weekly newsletter 26 may 2015

2015/16 TA MEMBERSHIP AUTO RENEWAL
Please be aware that on 1st July 2015 your membership to TA will be automatically renewed for the 2015/16 season and your credit card will be charged the relevant fee.

Junior members, members who joined as a family, and those that elected not to have their membership automatically renewed will not have their membership automatically renewed.  These Members will be sent an email reminding them that their 2014-15 Membership is expiring and that Membership Fees for 2015-16 are due on July 1st.

Whilst 1st July is the start of the new membership year, new members can join from the 1st June and existing members can renew early if they want to (via their portal).

AGM & PRESENTATION
Our final business for the season is the AGM & Presentation at Pasfields Restaurant on Friday 29th May. The AGM starts at 6:15pm, followed by the Presentation evening at 7pm. 

Even if you can’t stay for the Presentation, all members are encourage to attend the AGM. This is your opportunity to have your say about the way the club is run. The agenda for the AGM is attached.

All committee positions will be vacated at the AGM and new people are voted into the positions. The positions are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Race Director, Publicity Officer, General Committee Members, Uniform Officer, Handicapper, Registrar, Webmaster, Social Co-ordinator, Club Coach, Historian and Gear Steward. Every member is most welcome to nominate for any of these positions. 

We hope to see as many members as possible at the AGM and look forward to kicking on with those attending the Presentation afterwards. 

TRIATHLON FOR MEDITATION?
As triathletes, we are often plagued by people outside the sport who just don’t understand why we do it. Comments such as “you have no life” or “why would you put yourself through that” are common.  

What many non-triathletes fail to understand is that triathlon is more than a sport, it is a lifestyle. This is a common catch-cry of triathletes. But it is also a way towards mindfulness, and training can be a type of meditation. 

Think about it – have you ever reached that point during a training session, or even a race, where it’s just you & your body taking it one step/stroke/pedal at a time? When you are conscious of only your breathing and your body’s movements? This is not all that different to the states of mindfulness and “in the moment” sought by those doing yoga, meditation and other such activities. 

If you are someone who doesn’t like to sit still, meditation in its traditional format can be very difficult. But you can probably very easily zone out to the black line at the bottom of the pool, or the sound of your breath in time with your footsteps, or enjoy the feeling of satisfaction at the top of a hill when it’s taken everything in your body to get you there. How many problems have you solved on a long ride?

These training sessions help to keep us grounded, calm and in tune with the rhythms of our own bodies. 

So next time someone asks you why you do it, tell them that you’re meditating. 

Here are a couple of articles to help back up your argument.

http://www.sporteluxe.com/why-you-dont-need-to-sit-still-to-have-an-awesome-meditation-session/ 

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/calm-mind-without-sitting-meditate/ 

WISE WORDS
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” - Henry David Thoreau