Run Fast, Run Forever Presented by Lever Movement EP05: The Complexity of Coaching the 800
Host - Brad Miles
Guest - Tom Brumlik, Head Coach UA Mission Run Baltimore 800m & Consultant for Under Armour
What makes the 800-meter race one of the most challenging and intriguing events in track and field? Tom Brumlik, the driving force behind the coaching of 800-meter athletes for Under Armour's Mission Run Team, has the answers to this question. Alongside host Brad Miles, they discuss the complexities of coaching this event, explore the philosophies behind Tom’s approach and the strategies he has implemented to enhance his athletes' performances.
From his initial days coaching at the high school level to playing a significant role at American University under Coach Matt Centrowitz, Tom shares his journey and the founding of the District Track Club. He acknowledges the impact that mentors like Matt Centrowitz and Drew Mearns have had on his career, shaping his views on coaching and athlete development.
Tom’s coaching ethos–rooted in a passion for competition and helping athletes achieve their highest potential–truly shines through when he discusses coaching the 800-meter. Detailing a week in his training program, he reveals the delicate balance between aerobic base building, endurance work, sprint sessions, and essential recovery periods. A key component in this regimen is the Lever Movement system that enabled his athletes to increase their training volume without the wear and tear. This is exemplified by the improvements in both aerobic capacity and race times of one of his athletes.
Quotes
- "I've always just been attracted to the complexity of the event, the amount of difference, the amount of different skills and knowledge that you have to have to understand the event. Cause again, you gotta be a sprint coach and you have to be a distance coach." (22:13 | Tom Brumlik)
- "We found a lot of good success in getting athletes to be able to get a lot of volume on those Monday base work days with the lever." (25:34 | Tom Brumlik)
- "If you're not aerobically fit, you're not going to put together a good 800.” (39:10 | Tom Brumlik)
- "In general, our athletes have developed a lot aerobically because of utilizing the lever and we have eight athletes right now. A couple of them are due to the program. But with that group specifically, we've just been able to get in a lot of really, really high-level aerobic work, keep it in the right parameters, make sure it's truly something that's going to help you develop aerobically.” (39:26 | Tom Brumlik)
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