TrackBrain.com has selected U.S. Olympic coach Joe Vigil to receive the Track Brain Coach of the Year Award. The award recognizes a coach who has achieved outstanding success through innovative training ideas, unique scientific research or a revolutionary coaching philosophy.

Vigil is the coach of Team Running USA California. In 2004, Vigil directed Deena Kastor to the bronze medal in the Olympic marathon, the highest finish by an American woman since Joan Benoit Samuelson won the gold in 1984.

Vigil counts three important factors a coach must focus on in order to achieve distance-running success. The first, says Vigil, is for the coach to keep abreast of scientific literature. Vigil himself spends one to two hours each morning reviewing research from around the world that the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs gathers for him at his request. Vigil also credits regular discussions on training theory he has with coaching friends from around the world at championship events. "We share," he says, "we share what we know."

Secondly, Vigil stresses the need to evaluate the athlete. He does this through annual blood profile and physiological testing that screens for deficiencies and indicates training intensities. Vigil also stresses the importance of hands-on time with his athletes by spending as much time as possible living them during the four years heading into the Olympics.

Lastly, Vigil emphasizes the need to develop VO2MAX and increase fractionalization, the pace an athlete can run at maximum VO2. Vigil points out the need to develop the cardio-pulmonary capacities of American runners, which lag behind those of the Africans. This is done, according to Vigil, through a progressive increase in training volume over years. Likewise, the fractionalization pace is also a long-term focus of training in his program. His athletes progress from only being able to complete three miles at this pace to running 13-mile workouts.

"I approach my job as a true professional," says Vigil, "and I back up my coaching with knowledge and interrelationships with my athletes."

Other nominees for the 2004 Track Brain Coach of the Year Award included Bob Larson and Clyde Hart. Trackbrain.com is the leading provider Palm handheld software made specifically for track coaches. Their software includes Multi Runner Split Timer, DecaScorer, XCCounter, RecruitBrain and T&F Converter.