Today seemed like three days in one. After a morning run where we had groups skipping rope, spinning, jogging and dynamic stretching, we split the camp into two. Half put on the harnesses and spent the morning up in the trees. The other half fried their legs with tuck routines, slalom runs, Berg Und Tal races and agility courses. I was belaying the Burma Bridge that soars 40 feet over a ravine. Gratifying to hear the campers say that, “It really works when you breathe up there. It calms you down.”
Lunch was grilled cheese with tomato soup and salad, and it was devoured. After lunch it was time to boogie as the entire camp learned the ELITEAM dance in 35 minutes! You will want to see this one on Saturday.
Then it was a busy afternoon of obstacle course racing, cooking, and a Sports Psychology discussion. I always love hearing the campers’ thoughts on how important mental skills are to a champion. Today we all practiced a pre-race routine that started with a cue word to get focused, then a deep breath to relax, followed by a clap and fist pump while shouting, “Let’s do this!!!”
The kids cooked Avocado Cupcakes and Pumpkin Donuts, which we sampled after dinner. Despite the green, the Avocado Cupcakes received a (mostly) positive response. The donuts were also quite tasty, but since they were so puffy, they were dubbed “duffins”.
We kept the momentum going after dinner with half the camp climbing on the rock walls while the other half played an epic game of Capture the Flag and a new game called Swedish. It all ended with a yoga relaxation session where I think a couple of them fell asleep.
The following are a few quotes from the boys. You’ll hear from the girls tomorrow.
Obstacle Course:
“Going up on the Wall is key. I memorize the holds that I use. Then throw your legs over and jump onto the pad.” – Stian
“I try to land as softly as possible on my feet so I can run immediately off the pad into the camo-crawl.” – Colin
“Jump and climb like a monkey.” – Joe
Leg Routine:
The hardest part was the one-leg jump up the hill. It was hard to balance, and it’s really uphill. My legs are definitely sore. – Teddy
Quickfeet SL:
“Just knock down the gates in front of you so it’s like running on flat smooth ground. It’s important not to go full out so you can make it clean. You have to be on the edge.” – Oli
“You need to put all the power you can into the first gate and then maintain the speed throughout.” – Colin
Agility Ladder:
“I started out slow and then went faster as the session went on. I finally found my rhythm. Then they made it harder and I was slow again.” – Seth