Minutes, 2007 August 27

Around 90 people were at this first Tricats meeting for new members!
1. Distribute Assumption of Risk Forms -- required for all members of U of A Sport Clubs.
2. Introduce officers and coaches, welcome to newcomers
3. Benefits of membership:
3.1 Discounts: 20% at Bargain Basement Bikes, 15% at Performance Footwear, 20% at Trisports.com.
3.2 Fun of being in club, having great training plans, getting fit, achieving personal records, eating a lot, more.
4. Some of the club goals revolve around USAT Collegiate Nationals: try to place top ten, raise funds to cover costs (partially or fully).
5. From our head coach Brian Grasky:
5.1 Goals as coach: train to have fun, avoid injury (and go fast).
5.2 GROUPS. The training plan includes red, white, and blue groups, in (each of) swim, bike, and run disciplines. Red is most intense, blue is for those new to the sport, white is between those two. It is fine to be in different colors for different events (for example, red group for bike but blue group for swim). If you aren't sure which is right for you, try each, for a few workouts. You can probably stick with your group through the year b/c the workouts will gradually become more challenging, in all groups.
5.3 TIME TRIALS. We will have time trials roughly monthly, but to start with we will have a run time trial on Thursday (Reid Park) and a bike time trial on Saturday (Houghton and Old Spanish Trail). Even if you don't have a bike, come anyway and (1) meet people, cheer; or (2) Don is going to bring a few bikes to lend.
5.4 Training involves some responsibility including eating right, and learning appropriate skills like how to change a bike tire.
5.5 We will hold a few training camps, a great way to improve; and clinics, to focus on certain skills
5.6 Sarah will be our swim coach.
5.7 Glen and Don will help out on bike rides.
6. From Don at Bargain Basement Bicycles: there is a Schwinn triathlon bike he has put together for under $1000. On a case-by-case basis can work with those who don't have all that $$ right now. Don also sells road bikes, bike gear, Descente, Elete electrolytes, Hammer nutrition, and his store is on Fremont just south of 6th St., around the corner from another bike shop. He is going to help out in various ways and ride with us on some of our bike workouts.
7. Questions about tri bikes: what are they? what should I get? Brief answers: a tri bike has aero bars and a more aggressive geometry, so it is faster at the expense of some stability and comfort. If this is your first serious bike you might want to get a road bike instead. (Note: also see comments by Grasky here).
8. Workout schedule: pretty full. Those new to running are advised to start slowly with running, and don't run all 3 run workouts per week yet.
Monday: rest day, meeting, evening swim
Tuesday: morning make-up run, evening run
Wednesday: morning bike, evening swim
Thursday: morning bike, evening run
Friday: morning make-up bike, evening swim and social
Saturday: morning long bike
Sunday: morning run, evening swim
9. Dues are $76 due in two weeks. Can pay at a meeting by cash or check -- not at workouts -- or via PayPal on the website.
10. Workouts are on the website and visible to everyone the first 2 weeks, but will be visible to members only after dues are due.
11. We will have team captains this year, one per color group and event. Captain will help lead the workout, and provide feedback to the coach.
12. Tricats will have committees to organize the many things we do: (1) fundraising, (2) apparel, (3) sponsorship, (4) event, (5) social. All committees will coordinate through (6) publicity for announcements and things.
13. Upcoming events
13.1 Next social event: 15 September Pancake Ride. Morning ride to Makko's parents in Oro Valley, eat pancakes, try to ride home again. We will do this with Tucson Desert Heat.
13.2. Training camp: 29-30 September probably at Patagonia Lake.
13.3. Aquathlon (swim-run) on 20 October
13.4. La Jolla Rough Water Swim
14. One team sponsor is a web site, www.athleteinyou.com, like Facebook for athletes. So we encourage all Tricats to register there and participate.
15. No meeting on Labor Day.
Action items:
1. If you have not completed an assumption of risk form, do so soon.
2. Come to workouts! Check website for times/places. Don't overdo the running.
3. If you can help drive people to run workouts, please do.
4. Get ready to pay dues, $76, by 10 September.
5. Also get $ ready for the upcoming uniform order. Pay on 17 September.
6. Decide which committee you would like to help out with. Sign up 17 September.
7. Register on www.arizonatricats.com with your real first and last name
8. Register on www.athleteinyou.com.
Post below if there's anything important missing, or wrong! We covered a lot of info at this meeting.