Team News
This week it was busy !! A lot of stuff happening with training, races and of course the 20th Anniversary celebrations for HPT. I have a fair bit to talk about.
20 :
Well the undercover operation of getting a surprise celebration for HPT’s 20th Year was successful. I was totally stitched up and totally blown away by the amazing gesture to do this. I am not a party kinda guy really so i need convincing when it comes to this stuff.
Of course an occassion like this needs celebrating and celebrate we did! Thank you to everyone involved. Sammy and Jess were the ringleaders as usual, ably assisted by Dan and Crumpy, Mick and my very sneaky family. I was touched by the outpouring of love and the many best wishes i received from those not able to make it.
Here’s to another 20 years I say !
Race Updates :
I will be slightly changing race updates in the newsletter moving forwards. Times don’t speak to what we do and how we do it. So expect this to change a little as we progress with a mix of socials posts and newsletter updates.
This week we were busy as usual. Zane raced in Malaysia at a Conti Cup, Keaton did the Billbergia Half Mara, Alex, Lando and Crumpy raced Friday night crits, Jarrod created a homemade Kayak Backyard Ultra and did 5 “yards”, and Derek did a club aquathon. Everyone raced well and I am (as usual) a happy coach :)
Congrats also to Wendy who did the 28k 7 Bridges Walk and raised over $1,000 for a cancer free future (huge thanks to all those very generous HPT people for their donations)
If you did a race, send me a pic, I would love to post it.
Training Thoughts :
Another change in progress is putting more coaching thoughts out. With a mix of social posts and email writing I want to get a bit more innovative in coaching this way. Let me know if you have a topic you want covered.
Busso :
It’s not long until Busso and we have a strong team assembled. For those racing I want you getting together your pacing, nutrition, hydration and equipment plans so we can review and discuss. Leave nothing to chance and the race will go smoother I can promise you. You are all fit ! Now is the time to trust that and put the important things on the table as well as training
Bumpy :
I used the term “bumpy” in a few weekly reviews this week. It’s important to keep training load smooth through the week. less valleys and peaks. Rely on the consistent training load as a big picture in terms of developing fitness. This will develop your ability to trust your program.
BBQ and Beer Mile :
Let’s get in early and declare a date for this great event on the calendar.
Thursday 18th of December at Waratah Park
Race Support :
I will be attending the following upcoming races for the rest of the season.
Little Husky Tri, Busso Ironman, Big Husky, Western Sydney 70.3, Cairns Ironman.
There will be a couple added in as I watch sign-ups, but those are the “majors” at this stage.
Alpine Camp :
The HPT Alpine Camp will be placed on hold for 2026 as I will still be rehabbing from my knee operation which is on the 10th of December.
Testing and Load Reports :
Testing in Quarter 4 will be mixed. A few will do the usual max effort testing, some will do none as they prep for Busso and most will do a sub-max test that is more a check-in on where you’re at. Quarter 3 load reports will be out mid-November.
Kona vs Nice Thoughts :
I have been to both and Kona still lights my fire the most as an Ironman World Champiuonships location. Nice has a lot going for it of course in terms of a great course, lots of accom etc , but Kona has a mystique that you can’t describe in words.
Go there and see it for yourself. It’s expensive and a little dodgy but it has a magic that speaks volumes and can only be developed through years of history and “moments”. You really do have to respect the island.
I can’t wait to see the 2026 unified version.