The Rock should really have given up a long long time ago….I’m sitting here on my third flight out of four today and it is physically hurting me to try watch ‘The Toothfairy’. I’d even go as far as saying I would prefer some WWF right now to get rid of this. Glee. Big Brother. Even Jeremy Kyle. Just anything is better than this surely.

Well almost anything. Certainly not the girl behind me. I swear since we have boarded this flight she has not stopped talking. Not even once. Even my iPod can’t droan her out. I pretty much know her entire life story now and all I can say is it’s no wonder your husband left. And the reason you can’t lose any weight?? Those 10 taco bells you were talking about earlier might have had something to do with it. Just a thought…Meow I’m on a roll tonight!!

Anyways, enough of that and onto the real reason you are reading this: My wit and charm…Who am I kidding….Sunday’s Des Moines Elite ITU World Cup. What a day!

I’m not gonna lie, waking up on race morning I did not feel like I was going to have the performance which I ended up producing. After Strathclyde my confidence and self belief, which had already been pretty low, had taken quite a battering and inside I was terrified it was going to happen again. What if I was battered in the swim and missed front pack? What if I was spat out pack after pack on the bike again? What if my run became so slow I might as well be stationary? I just couldn’t cope with another day like Strathclyde and as positive as I tried to be I couldn’t help but be reminded about it when I let my concentration slip.

However, little things throughout the morning helped me keep my mind off just that. Successfully avoiding the infamous ‘Willy Waver’ whilst out cycling. (Yes it’s exactly how it sounds…) The old confused age-grouper who tried to get into athletes lounge with us. (This happened in Vancouver too, it was a sign!) The woman who just couldn’t sing the National Anthem to save herself. Banter with anyone who was willing to talk to me. Bagpipes. Trying to change in a portaloo and not coming out stained brown…Before I knew it I was running down to the start line. And I wasn’t nervous, I just couldn’t comprehend that I was actually there doing it, the fear of ‘doing a Strathclyde’ spurring me on. I remember just thinking “f*ck it, I can do this” as I looked for one of the remaining spots on the start line…

Can I just say, who’s smart idea was it putting on the heartbeat/drum role style music as we line up to start? Don’t you think we are already nervous and jittery enough without putting that on? I genuinely felt like I was going to pee myself when I heard that! Thankfully we were soon in the water and sprinting towards the first buouy. I couldn’t quite believe it when I saw I had clear water either side of me. I had been standing to the left of the 2008 Olympic Champion Emma Snowsill for goodness sake! Bad news on her part- she had to contend with my dodgy right arm…Every time I accidently hit her I was just thinking OMG I just hit Emma Snowsill. OMG I did it again. And again. After unintentionally beating up a few more folk and swimming pretty damn amazingly I came out with the lead group of women. Onto the bike…..please let my legs be there this time!

And they were. Like really there! Had I not been banned from making any attacks by my coach, he got plenty of daggers for that one, I would have totally made a move. I just felt so strong and the pace wasn’t feeling tough. Did anyone watching the coverage hear what the commentator was calling me? Swear it was Kristy McMillan haha. One day they will get my name right! It wasn't until I was moving at lets face it a pretty slow pace on the run he obviously managed to read what was on my suit and get it right. The 40k’s were over quickly and it was onto the run. Can’t exactly say I was ecstatic about that but gotta be done eh? Objective for run: Get through it. Which I did. Job done.  : )

I’ve still got a long way to go yet, but I think the old me is finally starting to reappear. The self belief and confidence I have been lacking so much is on the rise and I can’t wait to get on a start line again. Finally got some ITU ranking points too. Way hey! ! It has been fantastic to be part of such a high profile event and race against the best in the World. Congratulations to HyVee for putting on such an incredible event and dealing with everything that the weather threw at you. You would honestly never have known just by looking at the site about the storms we had had on race morning.

Well done also to the whole GB crew who were out racing, especially Tim and Helen!!

The journey back to Britain so far has been an incredibly uneventful one compared to the one over. The highlight so far being gaining revenge on the toilet that fooled me in Chicago. I felt like God when the thing flushed straight away! Apart from that and the motor mouth behind me, nothing. She is still talking. You honestly cannot comprehend how much this woman talks. I don’t even think the person next to her is listening to her anymore. Currently talking about how apparently she is single ‘by choice’ right now. Yeah.

I should really stop right now before I get myself in trouble ; )   Looking forward to seeing you all,

xXx