The running program was well presented by the coaching staff and everyone had individual time and instruction with their coach . The daily discussion groups covering a variety of subjects were also interesting and informative. Our group runs were a lot of fun. It's nice to spend time with others who enjoy running.
We went on morning runs in the peaceful rural setting of Vermont, sometimes on the trails that meander through the forests, at other times on the quiet rural roads that wind through the area.
The afternoon runs were often followed with a swim in the beautiful crystal clear lake. Canoes at the lake may be used for free by the runners.
One of my favorite runs was a ridge run of six or ten miles, depending on where you wanted to start. The views were beautiful and overlooked the rolling countryside that was dotted by farms, green meadows and forests.
One day we all did speed work and on another day we were shown how important heart monitors were to the runner. I was happy to realize they recognized the value of heart monitor training, as I have been using one for years.
The camp provided the opportunity to try one free introductory lesson in mountain biking, orienteering, and sculling. All with instruction from an expert. The highlight of one evening was a volleyball tournament the runners had verses the sculler's. We had quite a few spectators cheering each time the ball was in play and a lot of smiles on the faces of both the players and spectators. I was right in the middle of the action. Although I'm a mediocre volleyball player, I felt like I was in the play-offs at a national tournament due to all the cheers and the flashes from cameras. The games were a lot of fun and none of us took it too seriously.
The last day of camp happened to coincide with an annual Craftsbury Commons 5k race, and all the runners from camp competed in it. The quaint town of Cratfsbury also hosted a craft fair that same day. All the race participants enjoyed cheers and applause from the crowd at the start and finish of the race. The Craftsbury camp runners did well and quite a few of us won some nice prizes at the end of race.
There just isn't enough space in this column to cover all the aspects of the running camp.
This summer is the twentieth year the Craftsbury Center will host runners from all over the
