Dream Run Camp

There will be an organized morning group run six to seven days each week. It will begin between 7:30 and 8:30 AM typically. On Thursdays, camp participants will join the Bagel Run, a weekly easy run that welcomes all-comers and starts at Biff’s Bagels in downtown Flagstaff. On Fridays, the group run will begin at the same time and location as the HOKA Northern Arizona Elite team’s morning practice. Coach Matt or an assistant will provide transportation to and from all morning group runs, except when they start from the Team House.

Between 4:00 and 5:00 PM most days, Coach Matt will host office hours at the Team House. This will be an opportunity for everyone currently staying at the house to get together to talk about training and whatever else. Tea will be served. On Tuesday afternoons, Live from Dream Camp will be hosted at the house. A guest speaker will give a talk either in person or remotely and the event will be streamed live over the internet.

Outside of these structured group events, camp participants will be free to fill their time as they please. Options include working, exercising, relaxing in the Mind-Body Recovery Lounge, using the on-site spa pool, meeting with NAZ Elite support staff members (strength and conditioning coach, physiotherapist, dietitian, sports psychologist, massage therapist), enjoying Flagstaff, hanging out with other camp participants, and watching television.

Special group events will take place on an ad hoc basis. For example, a local professional athlete might drop in to talk to the group, or Dream Run Camp participants might attend an event hosted by Run Flagstaff (the city’s largest running club), or Coach Matt might take the group to one of Flagstaff’s many great restaurants to dine together, or the group might gather for a New York City Marathon or Millrose Games watch party.

Training at high altitude isn’t as extreme as some runners make it out to be. The lower concentration of oxygen at high altitude simply increases the relative intensity of any given running pace, requiring runners to slow down a bit to match sea-level intensity. Running at high elevation is only “harder” if you don’t make this adjustment. Coach Matt will guide you in this process.

Many runners report that living at altitude is more challenging than training at altitude, but only in the beginning, until the body acclimates. During your first few days at Dream Run Camp you may notice changes in your appetite, thirst, and sleep. Your skin is likely to feel drier and you may experience headaches and nosebleeds. You’ll need to drink more water and perhaps use moisturizer on your skin throughout your stay at dream run camp, but the other changes will resolve themselves as your body adjusts.

Of course, the reason runners choose to train at high altitude is that it stimulates changes in the blood that result in better performance at lower elevations. To reap these benefits, you will need to consume adequate iron, which is a key ingredient in the formation of red blood cells. We recommend that you get a blood test to check your ferritin level prior to coming to Dream Run Camp and increase your intake of dietary iron before and during your time in Flagstaff. If you’re staying longer than a few weeks, we encourage you to get another blood test at Labcorp, one of Dream Run Camps partners, to ensure your body is adjusting properly.

We certainly hope you don’t get injured, but if you do develop a pain issue or injury serious enough to keep you from running for one or more days, it need not ruin your Dream Run Camp experience. Coach Matt got injured halfway through his “fake pro runner” experience with NAZ Elite in 2017 and it didn’t spoil his experience. With support from the experts at Hypo2 Sport, we will help you stay fit with cross-training while treating and rehabilitating the injury. You will not receive a full or partial refund in the event that you get injured during your stay at Dream Run Camp.

Our policy is to conform to all applicable government ordinances. We recommend but do not require that attendees be recently vaccinated against COVID-19. When case rates are high, we will require that attendees submit a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours prior to arriving at Dream Run Camp. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for the virus while at Dream Run Camp, you will be asked to self-quarantine in the Team House casita, a comfortable attached guest quarters with its own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and office, and its own separate entrance.