MEMBERS KICK OFF 2006 AT CLUB MEETING

February 2006 meeting wrap -up 

About 60 Club members and guests crowded into Bike Authority in Broadview Heights on Friday, February 24 for the Cleveland Triathlon Club’s first quarter 2006 general meeting.

This was the first general meeting presided over by new Club President Andrew Joyce. Andrew opened the meeting by introducing himself and the members of the Club’s board of directors, and asked everyone in the room to quickly introduce him/herself and their hometown. It was clear that the Club has a broad reach across northeast Ohio, as members representing towns as far away as Medina and Canton chimed in.

Upcoming events and training sessions

Andrew continued with an overview of some upcoming Club events, including the following: HFP Racing Indoor triathlon on February 26; New Vision indoor cycling workout on March 5 at Willoughby South High School; the Fat Rabbit Racing Duathlon Training Series throughout March, April and May in the Cuyahoga National Rec Area; the club’s Spring kickoff party (date TBA) and the Spring “Virtual Tri Camp” (also TBA).

Vice President / Training Director Angie Ridgel took the floor to talk about group training in 2006. Her committee has been hard at work, and currently plans no fewer than six weekly open water swims, six weekly rides and three weekly runs. Workouts will take place at locations throughout northeast Ohio to accommodate as many members as possible. Angie also invited members interested in leading a group workout to contact her.

Angie also talked about a number of special training sessions, including sessions on the Buzzard Duathlon course in Hinckley and on the Greater Cleveland Triathlon course in Mentor. Dates, locations and times will be posted to the Club’s events calendar.

Women’s multisport clinic

Angie announced more details about the women’s multisport clinic. It’s now scheduled for June 10-11 at the Peak Performance Center in Broadview Heights. The clinic will feature some of the area’s top coaches and experts on topics like cycling and running skills, core training, Pilates and sports nutrition. More details to follow in coming weeks.

Newbies

Newbies Director Jen Collister then gave an overview of her committee and her group’s objectives. The Newbies committee is currently coordinating runs three nights a week – a short run Tuesday, a tempo run Wednesday, and a hilly run Friday. In fact, these workouts are designed to complement one another and help each participant improve speed and strength. Check out the Newbies page for dates and times.

As we move into spring and summer, the Newbies group looks to hold one or two training sessions a month, including running, swimming, cycling and transitions practice.

Membership drive and referrals contest

Communications Director Matt Collister spoke for a few minutes about our membership campaign, reminding all returning 2005 members to renew by March 31 to remain “in good standing” and encouraging all members to bring in referrals. The member with the most referrals by March 31 wins a special Club gear prize package.

Sponsorship

Andrew then gave an overview of our current sponsorship situation. The Club is fortunate to have a number of generous sponsors, including:

• Bike Authority (Primary Sponsor for 2006)
• Vertical Runner
• HED Cycling Products
• U-Store-It
• Road ID
• Inside Triathlon
• Kinesys Sunscreen
• Greater Cleveland Triathlon
• Idutri.com

 Many of these sponsors offer special discounts to Cleveland Triathlon Club members.

Tri Camp Awards

And then the moment all were waiting for. Club Treasurer and “Virtual Tri Emcee” Rob Reddy presented awards for the Holiday Virtual Tri Camp. During the holiday weeks, 24 Club members participated, logging a cumulative 2820.5 training miles in 254.5 hours. Congratulations to “King of the Camp” Adam Mollenkopf and co “Queens of the Camp” Sara Ziemnik and Angie Ridgel.

Andrew concluded the meeting encouraging members to get involved and provide input on what they want from the Club. Easiest way to get in touch with the board is just to send an email.

After the meeting, a number of Club members took advantage of the terrific deals offered by Bike Authority on tri gear. We thank owner Sherman McKee and his staff for offering their facility for the meeting.