Dr Joe Vigil and the Measure of a Man

In my family, I doubt there is a person who has had more influence on our family’s running practices and athletic philosophy than Joe Vigil. Joe passed away a few weeks ago, but not after helping to rebuild American distance running. Vigil is known for building a XC dynasy at Adams State University. He went on to work with Team USA’s Olympic distance program. Along with the great Bob Larson, he established a high altitude training base in Mammoth Lakes, California. From that high elevation camp, Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi would go on to the Olympics in Greece . Both would find the podium. I don’t know Joe Vigil personally, but I can recognize a truly great teacher when a see one.

Vigil would get up each morning at around 4:00AM. That’s right, the good ones get up early – hmmm. A lot of his best work was done while others were asleep. He would comb through medical journals. He would eventually unlock the benefits of high altitude training, proper recovery for distance runners, and even how to prepare (in a cold climate) for a correctly anticipated scorcher of a race in Greece.

His teams at Adams State showed an unyielding comradery which reflected the philosophy of their coach. Those teams were fiercely competitive. They trained in the harsh climate of Alamosa, Colorado. At 7,544 feet, it is perfect for training. But it is cold in the winter and windy/dry during the summer. You gotta be tough to survive there. But Vigil’s teams didn’t just survive, they thrived. In XC and track, he coached Adams State to 19 national championships – 14 in cross country alone. A whopping 425 of his runners were All-Americans, and they account for 87 individual national titles. They say that you will know a tree by the fruit that it bears. Well, there you go.

In his book, Road to the Top, Vigil outlines the concepts necessary for success. I don’t think that I need to connect the dots in how this relates to education or athletic forums. Vigil notes that it is the coupling of the physical and mental that develops the mind-body autonomy which gives way to success in running.

1. The body will adapt to gradual and progressive loads.
2. The body does not just adapt, it over compensates.
3. The body needs time to adapt and recover.
4. Possess great determination.
5. Develop patience.
6. Develop belief.
7. Develop discipline.
8. Develop intelligence.
9. Develop the proper environment for training.
10. Have great training partners.

Here are some of my favorite quotes.

There is satisfaction in beating a stopwatch. There is more satisfaction in beating other runners.

It is not the job of athletics to produce people who know or care not for nothing except athletics. Keep it in its place, behind family, your concern for the general welfare of the world, and your education. There are athletes and coaches who prepare to act as if athletics were life; it is not. It is but a corner, and a rich corner of life which will contribute immensely to your holistic development.

The athlete must listen, learn, persevere, and perform…Perseverance has to be part of the mind and character of the athlete.

You have to teach yourself not to worry about the mistakes that you make, but to develop the courage to hang in there five more minutes longer(than your opponent).

Whatever your goal, the last 3-4 laps of a race must be a relentless sustained drive. You must be committed to endure pain longer than your competitive adversary.

To run fast, you must run fast. (I might add to be sure to adhere to the 80/20 principle here!)

The most effective methods to improve and maintain the running economy are strength and speed training methods.

The 9 inches above the shoulder is what separates the “good” from the “exceptional.” Your success depends on your mental level of aspiration. If your standards are not high, you will wallow in mediocrity.

Never be afraid of your competition. They will bring out the best in you.

So what is the measure of a man? I have kept asking myself this during the past couple of weeks. I am not sure there is a metric for a great educator. But I will say this, you will often know very quickly when you are in the presence of one. Learn all you can from them. They raise the bar across disciplines, and they are often ahead of their time. While everyone is stuck in the goldfish bowl, they often have the perspective from outside of that bowl. They have vision, purpose, and most importantly, they care about people. They bring hope and not despair. They understand the process towards excellence is as important(or more important) than the end point!

ProTip: Joe Vigil in his own words.

Photo Credit: Me. I took it – LOL. Interestingly, this is the Mammoth Lakes Track Club track. It is open to the public. It sits right next to the Green Church Road which is where Deena and Meb prepared for the Olympic Games in Athens. It exemplifies the idea of “live high(altitude), train low.” Mammoth sits at abut 8500′ and the track is at about 7000′. But honestly, the best places to run in Mammoth are just behind the campground in the National Forest – if you made it this far, that last little fact is your pro tip. And the thing I really like about the Eastern Sierra Nevada? It fulfills Percy Cerutty’s requirement of running in beautiful places and how those places make running seem a lot less like work. It is always awesome to see something new around the next corner. Whether it be a mountain peak, a valley lined by granite, or an alpine flower blooming for only a brief time….the hand of the Creator reminds the runner that there is more to running than just times. Data is but a point in time. Learn to enjoy the journey.