From Running Director Heidi Caldwell.

It has been quite the year. The last ten months have been unusually quiet in Craftsbury without the busy hum of summer camps and community programs. Their absence is still felt today, and has been a defining part of the year. Looking back, it’s easy to forget that the year didn’t start with cancellations and program changes; 2020 landed in Craftsbury in a bright, snowy flash...

It all began in good fun, with our “Skiing for Runners” camp kicking off the New Year in a dream-like blur of snow flurries, flailing ski poles, and moonlit snowshoe walks. The Craftsbury weather fairies welcomed the Ski4Run campers with two days of non-stop snow, adding a glittery snow-globe backdrop to the weekend. In just four short days, this parade of cautious yet determined campers became a pack of capable, confident skiers, deftly gliding across the snow and navigating downhills.

Next up, Craftsbury runners took to the streets of Atlanta for the Olympic Marathon Trials. The raucous outpouring of support both on the course and from those back home fueled me over the relentless hills of Atlanta. Running in the Trials race was a dream goal realized for me, and the day was made all the more special by sharing the thrill with others. The seed of this goal was planted in my first camp season as running director, when the coaches and campers of All Comers Week first put the bug in my ear. In more ways than one, my Trials race would not have happened without the encouragement of this running community.

The weeks and months that followed Trials weekend reflect back now in stark contrast. The roaring crowds of Atlanta disappeared in a blink of the eye, giving way to an eerily quiet spring. In this quiet, we muddled over what the summer might bring, eventually determining hosting camps would not be possible. Although this was a tough decision, I am grateful to the Outdoor Center for their continued commitment to keeping our entire community - visitors and locals alike - safe.

From the anxious uncertainty of spring, we dove headfirst into a new sort of busy season. In the absence of in-person camp, we explored the brave, new-to-us world of virtual coaching and community building. To our surprise, this “grand experiment” bore many fruits, and proved far more effective than anyone expected. Like in-person camp, this remote program allowed for plentiful learning, running, and getting to know new friends. Unlike typical camp, the longer, remote format offered intensive, individualized coaching and training growth through the simple beauty of more time; more one on one time with coaches, more time for habits to solidify, and more time to see the progress made.

Back home on the ground in Craftsbury, local runners and walkers took to the hills for a new summer challenge, “The Great Hill Quest”. Over the course of eight weeks, 30+ participants climbed 32 of the biggest, toughest hills within a six mile radius of Craftsbury Village. Through some grueling outings and impressive grit, sixteen valiant questers successfully conquered the whopping 12,317 feet of elevation. Many also completed the full challenge without any car shuttling, successfully earning bragging rights for the rest of the year.

With the urging of enthusiastic summer participants, we put together a season-long virtual program for the fall, welcoming more new faces and adding more opportunites to the mix. We learned from two experts in the field of sports psychology, Kelsey Smith and Erica Tibbets, who shared mental strategies for training. We shared an evening with Lynn Jennings, who offered up grounding, matter-of-fact motivation and perspective. We saw runners tackling marathons, 100-mile training weeks, and first-ever interval workouts. Hooked on this new-found source of community learning and connection, we scheduled virtual programs for 2021 winter and spring.

Exploring the virtual world has been a productive, meaningful endeavor. Our remote programs have created more ways to engage with Craftsbury runners throughout the year, leading to the furthering of old friendships and the development of new ones. These experiences have profoundly reaffirmed my belief in the strength of this running community. Even through the computer, the inclusivity, playful curiosity, and unconditional support that make this community so special is still palpable.

These reflections highlight the positive takeaways of 2020 - the shiny silver linings from a challenging year. This year has undoubtedly been difficult, but these silver linings have punctuated the tough times with joy and meaning. And yet I still find myself looking more and more towards the return of in-person camps. Nothing we do through the computer can fully recreate the serendipitous moments that make in-person camps and their lasting bonds so strong. I now feel a deeper appreciation for these random, beautiful moments. It is these shared experiences, whether out on Endurathon day or sitting at a meal, that have built this community from the start.

As we leave 2020 behind, I am carrying with me immense gratitude for the enduring support of this community of runners. Your continued enthusiasm has kept us going. Here’s to a New Year filled with early morning dynamic warm-ups, sunrise ridge runs, and outdoor excursions spent in the company of friends.