WEEKLY TRANSITION, SWIM, BIKE, RUN, READ…..
- WORD FROM THE COACHES
- THIS WEEKS ROUND UP & NEWS
- PRE-SEASON CAMP WRAP
- NEW TRI ALLIANCE CYCLING GEAR + SOCKS!
- HELL WEEK & FALLS CREEK CAMP
- TRAINING SESSION UPDATES
From the large amount of activity on social media over the weekend it was evident that almost everyone in the squad was out training, racing or travelling to train or race. And to make it even better the weather gods smiled on us all with plenty of warming spring sunshine from Melbourne to Queenscliff, The Great Ocean Road and up to the Sunshine Coast.
Read all about the weekends training and racing here.
The key after such a big weekend is to recover adequately with appropriate sessions alongside massage, rolling and good body maintenance – which includes plenty of sleep. Get this right and you’ll be flying once we get stuck into the speed sessions which are now filtering into the programs. If you are unsure about your recovery or still feeling flat/heavy legged please chat with a coach before your session to ensure it is appropriate for you . We had a number of athletes swimming last night who had raced hard at the weekend and this was prime for plenty of easy drills and kicking to flush the body through.
That said we do have our wind trainer (please bring your own if you have one tonight) FTP and heart rate test tonight at MSAC and run timetrials on Thursday so be ready for a couple of short spikes to see where you are at and the progress since the last round of testing 6 weeks ago. Swim time trials will be next Wednesday.
A well attended team meeting at Elwood last Thursday saw the new cycling kits get handed out alongside updates from within and outside of the club regards all things Triathlon. Race season, races and the summer program where detailed alongside body maintenance and the revisiting of goal setting. A good night and great to see many new faces.
Do not forget to order your SHOTZ products this month as you increase your training volume. We supply one of the cheapest prices on-line to ensure our members are not being disadvantaged.
NOOSA FACEBOOK GROUP We have another mass exodus from Melbourne to Noosa this year with around 50 plus athletes. If you’re coming to Noosa this year join the group and get the low down on everything that’s being planned. Remember there are several hold the dates for in Noosa, Race day TA Taj, drinks and festivities, Tri Alliance Race Day After Party, Mad Monday @ Noosa Life Saving Club and Melbourne Cup in the Sun at a venue TBC!
2.THIS WEEK’s ROUND UP, NEWS & RACING
As 25 athletes and coaches tackled the pre-season training camp in Queenscliff (read about it here) a few of our athletes travelling inter-state to race the IRONMAN 70.3 up on the Sunshine Coast. Stephen Drake completed his first half Ironman in a creditable sub six hours showing the hard work he has put in recently has been paying off. Cresseda Beale has been battling her demons in training recently but her goal was to finish and she did that – it was those Dandenong Skyhigh climbs that made the race seem easy we think! Simon Gronow was also racing taking on another half in a shade over 6 hours – well done all, recover take stock and focus on the next goal.
Down on the Ocean road Amy’s Gran Fondo was being held with a number of Tri-Alliance riding and racing different distances. A big shout to Jonney Yeates and Kat Henderson who smashed out and qualified for the UCI amature 2016 road cycling champs in WA with impressive displays on the 110k course.
This week sees the turn of Paddy, Lisa and David competing in the ITU World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Chicago. These guys had very little recovery during the winter and have been putting in plenty of hard yards over the past few months to get them peaking for their races. Good luck all and we’ll be watching and waiting to hear all about it. For race details, schedule and results click on the below link. http://chicago.triathlon.org/
For those who are still planning their racing season there are plenty of opertunities with entries now open for the Gatorade Triathlon Series 15/16. The 5 race series comprises of Sprints, Olympic Distance and mini races. Elwood and St Kilda host the Bayside races with Portarlington hosting it’s 30th anniversary race. Don’t forget Tri-Alliance members receive a 10% discount when they enter and select us as their club.
Another popular event is the Yarrawonga Mulwla Multisport Festival over the weekend of the 17th/18th October. If you are not racing the Melbourne Marathon (same weekend) then get on board for this great event. There is the flagship Olympic Distance, Sprint, Aquathon, 5 and 10k fun runs along with Kids and mini events. Swim in the freshwater of the lake and ride and run through the countryside. We will have a tent available for athletes at this race. http://www.ymmf.com.au/
Our pre-season camp down on the Bellarine Peninsula based at Camp Wyuna in Queenscliff had 25 athletes and coaches being put through their paces. This designed training spike including some race efforts will see them much stronger in a couple of weeks once recovered and adapted. Well done crew – it was indeed a testing and challenging camp for all with some achieving personal bests across ride and run for the weekend.
A couple of attendees gave us their testimonials – so if you missed out – see what they thought and maybe get on for the next camp!
“Wow, what can I say, preseason camp was for me an incredible success.
