Should I try to keep training at a summer camp where running is banned?

I just have two words of advice for you...Be Prepared.

Also if the camp offers a mile swim, do it. It's great cross training. It usually is a five day thing with: Day 1- 1/4, 2- 1/2, 3- 3/4 4- 1/4 and on the fifth day the full mile.

Are there really no other runners/athletes there? I went to a student council camp for 10 days and we just ran super early before everything started. There were 2 other girls from my school XC team I ran with, but we also saw others out running too.

Even if I was the only runner, I'd just get up and run early. It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

As an Eagle Scout, Member of OA and FireCrafter I have never had a problem running at scouts. Like every other area of life though there are some people who are just plain morons. My feeling is that if you explained to your leader your long term goals (say you want to run in college) they will allow you to run. I myself have put in some amazing miles at scout camps where running is banned (primarily because it's a place where knives, fire, and teenage boys often combine so they have to limit a lot of things in order to stay in business). I highly doubt your scout leader will not allow you to run unless either you are actually a jerk and he doesn't respect you and want to complain to people who will side with you (LRCers) or he is an absolute moron which in the case of the latter I would appeal to the troop committee. I think if you actually ask (it appears you haven't because otherwise you would have said so) they will admire your dedication and allow you to pursue that.

You never know too because of me appealing to the camp director my camp now does a triathlon because kids thought they could keep up with me and wanted to race but didn't want to just challenge me in a run.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Are there really no other runners/athletes there?.

Nope, none from my troop at least. I don't really want to go around camp asking "Is anyone here a runner?" either. I'm probably just gonna go for easy runs as far as I have time for, probably 3-4 miles. The hill intervals that a few people suggested sound like a good plan so I will try to do those every other day. I'll also try to look as much like a serious runner as possible with short shorts, Kinvaras, a tech shirt, and like a headband or something. I have seen adults running in camp before so if I get caught I can just call hypocrisy.

The op is either a troll, or the most articulate 16 year old ever. I've coached hs kids for 11 years, and they don't think or write the way this "kid" does. So kudos to you either way.

My 2 cents. Get your runs in, if questioned explain calmly and respectfully what you are doing and why. Then plead ignorance. Then beg forgiveness.

You really belong in the Man Scouts at your age.

In High school, I worked at scout camp for one summer. Same deal with running being banned. Before they banned it kids were hurting themselves constantly. I wanted to stay in shape so I just told the camp leaders I would run in the morning and they didn't care.

It really sucked, because as a result I didn't get enough sleep. I did get in my running most days, but quality suffered with the lack of sleep. That or the fact that it was the summer I first started drinking...

Ironically, it was an incredible place to run. The full camp was about a 5 mile loop if I ran the perimeter, up to about 8 if I didn't run the quickest way around. It was about half super soft trails through the redwoods and about half through various open areas, with mostly rolling hills, only a few tough spots.

On weekends when the campers were gone they let me run during the day.

If you can't run early, could you just leave camp for an hour each day? Maybe you'll get lucky and your campsite will be near the edge of camp and you can get onto some non-bsa property quickly.

Ask one of your adult leaders. I would be amazed if anyone really cared if you went running. What the rules say and what actually happens can be very different. If they don't want want you to then respect that. Besides taking off 10 days isn't that big of a deal. It's not like you'll be sitting around all day doing nothing. Enjoy yourself!

twitel wrote:

The op is either a troll, or the most articulate 16 year old ever. I've coached hs kids for 11 years, and they don't think or write the way this "kid" does. So kudos to you either way.

Lol, I'm not a troll. This is pretty funny. You are right that most kids my age don't write well though.

Hi OP,

I'm an Eagle Scout/Collegiate runner who had a similar concern back in high school. I spent 7 years going to Camp Yawgoog in RI for a week or two over the summer. Like your camp, running was banned and getting runs in with a pretty packed schedule was definitely a big concern. I ended up doing something along the lines of what you planned, albeit in a less clandestine manner. I talked with my leaders and those who worked at the camp, and they were fine with me getting up early to run first thing. The dirt roads and trails were great, and it didn't impact my experience at camp in any negative way. Planning on running a little less if you have to during this period may also be a good idea depending on how you feel. Attending this camp with lifelong friends is one of my best memories to date. I know a lot of runners who were/are involved in scouting and vice versa. Anyway, I hoped my anecdotal rambling helps in some way. Good luck.

Yours in scouting.

Turd Ferguson wrote:

scoutee wrote:

City boys, pretty boys, and mamas boys may not appreciate it, but they are the exception.

Or people who prefer to enjoy the wilderness without being in a herd. One eagle scout I met was shocked that I venture into the woods and climb mountains solo. I was shocked at his lack of understanding self sufficiency.

Not likely. While I really wasn't into scouts in my later teen years but I remember going on week long 50 mile hikes as a 14, 15, and 16 year old. A group of 5 and 1 adult, we literally lived on fish and boiled water. Remember trying to sleep through lightning storms and wandering off alone to look for more secluded places to fish. Remember having to spend a day and night completely alone in a Wyoming forest - something I'd be leery of today because of Grizzlies. Remember sleeping in snow caves and having a tent completely collapse from snow and having to dig out.

When I joined the army, I was one of the few that had any outdoors experience. I always have to laugh when people bag on scouts. They complain that kids don't get out much these days and then turn right around and say scouts is silly.

twitel wrote:

The op is either a troll, or the most articulate 16 year old ever. I've coached hs kids for 11 years, and they don't think or write the way this "kid" does. So kudos to you either way.

