Weekly Transition 1 September 2011

Word from the coaches….
Spring is definitely in the air! What a great time of the year it is to be training, particularly for those who have braved the cold winter months. I believe some athletes may already be sporting some nice cycling tans lines too! (Just don’t let the Zoolander know!)

Time trials have all be done and dusted for another month and we had some fantastic results in all disciplines. Those who have trained consistently, following the program and coaches advice are the ones getting results, so well done all.  To check out your time trial results you can find them as you log into the athletes section under the OLD training section: Programs > Training > Global Access Files > Time Trial Results August 2011. Some impressive results include:
Swim Time Trials
Some big movers in the pool this month. Our swim coaches must be doing something right! Ryan Bourke smoked his first 500m TT back in the pool after a lay off and proves that he is going to land himself on the podium again this year, Des Minton also continues his fantastic improvement in the pool along with Brad Campbell, Tim Grant and Any Jones. Emma Donati continues her great work in the pool shaving off more time, with a number of other girls hitting solid times and PB’s including Kris Banks-Smith, Lee Bethune and Meghann Blakemann.
Of our long course athletes taking on the 1km TT, Daniel Brueckner continues to drop his already solid swim time, Brad Riddington also posting a solid PB. Of the girls, Kellie Williams swam solid considering she has been out of the pool for the last month sick, still managing to post the 2nd fastest time overall and Lisa Domineguez proved her hard work is paying off.
Great work also by our beginner swimmers Michelle Reckermann, Nola MacGregor, Lidia Ursini, Amnon Trebish, Alison McGorlick, Howard Barton, Anthony Churchward (and more!) who continue not just to shave seconds off their times but minutes!
Bike Time Trials
Geoff Taylor & Sarah Grove holding the fastest male and female bike TT’s, with Ryan Bourke, John-Paul Collins, Frank Crifo, Jon Knox, Tori Carrol, Emma Donati and Anthony Churchward also posting impressive times.
Nathan Sims looses his mantel as the fastest 20km TT while he is away working at the Athletics world championships, with Nick Sissons taking it from his grasp by a mere 5sec. Dan Brueckner was not far off the pass, and Marina Jurjevic held her own amongst the boys.
Run Time Trials
Geoff Taylor holds his lead as the fastest 5km male runner in the squad, with  Michael Grau-Veliz nipping at his heels (literally), and new athlete Cherie Beckingham clocking the fastest female time this round.
Our 10km TT’s were hotly contested with Justin Baker taking line honours and Dan Brueckner putting in another solid effort along with Richard Oliver, Adam Murone and Jay Mueller. In the females, dark horse (and one to watch this year!) was Lisa Dominique and Kerri Whitney posting another PB also.

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Athlete Notices

• Shepparton Half Ironman – RUNNERS WANTED. We have 2 teams who are after runners for the Shep Half IM. If you are keen to give 21.1km a go and join in a team – a great chance to be part of the brigade heading up to Shepparton on Sunday 13 November. Email [email protected]
• REMINDER: Tonight’s RUN SESSION. Group meeting at the Tan will start at 6.15pm for warm-up with Coach Sarah. Please ensure you are ready to warm-up at 6.15pm.

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Dinner tonight at the Palmerston
For anyone up for a feed, we are having our regular post run dinner at the Palmerston Hotel, Cnr King Street & Palmerston Cresent South Melbourne (just off Albert Road). So after your run, rug up and head down to the ‘Palmie’ for a cheap feed – and yes, the parma’s are as good as they claim!

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Welcome to our newest athletes
Over the last week we have had a number of athletes commence training with us and we welcome them into our squad.

Brinn Tavener
Linda Ross
Jessicca Baddeley
Steven Graham
Anna Greaves
Tina Theo haridis
Jason Sweeney
Leesa McDonnell

Welcome to the team all and enjoy your training with Tri Alliance!
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Training
Sprint and Olympic Distance Athletes:
If you aren’t training smart – now’s the time to start! You have completed a solid base conditioning phase, the theory ‘less is more’ for these athletes definately rings true. As we finish off our volume/strength phase and move into our strength and speed you need to ensure you are fresh and good to go for each session (particularily if you are new to the sport). To gain improvements from here, it’s not just about the ‘km’s’ in your legs, but the quality of the sessions. Speed sessions should be just that – so you shouldn’t have tired legs going into a run session. Endurance sessions should push your body but still sit in the aerobic phase, with these sessions you can often feel a little tired and sluggish from the ride the day before, but you should warm into the run and feel good within the first 5km. If not, you may be pushing too hard on the bike or doing too many k’s. Speak to one of our coaches if you need advice. Our ‘combo’ sessions at Elwood commence the first week of October – so keep an eye out for details on this.

