Camp Director
Debbie Aitken
Deb Aitken begins her 23nd season on Mayflower Hill as head coach of the women's cross country and track and field programs. In her tenure the Skowhegan, Maine native has led the women harriers to state, regional and NESCAC honors. She has coached thirteen individual runners to national competition, and they have earned thirteen All-America honors. Coach Aitken has led her teams to national competition in 1993, 1994, 1996 2000, and 2004, 2005, placing 12th, 10th, 14th, and 21st. In 2004, Coach Aitken's women's team placed 5th at the national meet, the highest finish ever for a Colby team at nationals.
A graduate of Plymouth State College, Aitken earned a master's in education from Frostburg State in Maryland. Before coming to Colby in 1984 she coached a highly successful cross country and track program at SUNY-Cortland for six years.
Camp Overview
Welcome
Come spend a week on Maine's Mayflower Hill, the beautiful setting of Colby College and home to the 25th Annual Cross Country Camp. Feel the exciting atmosphere of training with aspiring athletes from across the country, as you gain fitness and expand your knowledge of running. With an athlete-coach ratio of 10 to 1, you will join a training team led by accomplished runners and coaches from Colby's men's and women's cross country teams. The coaches bring experience and knowledge gained through many years of coaching to each athlete in a setting where learning and development are the prime concerns.
Learning to Train Smart
The 25th Annual Cross Country Camp at Colby College will offer its runners quality instruction on endurance training tailored to meet individual goals and abilities. Daily runs and core strength training will be complemented with interactive clinics on:
- Running Mechanics
- Recovery Techniques
- Nutrition
- Energy Systems
- Training Cycles and Strategies
- Running Psychology
- Injury Prevention and Management
- Core Strengthening
- Use of Sport Massage
Our clinics are led by national-caliber coaches, athletes and sports physiologists.
Camp Features
Colby's 700-acre Mayflower Hill campus, featuring miles of wood chipped and grass-covered running trails, provides an excellent setting for the six-day camp. In addition to daily runs through fields and woods, Colby offers use of its indoor swimming pool, stationary bikes, treadmills, stair climbers and other cross training equipment in Colby's remodeled Alfond Fitness Center.
Colby's indoor pool is a fun spot for both training and recreational activities. A swimming proficiency IS NOT essential as non-swimmers may participate in the shallow end while remaining fully involved in all pool activities.
The camp will also feature a certified NATA athletic trainer and sport massage therapist. Individual sport massage will be offered in the evening for a small fee.
Nightly activities are organized to allow campers ample opportunity to share stories, training ideas, and simply to have fun. From our ice cream social to movies in the Olin Auditorium, we strive to make your recreational time as valuable as that spent training.
A Camp For Your Ability
Our camp attracts outstanding young runners seeking that extra edge, as well as beginning runners interested in establishing the proper foundations to distance running. During every training session, careful attention is paid to the runner's individual level of conditioning and years of experience. KEEPING FUN IN RUNNING is important for young athletes and veterans alike.
A Special Trip: Acadia National Park
Our camp features an annual trip to Bar Harbor for a run over the historic carriage trails at Acadia National Park. The run is followed by a picnic lunch and swim at Echo Lake Park.
Click here for a printable copy of the registration form in PDF format: Camp Registration Form
(Download requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader)
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