Country: Dominican Republic
Profession: Coach and marathon runner
Virgilio took up running in 2013 after running a local 10km race with no prior preparation. He had been forced to quit swimming; a sport he had been involved in since infancy due to economic circumstances. This sparked his interest in road running, and he used his background in nutritional studies to aid in his training.
He is now a certified running coach, and a mentor to some the Dominican Republic’s biggest athletes.
When running a marathon, when does it really begin to hurt and how do keep you going despite the pain?
Running a marathon involves weeks of training, dedication, sacrifice and effort. It teaches you to respect the distance and obey running cycles in order to improve. Dealing with the pain is a important part of the equation – the one who endures the most pain is the one who has the best chance of winning.
Usually for most runners pain begins after 30 kms, other at 36 kms. Most times it is due to muscle fatigue from exertion and when your energy levels begin to drop considerably as glycogen is used, together with the salt loss due to sweating, and this leads to the appearance of painful cramps. That moment is where the pain begins and the battle between mind, body, distance and time becomes intense.
When the pain appears, the incessant mandate that my mind gives to my body is to relax, continue and not stop until the finish line. My coach always told me that the body obeys the dictates of the mind!
What lessons would you like to impart to the athletes under your guidance?
An important focus that I work on during training is motivation. I have verified that the confidence of athletes increases when you guide them during training; the presence of the coach is as vital as wearing your running shoes.
I teach them, we correct mistakes and I even train with them. It’s a way to encourage them and challenge them to give their best… it’s not easy to beat me but many times they do it hahahahaha. I always tell new members that in trials they have to beat the oldest member of the group but I never say it’s me!
In the end it all comes down to training hard and being motivated, always.
The Dominican Republic has produced excellent results in the recent major championships, what excites you most about the future of sports in the country?
Seeing our country’s flag at the top of the podium and listening to our nation’s anthem is the best feeling any Dominican can feel, no matter if you are an athlete or a spectator.
Weeks ago I was interviewing 4 athletes, including Marileidy Paulino, Tokyo 2022 olympic silver medalist and winner of the 400m in the Diamond League in Zurich 2022. Her expectations are very high, and not only are her workouts intense but her determination to bring happiness to all Dominicans is at the top of her goals. This applies equally to other sports such as Taekwondo, Karate, Boxing and Weightlifting which for years have produced the great finalists and medalists for our nation.
So, I definitely see is a great future in our sports.
When do you feel the most scared?
My life is full of moments wrapped with emotions, but there is no space to fear or feel scared. Over time I have learned how to master my fears and turn them into strengths; that´s what I teach those around me.
One of the motivational phrases that I teach the most to athletes I train is: “Leave your fears out of your life and follow the dreams of your heart”. The more motivated and integrated we are in the team, the fewer fears there will be.
Where would we find you on a Sunday afternoon?
On Sundays you can find me relaxed, sitting on a sofa drinking coffee.
My tasks on Sundays is to plan and review the training programs for the runners (and mine as well), and then to spend time with my family and go for walks with them. I understand that on Sundays the runners rest after the hard training of the week. After the long runs on Saturday mornings they have the rest of that day and the whole of Sunday to rest – so that is about about 36 hours of rest to hydrate, supplement and eat, to start again on Monday. The difference in performance between a rested runner and one without rest is remarkable. That is why I strongly emphasize the importance of rest on Sundays.
What is your favourite Dominican food?
Gastronomy is very variable in the Dominican Republic. Although my diet is vegetarian since the beginning of 2018, one of my dishes that I like is the traditional mangú, a dish made with mashed green bananas accompanied by onions, fried or scrambled eggs and avocado.
Which book would you recommend everyone reads, and why?
I would recommend Dale Carnegie´s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, a book essential for anyone working with people and a great tool to improve your social skills.
Another book that triggered my emotions and motivated me to live with intensity is “The 7 Mindsets to Live Your Ultimate Life” by Scott Shickler and Jeff Waller. This book provides an unexpected blueprint to living an extraordinary life. The findings are revolutionary and will impact countless lives. If you want to live your ultimate life and help ensure that future generations do as well, then this book is a must read!
Finally, the books of an author that I have followed since I was very young and who has strongly shaped my leadership is John C. Maxwell. As a coach, we are often faced with the low self-esteem of athletes; their distrust in being able to achieve success is often predominant in them and many times they cannot handle failure. For these situations, a speech is not the only solution, but to take them directly to the books and positive information that stimulates confidence in them so that they can handle moments of failure. From Maxwell I recommend these books: “Failing Foward: Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones for Success” and “How Succesful People Win”.
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