Long Course Athletes (Half Ironman)
Most Half Ironman athletes are leading into Shepparton (48 of you to be exact!) we also have a few athletes who are racing Canberra Half in December, and then athletes will build into either Falls Creek, Geelong, Port Arlington or Cairns. You will notice your sessions are now seperated from Full Ironman, as your endurance build has been solid, sessions will start to focus on speed to improve race times in all disciplines. Please ensure you speak to our coaches if you are finding volumes too much – particularily any of our new Half Ironman athletes – as it is a big demand on the body.

Long Course Athletes (Full Ironman)
We have athletes building up for a number of different Ironmans, including Florida, Busselton, New Zealand and Melbourne. So athletes will be at different phases in their training. Because all NZ Ironman athletes are racing Shepparton, your program will follow the Shepparton lead-in, including getting back on the flat in late September, you will then head back out into the hills again come December/January. Busselton Ironman – get ready for some big km’s! Most are running Melbourne Marathon, so your long runs will continue to build, and you Tuesday/Thursday run sets will be solid intervals. You will get out on the flat also in late September when you will commence runs off the bike to condition the legs.

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Training This weekend
Saturday’s Ride
This weekends ride is back to Kinglake, last chance to check out the course before the Genovese Kinglake Ride next weekend.
Be READY TO RIDE 5min BEFORE your nominated start times for your ride briefing. The rides don’t wait for anyone – so make sure you are on time!
Ride groups:
Groups 1,2&3: Coaches Ollie, Sarah & Emma. Meet at Studley Park Boat House Kew, 6.45am for a 7.00am start.
Group 4: Coach Darren. Meet at Diamond Creek Train Station, off Station Street, Diamond Creek, 7.15am for a 7.30am start.
Group 5: Coach Stan. Meet at Studley Park Boat House Kew, 7.20am for a 7.30am start.

Maps and ride details:
Please ensure you are all aware of the ride maps for this weekend. Groups 1,2&3 will all head out together starting at an easy pace, however will then break up as we head towards Kinglake. Please ensure you ride with athletes of similar ability and break into smaller groups for safety. So ALWAYS be aware of where you are heading and how to get back as a coach won’t be with you the whole way, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. If you are not confident in riding on your own, please speak to a coach – but remember, triathlon is an individual sport….

Group 1: Strong cyclists -Busselton Ironman athletes. Studley Park > Kinglake > Whittlesea > Humevale > Kinglake > Return 150km Approx 7 hours in duration.
Group 2: Strong cyclists, NZ Ironman athletes, Shepparton Half IM athletes (strong riders), have recently been riding 120+km rides in the hills. Studley Park > Kinglake > Whittlesea > Return 130km Approx 6 hours in duration.
Group 3: Experienced Olympic distance Athletes (strong riders) and remainder of Half IM athletes who have previously been riding in group 3. Recently been riding 100+km rides in the hills. Studley Park > Hurstbridge > Kinglake > Return 110km Approx 5 hours in duration.
Group 4: New Half Ironman athletes, intermediate olympic/sprint distance athletes, intermediate/beginner riders who are riding the Genovese Kinglake Ride. Have recently been riding 70-80km in the hills or up to 90km on the flat. Diamond Creek > Whittlesea > Arthurs Creek Return 85km Approx 4 hours in duration.
Group 5: Beginner riders not riding Kinglake, Try-the-Tri’s, new to cycling, or just getting back into it, need to gain confidence on the bike or learn hill climbing. 30-45km of Studley Park including hill climbing technique, cornering, bike handling plus small run off the bike. BRING YOUR RUNNERS! 2-2.5hours duration

Bring: Sufficient food/hydration to cover you for the duration of the ride. Factor in 1 gel or half a bar/banana (or equivalent) for every 30-45min. (Better to have more than not enough!). Compulsory: Front & rear lights, 2 x spare tubes, 2 x tyre levels, air/cannisters/pump, spare money, phone and emergency contact details are a must.

Sunday’s Run
8.00am start. Be ready 5min prior to the run starting. Distances according to your programs.
WEST- meet Essendon Rowing Club, Maribyrnong River
CBD – meet inside Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre, infront of Lakeside Sports Medicine Centre.
**If you are competing in the Melbourne Marathon it is super important that you don’t miss your long runs!

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LAST CHANCE to order your gear for October!
ORDER BEING PLACED TOMORROW (FRIDAY!)
Last chance for you to place an order for Tri Alliance Training and Racing gear for the coming Spring including a Running Tee or Singlet for the Melbourne Marathon! If you are racing in October or early November, you need to make sure you get your order in NOW to ensure you receive in time to race! This includes running tee’s and singlets for the Melbourne Marathon! Remember – wearing a Tri Alliance top is the only way to get spotted and cheered on race day! So order yours online today!

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Shepparton Half Ironman Race Reconnaissance

Ensure you are prepared for this years Shepparton Half Ironman with our Race Reconnaissance weekend!

We have secured a fantastic deal at the Parklake Hotel Shepparton to bring you a weekend for course reconnaissance, race preparation and nutrition workshops, course simulation plus more! If you are new to this course this is a great chance to familiarise yourself, if you have raced Shepparton before, get a first hand look at the new course layout.

