Hello!
This is camp director Fran Cusick here. We are about a month away from camp and I thought I would write something up about Stowe Running Camp and why I think everyone should attend. Tracey Jordan of 30 Rock once said “Live every week like it’s shark week”: I live by the same mantra only I replace the shark week with Stowe Running Camp week. It is a blast and if you’re a potential camper, even at this late date, please read on and let me tell you about why you should attend.
First though, a disclaimer: I am the camp director. Obviously, when it comes to this sort of thing, much like a parent talking about how their child is going to get a scholarship to Oregon and be an Olympic gold medalist, I am incredibly biased. But I will just say this: there are a lot of great running camps out there, because there are a lot of passionate people out there who want to spread that passion to others. There are also a lot of bad running camps out there, which are primarily about making money. It’s not my place to tell you which is which, and I’m not going to sit here and lay claim to Stowe Running Camp as being the best camp in these United States. That may well be true, but it’s not my place to say!
What I will tell you is this: we care. Of the people we have on our staff, almost all of them went to Stowe Running Camp. Almost all of them have been coming back year after year. If you look at the photos from each year, you’ll notice that the same kids keep coming back because they have such a great time at Stowe.
So, why should you go to Stowe?
One reason, and the reason at the forefront of many runners’ minds, is the training. While at Stowe, you will get in a GREAT week of training. The town is a great place to run, as there are trails galore, including the famous Trapp Family Lodge trails. There is also a six mile bike path that is flat and paved for those days when trail running is not the best option.
People who know nothing about running tend to ask the same version of this question, usually with a quizzical glint in their eye and a slight tilt of the head: “Running camp? How does that work? Do you just run all day?” Of course we don’t run all day! In fact, even our highest mileage campers are only going to be running for, at most 12-13 miles in any single day (and that is very rare). So we have a lot of time on our hands. And some of that time is filled with running-related activities, whether it’s listening to great speakers like Olympian Ruben Sanca or 2018 NCAA Champion and New Balance Boston runner Elle Purrier. Some of it is filled with coaching seminars, where our staff and the campers converse in more of a Q&A format. We also go to a local pool for some aqua jogging, do strides on the fields of Stowe, strength work on the lawn outside the Round Hearth, and all of the things you would expect from a running camp.
But in addition to running related activities, we take a tremendous amount of pride in having other activities that are just as invigorating. Last year, we had Family Feud, a Stowe Running Camp version of Chopped, various tournaments like air-hockey, spike-ball, Kan-Jam, and volleyball that tend to get very competitive, a scavenger hunt, and a host of other things that the campers and counselors really enjoyed. Overall, the camp is a great mix of running related activities, structured activities, lectures, and just simple down-time where you can hang out with friends and play a game of Mafia or just sit around talking.
Next, I like to think that everyone who attends Stowe comes away with some piece of insight or knowledge that can aide them in their upcoming seasons. Whether it’s a new strength circuit, advice on how to properly cross-train, recruiting advice for those looking to run at the collegiate level, form analysis, or any number of other things, the opportunities for knowledge acquisition are boundless. While all of this may be readily apparent a day or two after camp, you will be exposed to a tremendous amount of knowledge and insight from people who care deeply about the sport of running. ,
Finally, we go to Ben and Jerry’s! It is always one of the highlights of the week. Nothing tastes better than a well earned ice cream cone, and at Stowe Running Camp, you will earn that sugary sweetness! Just don’t order the Vermonster and find yourself in an eating contest (looking at you, Dan Flynn).
There are many more things I would like to say about Stowe, but I think this is a good starting point for what you can get out of the week. The camp runs this year from August 5th to 10th, and we still have spots available. So if you are interested at all, please head on over to our website to learn more and to view this year’s brochure. Here is a link: Stowe Running Camp Registration Page.
If you have any other questions about the camp, contact me, Fran Cusick, via email at fcusick13@gmail.com. Thanks for reading, hope to see you soon!
-Coach Cusick
Stowe Running Camp 