OP wrote:

My main option would be to get up really early and sneak out while everyone's asleep, run 5-6 miles, stop by the showers, then try to sneak back to my campsite before anyone's awake (and almost certainly get kicked out if caught).

Indeed. Kid seems bright.

OP, I know your situation. I was often the kid who was on school trips for band, academic competitions and so forth while still hoping for uninterrupted training. Here's my advice: stop it.

We are talking about ten days in the middle of summer. Assuming that you can run the morning you leave and the day you come home (are you are clearly neurotic enough to do so), that's eight days. You are not exactly going to be sitting around during this that, either, but hiking, climbing, doing obstacle courses and playing sports (if my memory of camp serves). FFS, some former scout posted that there is often a mile swim^.

You say you are at 50mpw, so plan to run 50-55-60 or even 50-58-65 the three weeks before camp. Then your camp days will present an enforced active recovery period, and you're back at it barely a week later. This could even be a good thing, preventing staleness and setting you up for a great last few weeks of summer.

If you absolutely (think that you) have to run, do so in your legit gear. It will feel like overkill, but half of the staff will assume that you are training for Rio and leave you to it. The other half care much less than you think they do.

Just getting in 30 minutes each morning is probably best if you are hoping to stay below the radar; getting lost and bursting in to breakfast dripping sweat will not help your cause. Alternatively, just find a nice straight or better yet a steep hill and do a hard set of intervals 2-3 times during the camp, taking the other days off. This intensity and shake-up of your training routine could be a good thing.

Take it from the people here who have been there, done that and lived another decade or two: the ability to take a week "off" and enjoy focusing on something else will prove more valuable in running and life than the compulsion to run daily regardless of context or life circumstances. And your 5k XC time this fall will be exactly the same.

Take it from the people here who have been there, done that and lived another decade or two: the ability to take a week "off" and enjoy focusing on something else will prove more valuable in running and life than the compulsion to run daily regardless of context or life circumstances. And your 5k XC time this fall will be exactly the same.[/quote]

Definitely true, except that I would add that your 5k time might be even be faster, rather than the same. Of course, I doubt anything we say here is going to prevent you from running if that's what you want to do. It certainly wouldn't have prevented me (I even ran at Philmont in the middle of the hike).

When I look back on the training that I did at Philmont and camp and other such vigorous, low sleep environments, I am astounded at how I could even function. If I awoke tomorrow feeling as tired as I did most summer days in high school, I would call in sick to work. Had I taken a week off here and there, I think I would have fewer bonk races, fewer injuries, and more overall success in high school. But, live and learn. And of course, it's nice to have those experiences as a contrasting reminder of how I like my training to feel now.

Gdsfg wrote:

Not likely. While I really wasn't into scouts in my later teen years but I remember going on week long 50 mile hikes as a 14, 15, and 16 year old. A group of 5 and 1 adult, we literally lived on fish and boiled water. Remember trying to sleep through lightning storms and wandering off alone to look for more secluded places to fish. Remember having to spend a day and night completely alone in a Wyoming forest - something I'd be leery of today because of Grizzlies. Remember sleeping in snow caves and having a tent completely collapse from snow and having to dig out.

When I joined the army, I was one of the few that had any outdoors experience. I always have to laugh when people bag on scouts. They complain that kids don't get out much these days and then turn right around and say scouts is silly.

I don't know when you were in scouts, but it is a world away now from the awesome experience you describe. Today we park our cars in a public campsite, pitch tents there, and cook homestyle meals on propane stoves. That's it. When I joined I hoped to gain experience like you, and I have had the opportunity to do things I never would have otherwise done, but I'm still disappointed that I never learned real outdoorsman skills. These days I really think it's more about leadership than actual outdoor stuff, and although the adults still run the whole show, hopefully that will be a good background. I also want to join the military (AF officer) so the whole leadership thing might be beneficial to some extent.

hey fellow Firecrafter....where r u from? i got mine in Indiana. I'm now out east and they don't know what FC is. They have OA but no FC.

as for the original post, i solved this need another way. i'm now an adult at camp (cub scouts so far) and i run. No one ever tells me not to. I did though have a bit of a squabble with our pack leader. he yelled at the kids to not run around camp. i politely told him to "never F*cking tell my son what to do".

i understand not running around tents with ropes and such but these kids were off in the woods. running in the woods is what I want my son to be doing. sure, he may fall. thankfully is also can stand back up. if he hurts his leg, brush it off, be a man, and get up and keep running.

how can a camp ban running? thats how we got to mess. how we got to the lake. hell, how we got everywhere. walking is too slow.

Get drunk and start a fight

where r u from wrote:

hey fellow Firecrafter....where r u from? i got mine in Indiana. I'm now out east and they don't know what FC is. They have OA but no FC.

What is FC? My camp is in central Missouri and we don't have that.

how can a camp ban running? thats how we got to mess. how we got to the lake. hell, how we got everywhere. walking is too slow.

It's more restrictive now. Like I said earlier, nothing is worse than a lawsuit if some kid trips and falls if you're the BSA.

As others have suggested, I would ask to see if it's possible to get permission. If not, I wouldn't worry about it. You won't be starting from scratch (or anywhere near it) when you get back, and you'll still have plenty of time to build a good base. There's a point at which you're going to negatively affect your camp experience for the sake of some half-assed runs with virtually no training value, which is the worst of both worlds.

Just train hard between now and when you leave:

http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/muscle-memory-and-endurance