So if you are racing this year’s Shepparton Half Ironman – you DO NOT want to miss this weekend! CLICK HERE to find out more….

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Time to look at getting your TT bike ‘Retuled’!
If you have checked out September’s training calendar you will notice we are heading back out onto the flat (Beach Road). So that means the TT bike can come out of hibernation! If you use your roadie to race, then it’s time to get that into TT position next month, drag the tri bars back out and get your position set up. So over the next 2 weeks it’s time to book in for your bike to be RETULED. Retul bike fit can help you Improve pedal efficiency, power output and avoid injuries. Contact us to make an appointment

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Race 5 Duathlon Series – Sunday 2 October
Tri Alliance will be racing this years Victorian Duathlon Championships – Race 5 of the Victorian Duathlon Series. The race is held along the Yarra Boulevard and is a chance for our SHORT COURSE athletes to have a hit out before the season commences. PLUS our Try-the-Tri athletes will be racing – so we’ll get to see their training put into practice!
Distances
Sprint distance: 5km run, 20km bike, 3 km run (min age 15 yr)
Duathlon Dash distance: 2km run, 10km bike, 1 km run (min age 12 yr)

So if you are a short course athlete, make sure you put this race in your diary! And who knows, you may just go home with the title of Victorian Duathlon Champion!!!

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Gatorade & Active Feet Entries OPEN!
SPECIAL DISCOUNT TO TRI ALLIANCE ATHLETES!
Tri Alliance is again excited to partner with SuperSprint as the Official Coaching Partners for the Gatorade & Active Feet Series, and entries opened last week!
And we are excited to announce that all Tri Alliance athletes can receive $30 off the Series Entry! So if you have been holding off entering, make sure you get onto it now! Email [email protected] for your unique discount code. Please request the code only when you are ready to enter!
Exciting changes to this year’s race series including:

• 7 Race series – as a series entrant, you purchase 6 races only and you receive a discount for the 7th race!
• Additional race at Brighton for Race 3.
• Introduction of a Long Course event at Port Arlington
• Bonus series points for the Sandringham Olympic Distance
• New Major Sponsor SHOTZ Sports Nutrition – now you can get your gels and bars at races!
• CLICK HERE for more info and to enter

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2012 Australian Long Course Triathlon Championships
SuperSprint Events recently announced that Triathlon Australia awarded the 2XU Falls Creek Triathlon the 2012 Australian Long Course Championships.

“We are thrilled to host the 2012 Australian Long Course Championships along with the Victorian Long Course Championships. Last season’s inaugural event was a great success with so much positive feedback from athletes. It is a spectacular and challenging event and all winners and placegetters, elite and age group will certainly deserve the National titles and placegetter awards.”

“It has been several years since SuperSprint has hosted a National title and together with everything we learnt from the inaugural event, we certainly plan to put on a great event!” said David Hansen

Click here for more info on the Falls Creek Event, including the Trail Running Festival.

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Summer Try-the-Tri Program
Our most popular beginner triathlon program is back! If you have any friends or family who are keen to ‘Try a Triathlon’ then make sure you send them details on our upcoming programs.
Programs sell out fast – so make sure you get in quick!
More info…..

Tri Alliance checks in with one of our current participants ELOISE JAMES during her time with us in our 2011 Winter Try-the-Tri Program. Follow Eloise as she progresses through our Try-the-Tri program….

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Bikes, Parts, Accessories & Servicing
Tri Alliance in conjunction with our Partners CBD Cycles are pleased to offer new and exclusive specials, discounts and servicing to all Tri Alliance athletes! Including FREE pick up and delivery!

In what is an evolving retail market, CBD Cycles are taking a step forward and offering fantastic exclusive monthly specials AND best pricing possible to all Tri Alliance athletes.
Bike Servicing – Convenience and Service Guarantee! (FREE pick up a& delivery!)
Parts & Accessories – Best Pricing Possible!
In the market for a new bike? Allow CBD to compare prices for you!
Click here to read more….. and grab yourself a bargain!

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Shotz Sports Nutrition
Tri Alliance will now be stocking a range of Shots Nutrition Products – so if you are in need of gels, bars or hydration, you can order online and we will deliver to you at a session!
Gels: $2.20 a gel
Bars: $2.20 a bar
Hydration Tabs: $1 / 500ml !
You will struggle to find a better quality product at this price! Order yours online today! (purchase by box only, tabs sold per tube)

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Improve your performance with Altitude Training
Tri Alliance recently caught up with athlete Dan Brueckner who is using altitude training to improve his training and racing performance and prepare his his first Ironman in December.

TA: What made you start using altitude in your training?
DB: Falls Creek Training Camp in January 2011. I had the experience of having a go with the altitude machine and training in altitude, and seeing the positive effects a couple of weeks later going back to the hills around Melbourne in preparation for the Busselton 70.3. Read More…..