racing and another great experience banked.

Andy & Jo Wood-Rich

Andy has been on what can only be described as an international endurance tour lately.

In the space of three weekends he raced in three different countries, completing multiple endurance events and collecting a stack of medals along the way. For most people that schedule would sound impossible. For Andy it seems to be just another month of racing.

This time in Taupō he wasn’t alone.

Andy teamed up with Jo to compete together in the 70.3 New Zealand team event, crossing the finish line as a team and adding another memorable experience to their endurance adventures.

As Andy put it himself, none of these events happen without the support of those around us, and this one was truly a team effort.

Three weekends.
Three countries.
Four medals.

Not bad at all.

James Margenberg

James quietly went about his business in Taupō, putting together a solid and disciplined race across the full Ironman distance.

Ironman rewards patience and consistency more than anything else, and James showed both across the long day of racing. Finishing an Ironman in Taupō is something every athlete remembers, and James can now add that achievement to his list.

Huge effort getting the job done on an honest course.

Ashley Purcell

Ashley summed up his day perfectly, an extremely tough course and one of the hardest races he’s done.

Not every race unfolds the way we expect, but Ironman has a way of revealing something deeper. Ashley dug in when things got tough and displayed exactly what the sport is about: grit, determination and the refusal to stop when both body and mind start asking the question.

As Ashley said himself: “I still finished.”

And sometimes, that’s the most Ironman sentence there is.

Mario Staffieri

Now for one of the standout performances of the entire weekend.

Mario delivered an exceptional race in Taupō, putting together a composed swim and bike before absolutely lighting up the marathon.

Running a fast marathon at the end of an Ironman is no small feat.  Doing it well enough to secure a qualification slot for the Ironman World Championships in Kona is something truly special.

Kona qualification represents years of consistent training, discipline and resilience. It’s one of the highest achievements in long course triathlon and something every Ironman athlete dreams about.

Mario’s performance in Taupō earned him exactly that.

A phenomenal race.
A phenomenal marathon.
And now - Kona awaits.

Huge congratulations, Mario.

⏳ The Countdown

Watching Ironman racing always lights a spark.

And if it did for you this weekend, here’s a reminder of what’s coming:

Race #6 St Kilda – Sunday 22 March
⏱ 1 week + 6 days

IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong – Sunday 22 March
⏱ 1 week + 6 days

Gold Coast T100 Festival – 21–22 March
⏱ 1 week + 5–6 days

The season is moving quickly now.

No more “I’ll start next week.”
Next week is here.

🏎️ F1 Aftermath: Session Locations This Week

The Formula 1 Grand Prix may have wrapped up over the weekend (still gutted for Oscar), but the infrastructure around Albert Park is still being dismantled, which means we’re continuing with our adjusted training locations this week.

Here’s where you need to be.

Monday Night Swim

Not scheduled this week due to the Labour Day public holiday.

No coached sessions tonight.

🏃 Tuesday Morning Run – St Kilda West

We’ll again meet along Beaconsfield Parade.

📍 Park in Pier Road (St Kilda West)
📍 Meet at Pier Rd & Beaconsfield Parade
⏰ 5:45am start

🚴 Tuesday Night Wind Trainer – Elwood

Les will run the session outdoors next to the Elwood Life Saving Club.

⏰ Setup from 6:00pm
⏰ Session begins 6:15pm

Bring your own wind trainer, as Les’s units are already allocated to the TTT athletes.

Weather dependent (check the FB group if conditions look questionable).

🌅 Wednesday & Friday Open Water Swim – Elwood

With the warm weather this week there should be no excuses for skipping these sessions.

📍 Elwood Life Saving Club
⏰ 6:15am bands
🌊 6:30am swim

These sessions will go ahead if EPA water quality is Good or Fair, but not if it drops to Poor, so keep an eye on the FB group for updates.

Sunrise swims in the bay are one of the best sessions of the week.  Come along and start the day properly.

🧴 Silic 15 – Back in Stock

We’ve heard from a few athletes that Silic 15 has been difficult to find lately, and if you’ve ever run out right before a race you’ll understand the mild panic that follows.

For endurance athletes, Silic 15 is one of those unsung essentials. Long rides, long runs, wetsuit swims, hot weather racing...friction becomes a real issue when you’re moving for hours.

We currently have stock available in TriShop, so if you’re running low, jump online and place an order.

Ollie can bring it along to a session for you.

One less thing to worry about on race morning.

📱 Coachly – Athletes Wanted

Lots of athletes reached out last week, which is great to see.

Ollie is continuing to explore Coachly, a new training and community platform designed specifically for endurance athletes and coaches.

Before we make any decisions, we’d like to have a group of athletes help test some of the new features and provide feedback.

If you enjoy exploring training tech, apps and data, and are happy to share your experience, reach out to Ollie.

It’s a chance to help shape how our training community evolves.

🔁 Wrap-Up

A long weekend.
An incredible weekend of Ironman racing.
And now the season continues to build.

Whether you raced in Taupō, watched the coverage, or are gearing up for your own start line soon, remember that endurance sport rewards consistency more than anything else.

Show up.
Do the work.
Trust the process.

And we’ll see you tomorrow morning.

💙💛 Team TA