Catching up with Coach in Florida

In December of 2019, I started my year-long coursework to earn the highest coaching certification offered by the world governing body of track and field, World Athletics (formerly IAAF). After studying at home for a couple of months, two dozen sprint, hurdle, and relay coaches from around the world came together for a very intensive seven days of class work and hands-on work at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. This gave us the foundation for our project that we would then work toward for the next nine months. Among the all-star lineup of coaches who were our instructors during that week was a star among stars, Lance Brauman. He was a college coach for many years before starting a professional sprinting group, PURE Athletics. There is a very strong argument to be made that “Coach” is the most successful sprint coach over the past 30 years. He has coached 11 men under 10 seconds in the 100m, and seven women under 11 seconds. No less than 39 of his athletes have earned global medals at the Olympics and World Championships. For those track fans: he has also coached men above 2.20m in high jump, five over 8m for long jump, and three 17m triple jumpers. His current most famous athlete is Noah Lyles, gold medalist in August 2023 at the World Championships in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

At the end of our day back in 2019, Coach offered up that any of us were welcome to visit his team training facility in Clermont, Florida. That was probably a nice thing to say, more than an I-want-you-to-visit offer, but I had every intention of taking him up on it. Moving forward to early November 2023 I realized very happily that all my Christmas exams would be given on the first morning of the first day. That gave me the gift of time. Very soon after that discovery, I reached out to Coach with a reminder of his 2019 offer, and he said to come whenever I like.

I was immediately welcomed by his professional group of runners. As silly as it may sound, one of the highlights of my trip was the fist bumps I received at the beginning and end of each day. Practices began as they do here: setting up hurdles, sleds, cones, and whatever else is needed for the three hours of track practice. In fact, that Monday looked very much like any Monday I would set up here at KES. That was very encouraging. During the practice I shadowed Coach as much as I could – rarely asking questions, but always listening, watching, and making notes here and there of coaching cues I wanted to bring back with me. Indeed, I was surprised at how exhausted I felt after the end of our five-hour sessions (off to the weight room after the track). Who knew a sponge felt like that?

In my time as an athlete and coach, I have trained with close to two dozen Olympians for extended periods of time in swimming, wrestling, basketball, and weightlifting, and many again from track and field. One of the things that all these Olympians have in common is a far above-average level of positivity. Among the PURE Athletics group of sprinters, I was blown away by two traits: their overwhelming positivity and their overwhelming commitment to technical self-improvement. Every challenge is an opportunity, and each setback is a time to move forward. Through stories of tremendous personal adversity and even life-or-death situations, the mental fortitude and ability to see the good in every situation was remarkable. Not that I had such intimate talks with everyone, but those I had were among the most emotional I have ever had. As for technical self-improvement, that is best demonstrated by one of the athletes, one of the fastest all-time in the NCAA who video records himself every practice for a couple of hours doing everyday things like warmups, drills, bench presses, squats, and then goes home to watch it like others watch game films. Other examples also blew me away. As Coach likes to say, there is nothing natural in sprinting.

On the last day, I said my goodbyes and gave my appreciation and many thanks to Coach. He then told me how we haven’t had much time to chat (not true!), so he asked if I would like to come over to his house for dinner and coach talk. Like a Hollywood movie of the loner awkward teen boy being asked to the prom by the most popular girl in high school, I can honestly say that my response was the only time in my life that I giggled out the answer, yes! I figured that I would be there for an hour or so. I had Christmas shopping planned on my last night for a certain special someone at a certain store where the closest location to Nova Scotia is Toronto. The store closed at 11 pm so I figured I was safe. Oops. That turned out to be close to five hours of PowerPoint, photos, videos, and another highlight reel moment when he said: Oh! I have something that no one has got to see! We then spent 30 minutes examining the second and seventh steps of a particular 100m start at the recent World Championships. How could I walk out the door? 

For those athletes and parents who have made it this far, I think it is worth noting some things that I did not see in practice. I did not see any pre-workout drinks. I saw a lot of water, there was Gatorade. I did not see any pre-meals, but I saw athletes eating real food: carrots, PB and J sandwiches, and muffins. Just simple, inexpensive, everything you need food.

About a week before I left for Florida, I visited 50+ year KES coaching legend Mr. Guy Payne for what turned out to be the last time. I had to share all the excitement I had with the only person who would be as excited as me. In Florida, two things that Coach showed me, proudly, in his trophy room, even more cherished than his NCAA, World, and Olympic rings and medals, were two books that his father had written back in the 70s and 80s. His father was a well-known coach of track and field in Florida. I took notes and figured I would look for them online. On my first night back in Nova Scotia and looking for a particular book among my many track-related books, what did I come across? Those two books by the elder Brauman. Better yet, I had them because of Guy – they were his books that were given to me (and all of KES). That was a special moment to return to.

If you would like to hear additional stories or learn for yourself some of the lessons that I learned, then just find me on the track most days of the week. Or, come out for our great KES track and field in March.

Thank you to the KES professional development committee that enabled me to attend the World Athletics Academy in 2019. Without that opportunity, I would not have had this one.