Cant wait for the 2012 season to start! Making plans, figuring out my race schedule and mixing it up abit! I will be writing and

posting stuff on a blog I started.  Here is the link:

 http://katemajor.blogspot.com/   

My ramblins on will be posted there....it just a easy way for me to post pictures and such, while training and traveling.

After all I am just a simple Aussie at heart! 

I hope you like it, add it as a bookmark if you like or in your google reader! I can guarantee there are many stories already

sworming in my brain from the off season...and I do like to tell all, well at least some of the time!

Hope you all had a great start to your 2012, cant wait to see you all out there!

I have never been to ‘the south’ before but was looking forward to racing there as I heard good things

about it and it didn’t disappoint!

It was also a little break from packing our house for our upcoming move to San Francisco! Jeff has gotten  

a new job there and we will be relocating at the end of this month.  There is alot to do with moving and

everything that comes along with it. Jeff started his new job the end of September, so I have been the

single parent...to our dog of course!  She is beautiful and I love her very much but she has more

 energy than I do. I think my mum just laughs when I tell her how tiring it is 

as Kaisley is giving me a taste of my own medicine, for when we were kids. My mum always reminds

me ‘do you remember the time when you and your sister stole that boy’s bike and took off down the

road in different directions’??!!

It only took a few hours after Kaise was picked up to go to Carla’s place, the best dogsitter/ trainer

(www.bestdogtrainingsandiego.com ) that I started to miss her and kept waiting for her to come running

up to me. I’m on my way home now as the race is over and I am flying and typing at the same time,

I have gotten good at that! She will be so excited and the craziness will being again…something I

appear to love.

I took a week off (from a proper schedule) after REV3 Ohio full distance to surf and chill out with friends

and take Kaise to some different trails to run in the bush. We had a girl’s night, ordered deep dish pizza

from Chicago (thanks to Zodes) and watched Bridesmaids and had some good laughs. On a weekend

visit from Jeff, we went with our good Aussie friends Sim and JB to see the comedian Jim Gaffigan and

had some good belly laughs there too. It was great to do some ‘normal’ things for a change without

having to worry about getting up early to train. By Saturday I was ready to go again and went for a ride

with my friends to dust out the cobwebs.

Sunday I volunteered at the Del Mar Powerhouse Paddle and Swim event and did the 6 miles paddle

with my friend Gracie (who waited up for me!). It was a lot of fun and just what my body and mind

needed.

Huddle and Newby looked after Kaise for half the day whilst I was gone and when I came back she was

happy to see me but didn’t want to leave her BFF Leroy .

                                                   Mac, Lucy, Me, and Gracie

                                                                            PowerHouse Swim and Paddle

                                                                Kaise and Leroy

Then it was back to some more structured training as there was still one more race of the season to do.

Ok,, back to my Rev3 race in South Carolina, I kind of got side tracked there for a bit, 

My friend Erin (who I met training with Siri) organized a great home stay for us, right on the lake, close

to the race site and so beautiful and quiet.

I arrived Thursday night and Erin picked me up from the airport, filled me in on the course and where

to ride the following day. I woke up just before 11am….must have needed some beauty sleep! I got out

for a ride and run as I was feeling a little sluggish after travelling all day. Then it was off to register and a

short interview for the REV3 footage.

Saturday I got up a little earlier and made it out for a short bike and run and then we jumped off the

back pontoon for a swim in the lake which was stunning. How I would have liked to have access to a

speed boat and wakeboard/kneeboard/ski’s…..now that would have been fun! Luckily I didn’t have

access to a boat or any toys as I might not have been able to move too well on race day.

