Sports camps help adults improve, through professional help Athletes in the Washington area can spend dozens of lonely hours training every week — running along the W&OD Trail, biking out to Sugarloaf Mountain or logging lap after lap in the pool.
But sometimes they need other training that will kick-start their training, helping them improve their skills and stamina — not to mention, make new friends.
That’s when sports camps come in handy.
Sports camps aim to improve athletes’ performance, with professional coaching and full days of workouts, and give participants a social environment. Camps can be found for just about any sport, for any ability level, for weekends or for weeks, from running to golf to basketball.
One such outlet is Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont, which was established more than 20 years ago and holds camps for runners, rowers and cross-country skiiers.
Looking for a camp?
» AthletiCamps: This California program offers camps for cyclists and triathletes, from weekend to six-day sessions. Info: Athleticamps.com.
» Carmichael Training Systems Camps: Offers cycling and triathlon camps. Info: trainright.com.
» GrownUpCamps.com: Lists adult sports camps all over the world, from running to equestrian to kite boarding.
» IMG Academies: Offers adult programs including tennis, golf and a “sports combo” package. Info: imgacademies.com.
» Nike sports camps: U.S. Sports Camps runs the Nike program, which holds many adult camps, including swimming, water polo, basketball and golf. Info: ussportscamps.com.
» Shaw Guide Directory: This online directory lists adult camps for everything from yoga to bullfighting to tennis. www.shawguides.com.
» ZAP Fitness adult running camps: This camp about two hours from Charlotte, N.C., caters to runners with any goal, from basic fitness to running a marathon. Info: zapfitness.com.
The weeklong camp starts off with a “stretch your legs” run, and features videotape analysis, speed work and endurance training. It also offers other activities — from hiking up mountain paths to yoga — to help adults improve their physical and mental stability. “It started off as a place where serious adult runners could come and get good coaching and hang out with like-minded individuals,” said Russ Spring, owner of Craftsbury running camp in Vermont.
Many camps offer weekend programs as well as weeklong sessions.
“It all depends on the individual and their time. However, shorter camps cover everything longer camps cover,” said Dean Hebert, director of Arizona’s Elevate Running camps.
SheDoesTri holds weekend camps in the Baltimore area, specifically for female triathletes.
Catherine Tredway Goodrum said she could not have completed her first triathlon without the SheDoesTri camp.
“I couldn’t have finished without it,” said the two-time participant. She said the profesional coaching she received on nutrition, running, cycling and swimming were critical to her training.
Still, trying to cram in an entire week worth of knowledge into a weekend can be taxing. The compressed activities are exhausting, she said, though she said many athletes cannot take an entire week away from their family or job.
“I would have liked a whole-week camp,” Tredway said.
SheDoesTri, run by David Clover and Krista Schultz, offers the ladies not only professional guidance on how to pace themselves while running, cycling and swimming, but also gives them an extra sense of comfort by allowing them to avoid the much more competitive males. The lack of men also allows for chats about popular culture and fashion, Tredway said.
The goal of Elevate Running camp for runners, duathletes and triathletes is not to overwork the runners, but to make sure they get quality coaching and professional advice and learn how to stay injury-free, Hebert said.
His camps offer sessions on proper conditioning, mental fitness and exercises to stay injury-free, as well as group runs and nightly movies with running themes.
“It’s quality over quantity. You are not going to become an Olympian,” he said.
