Greetings from Canada!

Right I'll get the cheesy Oscar style thank you's over and done with quickly! To everyone who has either emailed, posted on the forum or my facebook etc- THANK YOU SO MUCH! Not going to lie I love getting all your messages of support and they really are appreciated. Big brownie points to the people who were actually in Vancouver itself watching ( Jo etc) Huge surprise and the t-shirts were amazing!

Man, the way I'm going on sounds like I've made it! Yep, World Champ but trust me things are only just beginning. Got much bigger and better things to look forward to but hey lets focus on this now!

Coming into this race I hadn't exactly had it easy with two bouts of illness which had seriously affected my training- swimming 1.30's for 100mts and finding that hard is never a good sign!!- so I honestly never thought I was going to win. That didn't stop me wanting to but I just never thought it was realistic...Two of the guys never had it easy either though- Jeremy and Jonny had to sit exams on both of the days before the race!

We never really truly adapted to Canada time before the race. Instead we did a half way kind of thing between Britain and Canada- meaning we went to bed ridiculously early and got up pretty early. Personally, I was going to bed at 7.30pm and getting up at 4.30am which still left me with loads of sleep and so much time during the day! You really get so much more done! The jet lag never hit me or the guys till the day after the race and since then we really are struggling...

So the night before the race I'm not going to lie I was nervous. I woke up three times during the night feeling my stomach tightening and twisting every time I thought about the race which obviously was a lot! Now I'm never nervous so me being nervous made me more nervous and then the vicious circle began. I couldn't even finish my full breakfast I was that nervous. So rest assured everyone, elites get nervous too!

Saying the water we were swimming in was cold is probably the understatement of the year. The day before the race, the juniors had been in swimming and a lot had practically written themselves out of the race after that I think! It was extremely unpleasant and the thought of then having to get out and take off your wetsuit and compete in a tri suit did not bode well! It was also a beach start where everyone lines up on a board and runs like a bunch of loonies into the sea. I think this made me nervous too as I had never done one of these and the thought of tripping up flat on my face as I entered the water had entered my mind a few times! Thankfully my start on the day didn't go too badly and I had at least some clear water for a few metres. Yes a few. Then, as it always seems to go, I was battling with the other girls for some space to swing my arms and at one point I swear I had a hand round my neck. The buoys were also not weighted down well enough either as I did somehow end up under one....Now correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the junior swim was 750mt not 1300mt or whatever it ended up as!! I mean I can understand the odd few metres but almost twice as long??? Come on! The swim just went on and on and on. I don't actually think anyone knew where they were going but 16mins later we started exiting the water. If anyone has watched the tri-cast at the swim exit you see Moniz and the German leaving and then one lone swimmer swimming in the opposite direction to everyone else towards the far side of the beach. That's me. And before you laugh and think "what an idiot she could have been further up had she followed everyone else" Wrong! This is actually where I may have won the race. You see, think of it this way- how quick do you swim 50mts? How quick do you run 50mts?? If I hadn't got out as soon as I could have I probably would have got stuck in the main pack and have been out run by Ashleigh Gentle ( she came 2nd) Smart eh??

Out on the bike me and a Canadian Paula Findlay worked together and bridged the gap to the front two in 5km and I'm very pleased to say the group actually worked not too badly together after that. Paula unfortunately got a flat and got left behind but we didn't lose any time on the chasing pack containing the quick runners. The bike was a fairly un-technical, flattish course, ( great use of verbs there-that's why I passed English by two marks!) but never the less I quite enjoyed it. Personally I'd say if I hadn't been there pushing the pace the way I was I think the girls would have been caught but hey I'm a bit biased! It was absolutely freezing on the bike and my ability to sprint seemed to leave my legs completely. I was so cold I didn't even take on any nutrition apart from one mouthful of SIS Go. I was lucky and probably should have had more! However it was bloomin hard trying to do anything with your hands. Because of the cold my hands kind of stuck in a claw position like Chandlers in Friends!! Coming into T2 we had approx 40secs on the pack behind which I think contained near 20 athletes.

Watching me back on the tricast I don't half look spaced out on the run eh?? However this is what I always look like when I'm ‘in the zone' Trying to block out all the numbness and cold and instead think of hips forward and quick cadence isn't easy and even harder when you're leading the World Champs! Loads of GBR athletes were scattered along the course and were brilliant at cheering me on despite the adverse conditions. The locals were also cheering me on as if I was a Canadian! I don't think I ever looked back once, I must have been feeling good! Every now and again the thought "Kirsty your leading the World's" popped into my head but I tried to not let myself believe it till I entered transition for the last time and ran up the finish gantry. I would never have had myself down as a crier but I couldn't hold it in and broke down as I ran over the line along with half a dozen other people I believe! The French guys' winner, Vincent, looked so cool crossing the line and I was this shivering blubbering wreck!

Despite all the people congratulating me and the medal and the press/media stuff it hasn't quite sunk in yet... I mean think of all the people in the World 19 or under. It's crazy! I've got 9hrs of flying time to use to contemplate it though so it might have sunk in by the time I see you lot again!

I watched the age-groupers race yesterday and want to say a HUGE well done to all the GTC and Scottish athletes out there. Vicky- you were stunning and demolished them. And of course my Mum who looked the best in her suit out of everyone I think (!!) and also performed brilliantly. My Mum is 9th in the World! How amazing is that?

So have been chilling and eating vast amounts of puddings since I have finished. Me and the junior guys James, Jeremy, Jonny and Matt went white water rafting in 2 degree water today which was absolutely fantastic and I honestly haven't laughed so hard in a long time at the goings on there! Watching the rest of the races tomorrow which I recommend you all do too. Looking forward to a good days racing and hopefully no rain although I've probably just jinxed it now!

Not sure if I will see you all this week- I'm officially on down time till the end if this month and want to have a bit of me time so might not be training a lot! But anyway thanks again and this is Kristy McNicholl saying good night from Vancouver!

xXx