Friday, Aug. 01, 2008

West Texas training pays off

By BRIAN HERNALSTEEN

News-Mirror Writer

West Texas might not be the most attractive environment for running, but for a batch of runners led by former Mansfield coach Laurie Ellison, it just might be the right place for a little exercise.

Led by the camp motto "We are not going to tell you what we can do, we will show you," campers at the Paavo Running Camps endure daily runs across mountainous terrain and sand dunes. The campers also fit some distance running into the schedule.

The campers have been out at Ft. Davis, Texas, for the last week and have been spending their nights in tents, roughing it up for the good of their track futures.

While the Paavo Running Camps are in their 38th year, it is only the seventh year for the Run Across Texas Camp.

Mornings feature carbohydrates and a little bit of sugar, and dinners feature roughly the same. The calorie count has to be high for the campers, because they are burning them off faster than a lot of us wish we could.

Higher up in altitude, roughly 5,000 feet above sea level in the area, gives the runners an advantage in the fall. Training in higher altitudes with less oxygen will help the athletes concentrate on breathing.

"This is the camp where numerous key experiences are made, that can be used during races, life and the real world. It is a physical test of my ability and testing my limits," said Brandy Moore, six year veteran of the camp. "Running ability is what you make it, you must have a desire to excel at all costs. Work hard when it is hard to work.

"Personal gain always comes at personal expense."

That is good news for Mansfield and Legacy, with the schools combining to send nine of their own runners to the camp. The camp has 78 total campers, with a mixture of kids from around the state making up the camp.

The kids also participate in contests with other campers, whether it’s trying to better times or to go the longest without showering.

Legacy’s Raymond Mata is going through his second year on the "dunnies," the sand dunes that the campers will run up and down during the week.

"Dunnies are like self-sought torture because you know the pain you’re about to go through and you do it anyway," said Mata, who is in his second year of camp. "This was my second year on the dunnies and my experience has been pain, but it all pays off in the end."

The experience has also created some lasting memories, as running alongside the scenery has made an impression on the campers.

"The long run...the sunrise was barely coming up and it was a purple and orange color and I was just on an open road by myself, in the middle of nowhere surrounded by grass, just listening to my breathing and footsteps. It was amazing!" said Lisa Miller.

Confidence boosting is a positive side effect for the campers, as pushing themselves to the limit has given them a whole new respect for what they do.

"I ran the best seven mile run I have ever run and it boosts my confidence to give it all I can for the rest of the camp," said Spenser Patterson.

The campers will pack up during the weekend, and make their way back to their homes. But, according to the campers, pushing themselves during the off season was well worth it, and should pay off in the fall and the spring.

"This camp is like no other in that we stay in tents, cook over camp stoves and take Spartan Showers (water hose over a tree branch)," said Ellison. "We are up before the sun and never get back to the tents before midnight. We thrive on what others can’t, won’t, or don’t do - because it is too hot or too cold or hundreds of other reasons.

"We just complete the demands of the goal."