Sexagenarian returns for Tagaman

Mike Adams celebrates at the finish line of one of the Tagaman Triathlon races he completed. (Contributed Photo)

Before former Saipan resident Mike Adams left the island in the early 2000s, he told the people behind Tagaman Triathlon that he will still go through the course and they would have to time him if the race has been scrapped.

“Before I left Saipan I told Bill Sakovich, Wolf Mojica, and Bobby Winkfield ‘you have to keep running Tagaman so I can come back when I’m 60! If the race is not being run anymore I will still come back to run it again and you can time me and hold my bike,’” said the Cambodia-based Adams.

Sakovich and company are spared from the hustle, as Tagaman Triathlon continues and will have its 30th edition this Saturday.

“I am so pleased to see that the tradition of the Tagaman race is still being carried on today,” said Adams, who are among the athletes returning to Saipan to race in this weekend’s event.

“Since my very first Tagaman (1990), it has been my life-fitness goal to return to Saipan and complete the Tagaman Triathlon in every decade age group category until I was 60. I did Tagaman in my 30s and 40s while we lived on Saipan and I returned when I was in my 50s a few years back. This year I turned 60, so it’s time to do Tagaman in my fourth decade,” he said.

Adams still has vivid memories of his early Tagaman days, including his “training buddies” and the person who inspired him to try the sport.

“I was first inspired by Mr. Chang (Chan Whang Jang), the marathon runner. He completed the first ever Tagaman even though he was mostly a distance runner. He received one of the bikes given to encourage local residents to participate. Mr. Chang told me he could not swim very well and did a lot of it doing side-stroke. I thought that if he could do Tagaman, then maybe I could too, and I joined Tony Stearns and others who were training for the next race,” Adams said.

“There were a bunch of us from Saipan training together for the 3rd Tagaman. Tony organized the training races and I remember riding along with him, Jerry Facey, and Keith Aughenbaugh trying to keep up. The main memory I had of my first Tagaman was that I finished. That was really my only goal. When I took my glasses off to swim it was hard to see since I am a bit blind. I would just follow the other swimmers since I could not see the next bouy,” he added.

Adams completed his first Tagaman in about five hours and then had a better time (4:50:00) in the second when he trained better.

“This year I am aiming to match or beat my time from seven years ago. My goal is simply to keep finishing Tagaman for as many years as I can. I have never been a fast racer, for me it was always about finishing,” he said.

He looks forward to enjoying the Saipan water when he races this weekend.

“I have always been a swimmer and enjoy that the most. After I started wearing contact lenses, I enjoyed the swim section so much more since I could see everything. I love seeing tropical fish go by and one time on the Rota race, people saw sea turtles swimming by. I had to remind myself ‘hey, you’re in a race and stop watching all the fish.’” Adams said.

“I always knew I would come back 30 years later. During my first race I was inspired by a 60-year-old Japanese triathlete, I think his name was Mr. Watanabe. As I took off on the run I noticed his even steady pace as I passed him by. Later as I was slowing down, I heard his even footsteps as he caught up and passed me. I thought to myself right then, ‘if I am still finishing Tagaman when I am 60 years old I would be really happy.’ His example taught me to run my own race, which is something I will try to do again this year.”

Mike Adams, right, poses with local athlete Daniel Calvo before the swim leg of one of the Tagaman Triathlon events. (Contributed Photo)