Frustrating Tagaman stint for Vance

Jim Vance had a frustrating campaign in the 19th Tagaman Triathlon as an injury forced him to pull out from last Saturday’s race.

The American former XTERRA Amateur World champion felt his hamstring and calf muscles tighten as he made a loop in the 2-kilometer swim leg of the Tagaman.

He managed to finish the swim but decided not to go on with the race heading into the bike transition area. “I was unable to finish the Tagaman. Everything was going well, I was even third out of the water after one lap.”

“Running around the cones, I felt my left calf and hamstring tightened. I knew right then that the race would be short for me,” said Vance, who still managed to finish the swim leg in 29 minutes and 58 seconds, second only to eventual winner Andrew Noble of Australia’s time of 28:29, among full Tagaman participants.

“It was a lonely swim for me since I came to terms with the reality of my situation.”

He said that his status for Ironman Arizona, which was four weeks away is still questionable and there is a chance that he might not join to allow his injury to heal. “It will be difficult to heal and train properly. There is little time to heal and still be ready for Ironman Arizona.

Vance suffered the injury while training in the Tagaman course three days after finishing second to Noble in the 7th XTERRA Saipan Championship. “I had to stop and walk back to [the house where I am staying at]. The calf and hamstring were both affected pretty bad.”

Vance, in his blog, said four-time XTERRA Saipan champion Renata Bucher’s friend and trainer Allan Collinson, who is a physical therapist in Australia, helped him in treating his calf and hamstring muscles.

Despite the frustrating finish in Tagaman, Vance, in his blog, thanked the people of Saipan for their hospitality and he would encourage some of his friends to join the Pacific Islands Club Double.

Vance was raised in Michigan and Indianapolis and began running in high school. He was an All-State cross country and track athlete, before walking-on at the University of Nebraska.

There he earned a full-athletic scholarship, two academic scholarships and graduated with his degree in 1999. Vance began teaching elementary school, and coaching high school track and cross country teams. In 2003, he was exposed to his first triathlon, and the success has come quickly ever since.

In late 2005, Vance committed fully to his passion of attempting to make the Olympic Games. He has put his teaching career on hold, in order to devote his life to competing at the highest level.

Vance has been to the U.S. Olympic Training Center. In his spare time, he enjoys running his coaching business via the Internet, as well as reading, learning guitar, and playing poker.