byLarry EderLast summer, we watched Tori Bowie win the 100 meters and anchor a fine 4×100 meters. We watched Shaunae Miller Uibo take a bronze medal in the 200 meters and a 4th in the 400 meters. At the Diamond League finals, we watched Noah Lyes win the 200 meters and Shaunae Miller Uibo win the 200m and 400m Diamond League titles. Funny thing was, Coach Lance Brauman had been telling me that Shaunae and Noah would run “very, very fast”!
Tori Bowie, Coach Lance Brauman, Shaunae Miller Uibo, photo from Coach Brauman
Pure Athletics is an adidas sponsored club that trains in Claremont, Florida. The club is coached by Lance Brauman.
What we never hear about is the years and years of training, with good years and bad years, that top athletes endure to make it to the very top. To use all of your talents, to find your limits, you need a fine coach. Lance Brauman is such a coach.
A great coach is always learning. A great coach is always observing. A great coach observes to understand their athletes. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? How does the coach help prepare his or her athletes for the upcoming challenges?
When I ask Coach Brauman questions, he always answers. Sometimes not the answers I expect, but that is not what matters. Coaches like Lance see the world a bit differently than we do. They break down beautiful running to its smallest details. Those amazing runs by Tori Bowie, Shaunae Miller Uibo and Noah Lyles this year were the process of all that work!
One of my favorite parts of my job is to observe coaches in their natural habitat. Lance knows his athletes and knows what they are capable of! The long hours of work, the long days of workouts and the focus needed to be the top athlete in the world in the sprints can not be under estimated.
We look forward to seeing Pure Athletics in 2018!
