Run for Strength
Active at Altitude Women's Running and Conditioning Camp Estes Park, Colorado
May, July and Sept. 2010
Week: $1,395 single, $1,145 double, $1,045 quad
activeataltitude.com
Reap the benefits of high altitude training from 7,500 up to 12,000 feet. Active at Altitude is designed for experienced runners looking to strengthen their legs and lungs.
Runs range from long, slow trail runs in Rocky Mountain National Park to speed work on the local high school track. Founder and Director Terry Chiplin supplements daily runs with cross-training sessions in the pool or on the mountain bike, and sometimes, with a second run or a hike. Guest instructors, including world championship marathoners and Olympians, teach form drills, pacing and dynamic stretching. A certified Life Coach, Chiplin leads evening workshops devised to change more than just your running. The camp features an on-site massage therapist and provides free time for sightseeing, shopping and horseback riding.
Accommodations: The entire group stays together in a majestic mountain lodge, 10 minutes outside of Estes Park, Colorado.
Cuisine: Expect healthy, hearty home-cooked meals like brown-rice pasta with tempeh bolognese and an organic arugula salad. Terry dishes up his special porridge at breakfast: organic oatmeal, soymilk, raisins, cranberries, nuts and agave nectar.
What to Bring: Pull out the giant suitcase--you'll need clothes for running, swimming, biking, yoga and shopping. Don't forget to bring your hiking boots, running flats, trail runners and cycling shoes if you've got them. Thankfully, washers and dryers are available at the lodge--you can always re-wear, if necessary.
Run for Fun
Run Wild Missoula Running Camp Retreat for Women Tarkio, MontanaSeptember 2010
Weekend: $250 double
runwildmissoula.org
Think of this as your "girls just want to have fun" weekend running getaway. Run Wild started this camp last year to give women runners a comfortable setting to learn how to improve their running, exercise and relax. Unpretentious and laid-back, this retreat is for women who love to run.
Professional female runners lead workouts on both trails and roads for a total run time of 2.5 hours between Friday night and Sunday morning. In between runs, Camp Coordinator Eva Dunn-Froebig ensures a girly good time with yoga, foot soaks and do-it-yourself pedicures and massages.
Accommodations: The camp keeps costs low by using a member of the Run Wild Missoula Club's spacious home, located on the Clark Fork River just 50 miles west of Missoula, Montana.
Cuisine: Everyone helps prepare energizing and nutritious meals in true camp fashion. Fresh food is purchased daily.
What to Bring: Even though it's just one weekend, you'll want to check a bag, as you're encouraged to stow your favorite alcoholic beverage. Montana weather is unpredictable throughout fall, so pack running attire suitable for both warm and cool conditions, as well as comfortable clothing for yoga and lounging. Bring a swimsuit and a towel for the hot tub.
Run for Rejuvenation
Women's Quest Hawaii Relaxation Retreat The Big Island of HawaiiMarch 2010
Week: $2,550 single, $2,200 double
womensquest.com/retreats.htm
If your relationship with running has been all work and no play, prepare for radical change. Women's Quest puts renewal above racing. This retreat is for women looking to kick back and relax in a gorgeous island setting.
Daily runs are done in the gentle morning sun. Don't feel like running? No problem. Go for a hike, walk the beach or even sleep in. Founder and Director Colleen Cannon fills the rest of your days with ocean swims, snorkeling, kayaking, daily yoga and hikes around Volcanoes National Park. Learn a process she calls Heart's Desire, which includes journaling and creative exercises designed to unleash your dreams.
Accommodations: Sojourn at an ocean-side retreat center called Hale Kai on a secluded bay. You'll reside in an artsy bungalow set in a tropical garden.
Cuisine: Look forward to fresh gourmet meals served with a view. Dinners like creamy coconut curry topped with grilled fish are delivered with salads, tropical fruit and the best Kona coffee.
What to Bring: Think beachwear--hats, sunglasses, sundresses and strappy sandals. Runs are on the road, so one sturdy pair of running shoes that can double for hikes will do the trick. Bring a rain jacket for Volcanoes. Everything else should be your easy, breezy cozies--yoga pants, sarongs, organic cotton tanks.