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FLRC Newsletter - October 2004 |
| What I Did on My Sumner Vacation: Tim at Camp | |
Almost exactly thirty years after going to my first and only running camp to date, I headed out for my second. This time it was on a different continent and with just a couple more miles in the logbook since that first one. Over the winter, I had found Claremont Trails Adult Running Camp in New Hampshire on the Web, and after a couple of emails with the owners I was convinced that this would be a good time. I sent in my deposit in late March and was committed to something new. I was looking forward to doing something different than working for a few days.
Owned and run by Mike and Kelly Phillips, the camp is only in its second year. They host children's camps other weeks of the summer and, in just a very short time, have set the groundwork for an excellent enterprise. Kelly was formerly the Head Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track Coach at the University of South Florida and was a two-time Olympic trials qualifier in the 1500 m and an All-American in the mile and 3000 m while at Auburn University. Mike has 13 years of high school coaching under his belt and has developed many runners that have gone on to college to continue their running careers. He ran the 400 m and 800 m in high school and played football at James Madison University. One or both joined us on every outing. They were also very ably assisted at camp and on the runs by David Nierenberg, a very smart and athletic university student.
The adult camp started on a Wednesday afternoon, and the Sunday before I had run the 30 K at Madness. This had been my longest race ever (editorial note: see Tim's accompanying account of his Monster exploits), and I was still a little stiff as I drove to camp psyched to meet new running friends and enjoy some trail running in a different state. On arriving, I was warmly greeted by Mike who showed me to one of several army style platform tents in a neatly mowed area—this was to be my lodging for the next few days. The tents are roomy but sparse, with mattress beds on frames, thankfully! A few people had already arrived; others filtered in and were introduced. It seemed like there were roughly equal numbers of men and women—roughly 19 or 20 people in all.
I must admit I arrived not really having much idea of what to expect. But that was fine by me, this was a little adventure and I had been looking forward to it for a while. Around a campfire on the first evening, individual personalities started to emerge, and returning campers were obviously pleased to see each other again. The food was very well prepared by a woman named Pam who did a terrific job all camp pampering us and accommodating to our needs. It was nutritious, plentiful, and also very welcome with all of our running and other calorie-burning activities. From the first day it was obvious the camp was going to be an enjoyable place—a time to get away from everyone's normal daily routines and spend the day doing what all of us enjoyed. We ran trails, and we ran more trails. We ran hills, railroad beds, mountains, valleys, and fields. And almost always I think we went off road. We swam, played volleyball, Frisbee'd golfed, hiked, canoed, went on trips to Vermont and elsewhere, and had plenty to drink (and not only water and Gatorade) and played some quieter games, too. We had a special guest visit by the unforgettable Ronnie Harris, an unbelievably smooth runner who missed running with the 1996 U.S. Olympic team in the 3000 m by just a quarter of a second. (We also discovered one evening how his and Mike's incredible knowledge of the world of trivia would put anyone to shame!)
To describe a typical day isn't easy, as every day was different. The schedule was pretty hectic at times if you chose to do most things. But, to give you a vague idea, we often ran twice a day, around 7:30 or 8:00 am and then later at 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon. Each day was out with a trip in between and then something arranged for the evening, which was sometimes at the camp. We were driven to all the running locations in a minibus (a real beauty—that started every time!). Driving times to destinations varied within 10–45 minutes from the camp. This was fine, as we got to see the countryside and enjoy each others sweaty camaraderie on the return trips! The trails were extremely variable in nature depending on where we went. Everything from a "two hour challenge" on a flat railroad bed with several beautiful covered bridges, to running trails on the intimidating Mt. Ascutney in Vermont. By the end of camp, we had not managed to cover everything on the itinerary, but that was okay too—there's always next time.
I had fun. Lots and lots of fun! It rained. Okay, so it poured at times too for the first two or three days (out of four)—but, strangely, it really didn't matter. Running clothes rarely dried out, but if the smell got too much then the Laundromat was just down the road. As personal barriers were broken down (and as clothes became more rank, too) we learned about people's running achievements and goals. There were runners of vastly different abilities, and that was absolutely fine. Mike and Kelly had the attitude that you had come to have fun and you ran as much as you wanted to at whatever pace you were comfortable with, and that was great. It was as challenging as each person wanted to make it for him/herself. We also learned how a relative newcomer to running had run two 100 milers in a very short period of enjoying the sport. And, having met this person, I can say that it is not only his great ability but also his attitude that made it all possible. Although, given my level of enjoyment, the camp's duration was not long enough for me, having started with week with Virgil Mountain Madness I logged an unbelievable 80 miles—almost all on trails with not a single mile marker! My typical week is right around 30 miles, so 80 was way off the end of the charts. I have to confess that I was dragged around the last five miles on the Saturday afternoon with only one thought on my mind: "It's all about the mileage." I hope that attitude doesn't appear again for quite some time!
Mike, Kelly, the staff, and the campers were some of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet and run with. On the last day of camp, I asked Mike if they happened to have a 2003 sweatshirt left to sell (I liked the colors). A short time later I found one in my car that I'm convinced came right off one of the owners backs. Thanks guys—you are awesome! They would do anything to make their campers' stays enjoyable, or at least that's what they kept telling us! They have offered to give a rather generous award at one of our series trail races, for which I would like to thank them. I also wish them all the best for their future camps. They are planning to have a reunion at one of our trail events in the spring of 2005. The camp was a blast, and I will be one of the first to sign up next year. I encourage you to somehow persuade your significant other(s) that you have to go away for a few days in August to go and enjoy some running adventures (and other activities) that you'll never forget.
People have asked what I learned. Well yes, I did learn a few things about this sport that we all love. But mostly I learned that it can bring people together from vastly different backgrounds and from all over the country with wide ranging abilities to have a very enjoyable time together. Thank you Kelly and Mike, in your words: keep running.
Information can be found at www.claremonttrails.com, email Kelly at claremonttrails@yahoo.com, or mail to: Claremont Trails Running Camp, 82 Lane Ridge Road, Claremont, NH 03743.
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