A non-wetsuit swim for the pro’s and the water clean and glassy as we swam round the small headland

of the park and out onto the bike for a rolling 56mile course. I really liked the ride, it had a bit of

everything and the wind picked up hitting us from all angles. I wasn’t so happy when an official who I

believe might need new glasses, pulled me over for drafting….i was riding by myself and had been for a

few miles so I tried to find out how I could possibly draft off a person who was so far in front you could

only make out it was a bike…..he continued to say ‘maaaam’ and I continued my case but of course he

won and I had to stand down for a few minutes. That is a long time in a strong field but I decided to

take it as a test to see how much I really wanted to race and my mum’s voice kept repeating itself in my

head ‘just do the best you can do’ and then I recalled my squash days when I got a bad call and had to

play on. Still I wasn’t happy but couldn’t give up because of that and I wanted to see out what I had set

out to do, finish the REV3 series.

I got on the run and was in 6th place and that is where I finished. The other girls in front of me were

having a great battle which I would have liked to be part of but it wasn’t to be.

I won the overall REV3series which was my goal for 2011 and I accomplished that

It is a bitter sweet moment, the last race of the year as I have looked forward to having some time

off but when it comes, I still have a little want to race again…..it is a dangerous drug so I know I need

to detox now for a little while so I can come back again next season with enthusiasm and the want to

race….the perfect elixir!

I looked around yesterday as I waited to accept my Overall Series award, at the people who run the

REV3 series, the companies who dared to sponsor it and get it off the ground and the athletes and

their families who came to race and hoped they realized how much time and effort goes into running

these races and that their series is a success and has brought back the old school feel of triathlon. REV3

have events for all ages over their race weekend, kids adventure races (and jumping castles, slides,

face painting etc), sprint/Olympic/half and full distance races and make sure age group athletes and

professionals have as smooth a race as possible and a great experience. Thank you to all the REV3 staff

for ensuring that at every one of your races and to every person.

It is my last opportunity this year to thank my personal sponsors for your continued support throughout the year.

I think of myself as an employee of your companies and want to do the best I can to promote it as I

believe in the products I use.

Saucony, Nathan, Wilier, Reynolds, Rudy Project, DOMA coffee, Profile Design, Cobb Saddles, Udo’s Oil,

Continental tires, RIDE Cycles, Garmin, Fuel Factor Nutrition-Kim Muellar. I am thankful for your continued

support.  

Ok, got to get a packing, the count down is on, got the moving van ready and cant wait for another adventure,

Here we come San Francisco....be ready!! 

This was to be my one and only full distance race for 2011 and it felt like I had forgotten what this distance was like to race as it has been 11months since my last.

This race grew more exciting when I learnt my friend Susan Zody (Zodes) would be joining me and Jeff was able to come and watch me for the first time this year. To top it off, two very good friends of mine, Simone and Sue were coming along as my cheering squad….fun times were guaranteed with this crew!

Plus the race was held at Cedar Point Amusement Park= some of the fastest rollercoasters and rides in the US!

Krista (from REV3) had organized an awesome home stay for Jeff and I, Mike and Linda who opened their home to us and Jeff loved it as Mike is an NFL fan!

I arrived Tuesday, right before the 4 day storm front came in! It made it a little more difficult to get out and train but didn’t matter too much as I managed to time it in between the pour downs.

I slept a lot and Zodes and I drove the bike course and swam in Lake Eerie as we wanted to test out the water quality and temperature. The water was like mud until at least chest height and was like a black out when I dove under the small waves on my way out but the temperature was borderline for a non-wetsuit swim. My new Profile Design wetsuit felt good though! 

The town of Sandusky is small and quiet with more food places than any other stores and a lot of beautiful countryside. The locals are really friendly and embraced the athletes and the race with open arms and were out supporting us as we swam, rode and ran by.

The amusement park is one of the town’s main attractions during summer and just watching the speed at which some of these rides go will make you feel sick

I was feeling excited to race which was a good sign and was ready to go race morning. Before starting the race we had a minute’s silence to honor the 9/11 ten year anniversary and stood towards the 2700 American flags REV3 had put in the sand and the statue of the Unknown Soldier. The national anthem followed and everyone was pumped to make this day a great day to honor those who have lost their lives.

The swim was a beach start, the thick mud making it a slow entry into the water ….I fell flat on my face running in…..but once out, nice and calm and I swam 99% of the course by myself with Kathleen on my feet. 

