By Peter GambacciniAaron Braun was the winner of the men's 10k race at last Saturday's USATF Braun Aaron -McMillan EliteNational Club Cross Country Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, finishing just ahead of his McMillan Elite colleague Nick Arciniaga and helping that Flagstaff-based group to the team title. Braun finished up his eligibility at Adams State in Colorado after the 2010 indoor track season; he had earned six NCAA Division II championships in track and cross country. He quickly began to make his mark postcollegiately, finishing fourth in the 5000 at the USA Track & Field Championships, placing second at the hilly Cow Harbor 10K on Long Island, and taking third place at the USA 5K on the roads in Providence, Rhode Island. In the winter, he'd been fifth in the 3000 at the USA Indoor Championships. Braun, 23, has personal bests of 13:36 for 5000 meters and 7:51 for 3000. He is finishing up a masters program in exercise science at Adams State.
You and Nick Arciniaga were one and two at Club Nationals. Did it develop that way pretty much from the start?
Aaron Braun: At the start, Jason Hartmann and Ryan Sheehan took the lead. I can't remember exactly where in the race, but at two or three miles, Nick had caught up and we all went to the lead together – mostly me and him, but also Jordan (Horn) and Scott Smith. So that was a lot of fun, running together, all on the same team. Nick and I stayed together until about the last mile, when I was able to put in a move and put a little distance on him.
I don't know how much you knew about the field of entrants, but going into the race, did you see yourself as a possible winner?
AB: Yeah. Greg (McMillan, the coach) talked to us a lot; he thought all five of us guys had a pretty good shot, if one of us had one of our good days, of ending up winning. It was a good field. It was something we'd been training for and we'd been looking forward to running as a team, and it was a good opportunity for us. We all like cross country and enjoy the alternate terrain.
And you've been there with McMillan Elite for just about three months, and already you're a member of a championship team.
AB: Yeah. I got there at the beginning of September. It's been a really great transition from Adams State for me, both the altitude and the training techniques and the camaraderie of everybody on the team.
Alamosa (where Adams State is) is actually higher than Flagstaff, isn't it? Do things feel easier at Flagstaff?
AB: No. The only difference I feel is when I go down to 5,000 or 6,000 feet. It has to be 1,000 or 2,000 feet difference for me to feel it. Flagstaff and Alamosa feel about the same.
Are there some adjustments you had to make to the workouts Greg has you do?
AB: The overall training is pretty similar (to Adams State). Pretty much, the pass few months have all been base training for track season. We're taking a little break now, but he's told us that when we come back, the workouts will be structured a little bit differently. So far, it's been pretty similar to what I did in college, in that once a week you get a long steady state or tempo workout, and then the other workout during the workout will be a speed session or a hill circuit, something like that, and then you have long run once a week as well.
Early in 2011, would you do anything like the USA Half Marathon or USA Cross Country, or indoor track? Do you know what the plans are?
AB: I think indoor track is going to be my main focus. It being at Albuquerque (the USA Indoor Championships) is a great opportunity for me because I run really well at altitude. I want to do a couple of indoor races and just sharpen up for outdoor season, and maybe do a road race here and there. Nothing as long as a half marathon yet; that'll be in the future.
You'll probably run the 3000 at nationals?
AB: Yeah.
Could you tell us what the six NCAA D-2 titles you won were?
AB: There were two DMRs (Distance Medley Relays) as the mile leg. And then I won two indoor miles and two 1500s.
You were fourth in the USATF 5000 this June. Late in the race, you were still with the leaders, weren't you?
AB: Yeah. I did U.S. outdoors in 2009. That was just a good way of opening my eyes to what it was going to be like. I don't remember what I placed or what I ran (he was 12th in 13:56). I got my butt kicked, but it was an awakening – this is the next level, this is what you have to do. Indoors last year in Albuquerque was the first time I ran with guys like Solinsky and Lagat and Rupp up until about 200 to go (in the 3000). That gave me a lot of confidence going into the future. Now I just need to learn to get as fast as they are and be able to finish races higher up there. I'm moving in the right direction.
Being in contention in races that late against guys like that, even though guys like Lagat have terrific kicks, you always have to think "anything can happen at this point," right?
AB: Yeah. Lagat has proven time and time again he's the best in the U.S. My strategy in those races was to not worry about him and try to beat the other guys in the field. It's hard, knowing that he's going to pass you, because psychologically, it's so demoralizing when you do get passed that late in a race. That's one thing I've tried to work on. I have had some experience and success in maintaining composure and focus. I'm still trying to get second or third, or whatever.
Some of the 5000s you've gotten into are tactical and not likely to be fast. At the fitness level you're now at, you probably felt capable already of running a lot faster than your personal best of 13:36, didn't you?
AB: Yeah. I ran 13:36 two years ago and last year (actually, 2010) I got banged up after indoor season. I was not training for a week or two, and then training wasn't sharp enough. The only 5k I ran in the outdoor season last year (other than the USATF Championships) was at Stanford and the pace wasn't great and the sharpness wasn't there and it was 13:36 again. I know for sure I'm capable of a lot faster and I can't wait for the chance to prove it.
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