After a highly successful career at the University of Colorado, which included a school record of 13:18.46 for 5,000m, Brent Vaughn will make his professional debut on June 27 in the 5,000m qualifying rounds at the Olympic trials. Brent is coached by Colorado coaching legend Mark Wetmore. With his wife (and former teammate) Sara, he is parent to Ciara Grace Vaughn, who will turn 2 in September.
Will you be staying in Boulder for the foreseeable future?
Yeah, but I’m actually hoping to do some altitude training in Boulder and then some periods at sea level, hopefully in Portland [Oregon].
With the Jerry Schumacher crew?
I imagine we’ll meet at the same time and start our runs together. I don’t know if we’ll be doing the same workouts, but it would be cool if I could at least meet with them.
When would that occur versus when you would be at altitude?
It’s not something I’ve gotten into too much yet. I have to talk with my coach and see when’s the best time, depending on what my racing schedule is next year. We have to plan that out and then see where it fits in.
Have you had a chance yet to think about what else might be different now that you’re not in college?
I think the main thing is I’m going to have a lot more time to rest. I think I can train harder than I did this past year. I look forward to doing that—throwing in more workouts, and harder workouts, and more volume, and also resting more.
Did you enjoy being a student, or were you kind of eager by the end for it to get over so that you could move on to the next phase?
I started off as a math major and I finished that in four years, and then I picked up a business major, and while business school was easy, I didn’t really enjoy it. By my fifth year I was pretty burned out on school and was more focused on athletics.
Is your main focus the next few years the 5,000?
Probably 5,000 and 10,000.
At the Olympic trials, of the guys who have the Olympic A standard, you’ve run more 5Ks this year than the rest of them. Lagat has run one, Tegenkamp one, Solinsky none. Is that good or bad for you?
I don’t know. I guess it’s probably a slight disadvantage that I had to go run all these meets. But luckily for me, a lot of them weren’t all-out efforts. That’s good, that I didn’t have to race hard every single time. I think more than anything it’s a mental thing. I feel fresh and I’m very excited for the trials. I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. I think I’m just as prepared as all those other guys.
First I have to focus on getting there. I think they only take 12 guys, and it’s a loaded field, so first I’m going to focus on getting there. After Friday night, then I’ll think about the final. It’s a deep field, so I better be on my game in the prelim, and then even more so in the final.