Firstly I was challenged beyond what I could have imagined, and came thru sore but unscathed. Even Though I was in the hurt locker from roll out on day 1 the training from the incredible coaches out on the course was invaluable. The other awesome thing was spending quality time with welcoming crazy people. When you see a Tri-Alliance athlete out training or racing you know you always have a friend. My advice is that if given the opportunity to attend a training camp then take it and have an awesome experience like I did” – Ash
“Heading off to the Pre-season Camp I was questioning what I had signed up for. But the weather forecast looked delightful and the itinerary looked daunting but I figured it was just one weekend and I just had to attack it head on.
After speaking to the coaches I was hitting this camp to peak in my running in preparation for the full marathon in October. And to think I was concerned I wouldn’t get my 32km long run in…. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
We arrived on Friday for a lunch time familiarisation ride to Portarlington and back before a quick 2km run off the bike before prepping for an 11km run in the afternoon along the Bellarine Rail Trail. By now we were well and truly ready for a good feed at the Queenscliff Bowling and Croquet Club. After a good carb loading dinner we headed back to camp for a briefing for Saturday, I am hoping I wasn’t the only one who harboured a few nerves.
Saturday began with a 5am rise and roll out at 6.15am for 4-5 hour ride around the roads between Queenscliff, Torquay and Portarlington, we were treated with spattering of rain and some slight hill efforts, but nothing a 20 minute run off the bike wouldn’t fix. After a good ocean soaking we enjoyed some stretching and RnR followed by a solid lunch. We saw the afternoon out with a ride or a drive to Portarlington for an open water swim at the Portarlington Pier finishing up with a long run along the coast. After a refuel and a decent coffee at the Portarlington bakery we were so ready for a parma, stretching session from Greg and an early night!
As our alarms sounded on Sunday morning I seriously questioned how my glutes were going to pull me through the super Sunday session, fuelled with my hearty pre-soaked oat creation we rolled out at 6.30am for 2 x ride and run TT efforts. Smashing ourselves out to Portarlington and back, we made friends with headwinds and hills with a 5km hard effort off the bike. Nutrition was consumed and foam rollers were abused before we headed out for the second identical TT set. Fortunately for us, the coaches were never too far away to offer a helping push to ensure that we were continuing to exceed expectations and smash our own results. Finishing that last 5km was definitely a satisfying feeling and we all but ran into the freezing cold waters of Queenscliff for a final soaking.
We started to clean our rooms and pack up our gear before signing out with a cool down recovery run/walk before we trekked back to our homes for some much needed sleep.
Thank you to coaches Ollie, Greg, Scott and Jed for your guidance, drive and encouragement, I rode 160km more than I ever have in one weekend and feel so prepared for my marathon, 4 rides, 7 runs and 1 freezing cold ocean swim and that is Pre-Season Camp done and dusted for 2015!” – Liz
Our new cycling gear is now available – 11% cheaper than our previous Elite kit. Be ready for the new season in some stylish new kit. For those who attended the Lorne camp we have contacted you with a coupon code for your order – sizes are the same as the existing Elite gear so get onto the shop and place your order.
Also in the new style we are taking pre-orders for cycling socks! We do still have some of the previous cycling gear in various sizes still available which is on special to make way for our new stock. Check out the TriShop here to see what we have.
5.HELL WEEK AND FALLS CREEK CAMP
As discussed at the team meeting our next home based training spike is Hell Week (just before Christmas) and the next Camp is Falls Creek at the beginning of January.
For those who wonder what Hell week is read about last year here – this year it will be from the 19th-27th December.
For the Falls Creek camp (1st-8th January 2016) we have a very limited number of spots so please email Scott to get your name down on the list. We will then be contacting these athletes within the next few weeks regards a deposit to lock in their place.
6.TRAINING SESSION UPDATES
Please ensure you check the calendar regularly to ensure you know where and when sessions are. This weekends highlights (please ensure you check your program or consult a coach so you attend the appropriate session and know your distances – remember you are accountable too!):
- Tuesday 15th – Wind Trainer FTP & HR set – bring hear trate monitors and watches and own WT if you have one. 6:15pm prompt start
- Thurday 17th – Run TT at MSAC (5k/10k) around Albert Park lake. 6:15pm
- Satruday 19th – Recovery Ride – Elwood Roll at 7am. Distances based on programs and abilities. From 40k to 140k. Facebook group here.
- Sunday 20th – MSAC long run with Coach Jed – 8am
- Sunday 20th – Fairfield long run with Coach Greg – 8am
When out riding please do so safely and pay attention to all the road rules and others using the road. Read on for a guide to cycling etiquette and bike road safety and ethics.
When riding on a Tri-Alliance coached road ride it is a requirement to wear team colours. This helps keep and identify the group together and provides more safety in the fact that other riders from outside the group are less likely to join in the group – we do not know them or their riding abilities.
Safe & Happy Training
Tri Alliance
