Philosophy:
Helping establish an environment that leads to championship
seasons for teams and individuals is what Blue Ridge
Running Camp is all about. According to the results,
Blue Ridge Running has accomplished this goal year after
year. In the thirteen year history of the camp it has
produced over 20 state titles and more than a dozen
Foot Locker Finalists.
Why are teams that participate in Blue Ridge Running
so successful? The most obvious answer is that the best
high school coaches continue to bring their teams to
Camp year after year. These champion coaches make a
huge contribution to the electric atmosphere of the
camp. Couple this with the Blue Ridge staff’s
three tiered runner development plan and success is
inevitable. Physical development, education, and most
importantly, motivation, are the areas that Blue Ridge
Running serves to jump start for each team’s championship
dreams.
Enhancing the high school runner’s endurance base
is the physical development goal of Blue Ridge Running.
This is done through a highly individualized and structured
week of running allowing either the beginner, or the
prospective state champion the ability to progress.
Over twenty ability level groups will challenge each
runner with the correct balance of hard and easy runs.
Education
is an important component of the Blue Ridge Running
program. Campers have a wide selection of topics to
choose from during "mini sessions." These
twenty minute discussion groups will cover such areas
as nutrition, cross training, goal setting, racing tactics,
time management, flexibility, weight training, injury
prevention, and the college recruiting process. Each
runner is exposed to numerous ideas that can only lead
to better execution of their own training.
The hallmark of every Blue Ridge Running camp is motivation.
Any runner, or coach, with even the slightest desire
to improve, finds a new fire within after Blue Ridge
Running. Speakers at Blue Ridge Running offer much more
than their knowledge and insight, they offer themselves.
During the 1998 camp author and high school coach Ed
Linz offered his very personal experience of coming
back to coaching after a heart transplant. Bill Carson
showed his comedic side by discussing his early days
as a cross country coach at East Carolina. He also brought
the crowd to tears with the inspiring story of his relay
team winning an IC4A title after being involved in a
tragic accident that claimed the life of one of the
relay members from the previous spring. Adding to the
illustrious history of the Blue Ridge Running motivational
speaker’s have been: Olympians: Gold Medalists
Andrew Valmon and Harold Connelly, John Trautmann, Steve
Holman, Juli Henner, and Meredith Valmon, along with
World Championship Bronze Medalist Rich Kenah and former
American Record holder Matt Centrowitz. The motivational
impact of Blue Ridge Running lasts the whole season
as many coaches believe that it is an integral part
in the development of their championship seasons. |
