Recovering from Shoulder Surgery with the Colonial Road Runners
"I was pretty angry at just about everything. I didn't want to be handicapped at this young an age."

Rob Vance was just 35 when he felt that way. He was angry that he had the mountain biking accident that destroyed his left shoulder. He was angry at the emergency room personnel who misdiagnosed the extent of his injuries. He was angry that he had to endure six weeks of painful physical therapy that went nowhere. But he was especially angry that it was likely he could no longer be an athlete, and no longer lead a normal life. "I wouldn't be able to comb my hair, to drink a beer. It was definitely a low point. I went into the hospital a complete wreck."

It all started the weekend before Halloween in October 2000, for Vance, who lives in Grafton, works in Yorktown and runs and bikes in Williamsburg, Virginia. Vance was mountain bike training at Waller Mill Park in Williamsburg three days before a planned race near York River State Park. Going over a three-foot log jump, Vance did a nose-dive, flipped over his handle bars, bounced off his arm, and hit his head into a tree. The damage was severe, an AC (acromio-clavicular) separation of the left shoulder, with a crushed humerus, shattered humeral head and rotator-cuff tear. "It basically destroyed my shoulder and blew out the ligaments," said Vance.

At the emergency room, doctors minimized the damage, saying it was just a common AC separation. "This happens all the time," they said, in part because the X-rays were taken at an angle that didn't show the severe damage. Based on that diagnosis, Vance's orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Douglas Ayers, recommended six weeks of physical therapy. When Vance showed no progress, Ayers decided an MRI was necessary for a second look. The MRI showed the devastating damage. By that time there was necrosis of the shattered bone tissue, eliminating the simpler option of having pins re-set the shoulder. Major half-shoulder-replacement surgery at Williamsburg Community Hospital was the only hope.

The shoulder wasn't the only part of Vance that was damaged. The failed physical therapy had him doubting himself. "I thought I couldn't handle the pain, that I was doing something wrong, that I was being a wimp." And even the option of surgery didn't cheer him up. "I was pretty much told that I wouldn't [be an athlete], the Thursday before the operation. The prognosis was bad." By the time of the operation, Vance "was run through the wringer. Mentally I wasn't there. I bottomed out." In attitude and appearance, he looked and felt much older than 35, and wasn't sure whether his running, triathlon, and mountain biking career was over.

Vance, now 37, has come a long way since that day. The surgery was performed by Dr. Ayers on December 5, 2000, with a seven- inch magnesium alloy prosthesis inserted, replacing the humerus bone and shoulder-socket joint. "It looks like a bicycle seat post," said Vance, who now goes by the email nickname "Bionic Rob." This past December 5 was a double anniversary for Vance, as the date was also the fifth anniversary of his start as art director for the Nancy Thomas Galleries of Yorktown and Williamsburg.

Also helping his recovery was the Colonial Road Runners. "The entire running club showed up in the hospital. That really made me identify with the CRR," said Vance. "Maybe I could beat the odds, and be an athlete again." With numerous sessions at Williamsburg Physical Therapy, Vance has gradually recovered. In 2002 he finally bettered his previous running PRs. While a freshman at Old Dominion University, Vance ran a 19:16 in 1983 for the 5K, finally bettering that 17 years later in 2000 at Fort Eustis's Mulberry Island 5K (18:57), just two weeks before his bike accident.

Ten months after the shoulder surgery, he was back to a 19:18 at Williamsburg's Hospice 5K Run at Ford's Colony in 2001. Vance does triathlon and cross-country the first half of the year, so after an August triathlon in 2002, he turned his attention back to running, and his 5K times started to drop dramatically. An 18:51 at September's Mulberry Island 5K was a PR and his second- ever 5K below 19 minutes. An 18:57 at the William and Mary Homecoming 5K followed a month later, then an 18:37 at the hilly Stonehouse 5K in Williamsburg. Shortly after returning to the 19- minute level, Vance threatened 18 minutes at the Governor's Land 5K Run for the Brain (Nov. 23, Williamsburg) with an impressive 18:11, a remarkable improvement. He won the men's 35-39 age group in a personal record, and clinched second place in the CRR's Grand Prix for the men's 30-39 division.

Vance's multi-sport career started while at Menchville High School in Newport News (class of 1983), but he was not on the cross country, swimming, or track teams, but rather competed for James River Velo Sport Club, a very competitive road bicycling team. His senior year, he placed fourth in the state for the junior age group (16-18).

At Old Dominion, Vance received his degree in English in 1988, but did not take any art courses. His mother was a painter, though, so Rob had some inspiration to create. At ODU, he painted guitar cases and drum kits, then did stage design, building murals. Now acrylic on wood is his specialty, and several CRR members have Vance originals at home.

While concentrating on triathlons the first half of the year, Vance uses a periodized training program. This year he said he "trained smarter," and had a 25-race schedule (running and multi-sport events combined). He peaked at the Bandit's Challenge, an Olympic distance triathlon on a hilly course in August, where he placed in the 80th percentile. Although he qualified for the national triathlon championship (in Idaho) this year, he did not make the trip. His performance at the Bandit's Challenge has re-qualified Vance for the 2003 national championship in Shreveport, LA this October.

While in triathlon training, Vance has done up to 200 miles per week cycling, up to 4 1/2 miles per week swimming, and up to 45 miles per week running (but he tapers back to 18-25 miles for important races).

Besides harder and more consistent training, "I'm much more motivated to run a fast pace throughout the race," said Vance about his breakthroughs down to 18:11 for the 5K. His next goal is to get into the 17s. "I can taste it. I have to at least try." Considering where he's come from in the past two years, Vance has already succeeded.