How to be a Truly Competitive Runner

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Earlier this week I had the pleasure of joining some friends to hear Dr. Joe Vigil discuss how he trains runners to become national champions and Olympic medalists (Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi among them). The man has quite a sense of humor and quite a resume, having coached 425 All-Americans and been inducted into 11 Halls of Fame. He’s also featured in the recent best-seller Born to Run, which helped spawn the current barefoot running movement.

I thought I’d share a few bits of advice, both tactical and philosophical, gleaned from the coach’s talk at City College. In Joe Vigil’s world, they are pretty much one in the same because a truly competitive runner embraces a lifestyle and not just a sport.

Be passionate. If you are truly fervent about running, you look forward to every workout and you do not fear the potential pain of long runs or speed work. Embrace the experience and be grateful for the opportunity to be helping your body stay healthy. “You’ve got to run as a style of life. It’s got to be a part of what you do,” he said.

Be exceptional. Compared to other countries, particularly East African nations, U.S. runners in general do not set high enough goals. That’s because as a culture, we Americans are okay with mediocrity. Be one of the exceptions and set higher goals for yourself. “Don’t be afraid to work. It’s the way to success and victory in everybody’s life.”

Be consistent. Once you’ve determined your current fitness threshold, and set a goal on how much to exceed it in a given period, you need to work regularly and continually on achievement. Here again, if you consider running a lifestyle and not just a recreational pursuit, it will be easier to find the time and determination to stick with a training plan.

Be careful. It’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating: It’s not just a matter of moving; you need to watch what you eat, how much you sleep and how you spend your spare time. Know too when you’ve overdone it. “If you have to force yourself to do something, maybe you should back off a bit.”

That last piece of advice is all relative, since Coach Vigil’s athletes train 365 days a year. But he blocks out their training in five phases that should look familiar to seasoned runners.

I. Base Phase (12-15 weeks)
II. Pre-Competition Phase (6 weeks)
III. Competition Phase (6 weeks)
IV. Peaking or Tapering Phase (1-3 weeks)
V. Transition Phase (2-4 weeks)

To determine your base fitness level, run a mile at a swift but not-too-uncomfortable pace. Then each day/week add a mile. The key is to maintain that same pace. If you find after five or six miles that your pace drops, then you did not set the proper base pace. However, during this phase, you’ll also be doing tempo and threshold runs to lower your pace per mile, so continuing to hold or lower your long run pace should come easier.

By the end of the base phase, you should be running 40 to 70 miles a week. And during the transition phase (post-race recovery), you stay active but lay off running for at least a couple of weeks before restarting the cycle all over again.

With rational training, all of us should be able to run forever – though we all slow as we age and must adjust expectations. “Your desire to do something does not disappear with age,” he said.

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