This is a copy of the e-mail sent out yesterday. If you received the e-mail save some time by not going any further, unless of course you didn't read it yesterday!

I'm sure you already know, but just in case, the meeting will be at The Santa Barbara Athletic Club at 520 Castillo St ( across from the DMV), please follow the link http://www.wcaclubs.com/club/scripts/section/section.asp?NS=SB and go half way down the page on the right hand side. You will see a link to Guest Waiver. If you are not a member you need to complete this waiver and bring it with you, completed. The other alternative is that you wait in line at the front desk for ages waiting for people to complete the form and get checked in. This is the 2009 form, you need to do it even though you may have completed the 2008 one in November. Help us all to get through the line quickly!!!

Once you get in the Club, Chris and her team will be set up to take your 2009 membership fee. It's still the same $75 for an individual and $125 for a family. Our sponsors this year have an individual membership included. Again, to help make the process smoother please go to the Club web site and download the 2009 application, here's the link to the " Join Us" page, the application is linked on the right side under membership. This will again help us get your current information, even though you were a member last year. If you have sent your membership in already we should have you down as being paid, if not let Chris know you have already sent your check. 

OK now you are checked in, and paid for the year, what's next???

CLUB KIT:

That's right, you've been asking for it, so now it's time to deliver. John Herzog, John Nelson, Liz Groom and Andrea Stouffer have been working hard in the off season to deliver a good looking kit that will include bike clothes, race clothes and some fun accessories that go with them. I know we did bike jerseys and tri tops last year, but this expands your options to fully kit yourselves out in our club colors. I've attached the design of the bike jersey so you know what you will look like. All the other pieces will have the same design or a part of it. Arm Warmers for example may just have the logo. We have been successful in soliciting 'Kit' sponsors who's donation will be used to offset some of the cost of the kit. John Nelson should have the costs when you get there on Thursday in the meantime here is a copy of a note from him:

 Hello All:

The fit kits were delivered to me today.  I have them and will bring them to the meeting.  There are a lot of items and I will definitely need help on Thursday night setting up the samples and keeping the process of people trying on different items, etc. organized.  I have fit kits for both the cycling kit and the triathlon racing kits (tops and bottoms).  So, it might be good, if possible, to have the digital example of the race kit too.

I will have order forms for everyone to fill out. 

Dave -- Yes, mention in your e-mail that members should come with checkbooks in hand.  Not only is this their duty as club members, but it's their duty as Americans -- we've got to spend to keep the economy going!  😉

Also, might be good to remind all that orders must be in no later than Feb 27th!

So you will have an opportunity to try on the examples of the items because this will be done on an order basis. You try it on, you like the design, you like the price, you pick your items, you fill out an order form and you write a check. The Club will NOT be ordering stock items for future purchase, we will only order what YOU order and pay for. Bring your check book to avoid disappointment.

The Club will not make any money from the Club Kits, you pay the net cost after we deduct the money from sponsors. This is similar to the way the 'roadie clubs' do it. Our intention is to keep this kit and design for at least a couple of years and allow reordering in 2010.

Talking about sponsors, we have nearly finished approving this years applications for sponsorship. You'll be pleased to know my sponsor committee of John Nelson and John Herzog have been very successful in standardizing our program and maximizing the sponsor opportunities so you will be part of a financially healthy Club that gives great value for your membership.

This year we will be giving away a very nice quality technical running shirt to each member thanks to our sponsors. So when you get a chance please thank and support:

Renewing sponsors, Brian O'Connor, Attorney:  Bruce at Hazards:  East Beach Grill:  Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club: Santa Barbara Athletic Club: Mike at Elite Performance: John Nelson: Jay at Outfooters: Santa Barbara Running: Bob Kemp at Village Properties and new this year, Bill's Copy Shop ( Sandy Roberts ), Cottage Hospital ( because of the crash support we gave them last year), The Eagle Inn and Sue and Mike McDonald with Zizzo's Coffee Shop. We are still working with a couple of last years sponsors so may have one more.

So you ordered you Club Kit, filled your plate full of fine Mexican Food and finally sat down to check out the pictures from last year, courtesy of Stuart Sato and our photographers, what else could their be?

Well this months program is from within. Our meeting in November was cut short by the Tea Fire so I have asked four of our award recipients to come back and talk briefly about last years season. The successes and failures, their training techniques and maybe some tips for 2009. I've also asked them to tell us what they will be doing this year and why. So sit back and enjoy Kyle Visin, Sarah Mandes, Andrea Stouffer and Fred Maggiore.

Wow!!! What a lot going on.

Finally just wanted to invite as many people as I can to join Saturday's 8.00am ride....AT  7.30AM. That's right I've split the difference in the hope that we can get both groups together for a special ride. We've been invited to meet at Zizzo's Coffee Shop 370 Storke Rd in Goleta and finish there for breakfast. Mike and Sue will explain tomorrow, but I know they have created a breakfast burrito for us and will provide drip coffee to wash it down. This will be their way of saying come to the Tri Club.

This week we'll do some hills, so out through UCSB to the bike path and then up Gwyne ( parallel to Patterson) to Cathedral Oaks Rd. Then it's up Old San Marcos and back, then out along Foothill to Cheltenham, then Tunnell to Las Cnoas, back down the other side of Las Canoas to Mountain, down to Foothill again and then down San Roque to Las Positas to the beach. Back to Goleta through Hope Ranch and UCSB.

We will still try and maintain a modest pace and do some re-grouping so we should have something for everyone. This may be the last chance to get in a social Club Ride before we start our early season race training. So hopefully we can get you to 'step outside the box' and ride with the Club this Saturday.

That's it 'War and Peace' Tri Club style!!!

The Pres