BUCS Standard Triathlon, 25 Jun 2023

BUCS Standard... Lets go!

This year has been a roller coaster for sure. Having ended 2022 with an ankle fracture, been made redundant in January and then diagnosed with chronic asthma in March, 2023 got off to a pretty rocky start! Luckily, I had some incredible opportunities racing for Spanish team, Prat Triatlo, in the Spanish Duathlon league, where we claimed a handful of team victories in the Division 2 league. Furthermore, an invite to race for Vals Du Dauphine Olympic opened up in May, and I travelled to Nice to race in the French Division 1 Grand Prix. This is a highly contested event with some of the strongest athletes in Europe competing, and with it being round one of the competitions, the level was red hot! It was a fantasic couple of months travelling to and from central Europe. I gained so much confidence, travelling solo, immersing myself in a new languages and cultures, and making a host of new friends! I loved every minute!

With a bit of down time from racing in June, I was feeling optimistic about competing at BUCS Standard. I’d like to have been a bit fitter going into the race, but I had a race plan that I hoped would get me to the podium. The swim started well, with myself and my two Loughborough team mates leading the way. Conscious that my swim fitness is not quite where it was last year, I held something back, trying to not surpass the red line in order to give myself more oomph on the bike where I would be able to make up more time on my competitors. A tactic like this would not normally work in a super series race, where you rely on making a bike pack to ultimately ensure you are placed optimally for the final foot race. However, with the bike being TT format (and with my new TT bike!), I knew I’d be able to make up quite a significant deficit on the swim leader. I came out in the lead swim pack, 40s down on the solo leader.

My transition was one of the fastest of the day, a good start to my pursuit of the race lead. I was patient when I got onto the bike, taking on nutrition and settling into my TT bars. Time to put the hammer down! But before I could even reach my racing speed, disaster struck.

I have been doing triathlon for 10 years in September. I consider myself extremely lucky to have never crashed in a race or to have had any severe crashes in training. The handful of crashes I have had are either from leaning to far into a bend on descents or clipping a wheel from sitting slightly too close when drafting- all part of being a cyclist! So what happened next in BUCS came as quite a shock. A male rider passing me swerved very close, causing me to react and swerve left towards the curb. In an attempt to avoid a drain in the road, this was a very exaggerated movement. Unfortunately I completely over cooked how much I veered to the left, hit the curb and went head first over the handlebars into a ditch.

I’m super lucky that I landed on grass! No road rash, no scars- thank you very much (*phew)!! But having tumbled quite far from my bike, my neck and shoulder took quite an impact. You often hear of cyclists breaking collar bones, and I feared the worst as the adrenaline quickly wore off. I couldn’t locate the pain as it radiated through my neck and shoulder. Another triathlete kindly stopped to see if I was ok, refusing to continue his race until I had help. Luckily a kind local pulled up in her car and called my emergency contact, my best friend Katie who’d come to watch me race!

‘C7 spinal injury’ said the paramedic when they pulled up on scene. ‘Ah shit!’ I thought, I’m in trouble. Katie then arrived, and my mum, who I thought hadn’t been able to make it, was there too. The tears were flowing by this point. My university coach Nathan and nutritionist, Lois, also turned up. I felt so supported in that moment. Unfortunately Tim was out on the bike course and didn’t realise this had happened until later.

Luckily the initial shock of the crash soon wore off and further assessment from the paramedics revealed that my injuries weren’t as severe as initially expected. A torn rotator cuff is thankfully the only damage that has been done, swimming being the only training that I’m struggling with since the accident.

Weirdly the crash has stimulated me with even more motivation than before. It made me reevaluate my goals and the direction I want to head in with sport. I’ve learnt not to take for granted the fitness I have, and being able to compete alongside some of the best talent in the country and Europe is an accomplishment in itself. This year has had plenty of highs and lows so far and perhaps the vast contrast in emotions experienced at each end of the spectrum has left me a bit confused. I’m learning to ride these waves and rationalise how I perceive and overcome challenges. Hopefully some calmer waters are ahead for the end of the season.

Lilly Gibbs