Onto the bike and weather was perfect and as the sun broke through the clouds, it lit up the top of corn fields and made for a beautiful picture. The bike course had ample room which made for a fair race and no drafting and the small towns we passed through were filled with locals cheering everyone on. Local farmers were out mowing their lawns, setting up their fruit and vegetable stands and watching us pass by…..probably wondering why lycra clad men and women on bikes are riding so early on a Sunday!

Jeff, Sim and Sue had driven out on the bike course to cheer Zodes and I on and to take some cool race shots and photos of the course. Simone’s voice stands out more than anyone’s as she always says ‘come on Matey’. Whilst Sue is trying to take the awesome action shots she does and cheering at the same time and Jeff is yelling splits to me. They make a great team!

My stomach locked up in the first part of the bike, making it hard to get any nutrition down and I rode with Kathleen most of the way but the last 10 miles she gained on me as I started to feel the lack of calories taking its toll but kept telling myself my guts would settle soon. Not sure if it was the water from Lake Eerie in there or just one of those things.

I was 6mins down from first place and less than 3mins from Kathleen going onto the run and grabbing my swim bag instead of my run bag in transition didn’t help!

My guts were still locked up so I turned to coke on the run in the hope it would help settle it but it didn’t so I knew I would just have to suck it up for a few hours or so. I remembered back to the times when I had eaten and shortly after gone for a run…and then regretted it the entire way as I would burp it up…think we have all done that at one point?!

Jeff was out on Mike’s bike to give me splits but went missing for at least 1/3 of the run. He decided to join Mike and Dan (his son) for a couple of beers at a local pub and watch a little football….i wondered where he had disappeared to!!! 

Sue got a ride out on the run from one of the moto guys to take some photos whilst Sim stayed at the park to cheer us on as we came in from the bike and at the run around on the run.

Kathleen ended up having to pull out of the race with GI problems and Malaika stayed strong on the marathon to win the race. I finished second and gave it all I could on the day which is all I can do.

Everyone that ran down the finishing chute was given the option to carry the US flag with them in honor of 9/11. I think every athlete did, even if they could barely put one foot in front of the other, when they took that flag in their hand, it gave them the energy to hold it high and run with their head up and feet barely touching the ground….something to witness and it certainly gave me goose bumps. There was a girl from Team RWB (Red, White and Blue) ran the half marathon (of the half distance race) with a huge American flag to honor her fellow serviceman and women and another lady ran with her son’s dog tags around her neck…..goose bumps again!

Erik gave us a ride on the 4 wheeler back to Zody’s hotel room for us to eat, shower and put the legs up for a bit before going back to the finish line. It was great to see the athlete’s run down the finish chute with their families, holding hands in victory and really celebrating their journey together. The kids were given a medal too for crossing the line….very cool

The REV3 team did a fantastic job once again at putting on a fantastic race and making sure everyone had a great experience by opening the theme park for the athletes and their families for free and holding a kids adventure race on the Saturday.

Eric and Charlie of REV3

I really want to say a huge thank you to my support crew who help make my job more enjoyable. My husband Jeff , who has always been by my side and extremely patient. Sue and Sim for the friendship and support. My training partners who make long rides an adventure, swims in the ocean more fun and runs fly by and to my coach Siri for her relentless pursuit to keep my training exciting, challenging, enjoyable and an adventure.

Zodes, Sue, Sim, Me, and Jeff

My family and friends are the ones who make my day and who encourage me to challenge myself.

My sponsors who believe in me and support me, I am truly grateful. For without it, I would not be able to do what I love and am passionate about and hopefully influence others to lead a positive, healthy and balanced life style.

Saucony, Wilier, Nathan Hydration, Profile Design, DOMA coffee, Reynolds wheels, Rudy Project, Udo’s Oil, John Cobb Cycling, Premier Nutrition, Garmin, Continental Tires, Computrainer, RIDE Cyclery and Engine swim...i  could never do this sport without all the support you give me, and for that I am  thankful.