Training Camp

Training Camps

Marshall Ulrich and Lisa Smith-Batchen are pleased to announce their...

Desert and Mountain Ultra Training Camp

Come and join Marshall and Lisa in beautiful Death Valley, CA May 2-6, 2007.

All runners welcome!

During the five-day camp you will learn – and experience – more
than you ever thought you could
to improve your running for all types racing, including
road, desert, stage, mountain, and trail ultras!

Sign up NOW!

Training to Empower!

Who Should Attend

Do you answer ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions?

Do you want to run your first marathon?
Do you want to bridge the gap…and go from the 26.2-mile marathon distance to run your first ultra marathon?
Have you run an ultra marathon, but want to learn to run smarter and stronger?
Do you want to learn more about running stage races?

Then, this camp is for you! We welcome all runners, whether you have just started running or if you are an experienced ultra runner, this camp will teach you what you need to know!

Come to our camp
and learn more!

Your Hosts and Trainers

Marshall Ulrich and Lisa Smith-Batchen are ultra running legends. At the Desert and Mountain Ultra Camp you have the extraordinary opportunity to learn from their combined 40 years of experience! In addition to amazing individual accomplishments, Marshall and Lisa have raced together for more than 10 years, including runs across Death Valley and adventure races around the world…and are dear friends.

Through the years Marshall and Lisa have learned that real success in life come when you do for others. They find great joy in teaching others and sharing their life – and training, running, and racing – experiences with people like you!

Marshall and Lisa also share a passion for fundraising to support education for women and children around the world – empowering them to improve their quality of life. Empowering others is what their camps, and their lives, are all about. To learn more, see the Fundraising page.

Marshall distributes sweaters to the 500
children K-5 at the Religious Teachers FIlippini
school in Tukul, Eritrea (Africa).

Come experience the
empowerment for yourself!

Sign Up Now

Lisa, the force behind Dreamchasers Outdoor Adventure Club has 20 years of coaching experience and has completed a 300+ mile Badwater Double, more than 20 ultra marathons, 90 marathons, and 7 Ironman triathlons. She has completed the Marathon Des Sable twice, and is the only American woman ever to win the women’s division. She has competed in the Badwater Ultramarathon 8 times, winning the women’s division twice. She is also the only woman to have completed the grand slam of ultra running, and Badwater, in the same year.

Marshall, a founder of Team Stray Dogs has more than 20 years of ultra running and extreme sport experience. He is the only person in world to complete the Triple Crown of Extreme Sports, having completed 116 ultras averaging over 100 miles each; competed in 16 expedition-length adventure races, including all 9 Eco Challenges; and reached the summit of each of the Seven Summits, including Mount Everest, all on first attempts. Marshall has completed a record 13 Badwater 146 races, and has won the Badwater Ultramarathon a record 4 times. He has crossed Death Valley a record 19 times, including a solo and 586-mile quad crossing.

Lisa’s Badwater Double
Lisa’s most recent, and proudest accomplishment is the completion of the Badwater Double, a 300+ mile challenge from Death Valley, California to the summit of Mount Whitney and back again. Marshall joined Lisa and her crew to help her complete the Badwater Double, and they are pleased that the Religious Teachers Filippini have used Lisa’s Badwater Double has the key to their fundraising drive for 2006. To date, the Sisters have raised more than $180,000 to date as a result of this effort. Lisa and Marshall are pleased to be providing this support to the women and kids. To find out how you can help see the Fundraising page.

Making a difference
One woman, one child, at a time.

What You Will Do, Experience, and Learn

Whatever your goals, this camp has something for you! And, you get to experience it all in one of the most beautiful places in the country: Death Valley!

Marshall and Lisa will teach you using:

Training runs
Video taping for gait analysis
Cross training sessions
Classroom sessions
Formal Q & A
Informal discussions
Other camp participants (everyone has knowledge to share!)

Come learn! Come train!

You will learn how to:

Train for the heat of desert racing
Prepare for road, mountain, trail, or stage races
Compete in desert races, whether on the roads or across the dunes of the Sahara
Train and run on trails
Train for mountain running, including handling altitude and cold
Improve your running style through gait analysis and video taping
Hydrate and fuel yourself for training, racing, and recovery
Power walk effectively to improve your race results
Use cross training techniques such as core strengthening and deep water running
Race and overcome obstacles through effective troubleshooting
Take care of your body and feet, including clothing and equipment selection
Prepare and work with pacers and crew
Maintain a balance a in your life. (No…it’s not all about the running.)

See the attached document for a complete Schedule of Events.

When, Where, and What’s Included

The camp is May 2-6, 2007 in beautiful Death Valley National Park.

Lodging and Facilities
Lodging at Stovepipe Wells Village, in Death Valley, is included. Stovepipe is located at approximately mile 42 along the course of the Badwater Ultramarathon in the heart of the park

There is a swimming pool (bring your suits!), gas station, and small general store where you can purchase beverages, snacks, toiletries, and gifts.

You will share a comfortable, air conditioned deluxe room that has two double beds, TV, and small refrigerator. All rooms are non-smoking. There are no phones in any of the guest rooms, but pay phones are available. There is little to no cell phone
service in Death Valley, and no Internet connections.

Classes will be held in the auditorium, in the pool, and on the grounds at Stovepipe.

Meals
Breakfasts and dinners are included during the camp. You can choose from a special menu in the Toll Road Restaurant, built with timbers from an old Death Valley mining operation. Beverages and alcohol are extra.

The Restaurant is also open for lunch if you wish to purchase a full meal.

For you hardy, late night souls, the Badwater Saloon is open 4:30 - 11:00 p.m. and offers draft beer, cocktails, and delicious appetizers in a unique western atmosphere.

Transportation
For participants arriving on Wednesday, we will provide one pickup at the Las Vegas airport at 1:30 p.m. on May 2 for transportation to Stovepipe. We will also provide one return trip to the airport, departing Stovepipe at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, May 6. You are also welcome to drive. If you are unable to make the scheduled pickup for any reason, including a delayed flight, you will be responsible for your own transportation to Stovepipe. Note: the drive time from the Las Vegas Airport to Stovepipe is approximately 2.5 hours. For directions, visit the Stovepipe Web site.

Training runs will be held on the roads, mountain trails, and in the sand in the area. Transportation from Stovepipe to each run location will be provided. You are also welcome to drive. A support vehicle, with ice and water, will be provided for all road training runs.

It's all here for YOU!

What to Bring

This will be a working training camp, including runs on the road and trails, including mountain trails. So, bring your favorite pairs of shoes, socks, workout clothes, layered jackets, and hydration systems (camel backs or bottles).

We will provide water and ice, but you should bring your favorite and most tolerated drink mixes, electrolyte replacements, and snacks.

We will also be doing cross-training sessions, including work in the pool and good old calisthenics, so bring your suits, jump ropes, and workout clothes.

There will also be classroom sessions and group meals so, please, bring some sweat-free clothes too!

See the attached document for a suggested packing list.

Fees

We provide a high quality camp with two of the best, most qualified trainers in ultra running: Marshall Ulrich and Lisa Smith-Batchen. The camp, set in beautiful and awe inspiring Death Valley, includes instructional training runs, active cross training sessions, illustrated classroom presentations with take home materials, restful lodging (double occupancy), meals, and transportation while at camp.

Sign up NOW!

The registration fee is only $1,295 USD per person.

There are only 7 spaces remaining,
available on a first come, first served basis.

This fee is based on sharing a room/double occupancy.

Bring a friend and

Save 10%*

If you sign up with a friend
the joint registration fee is only $1,165 per person.

*Note: only one discount may apply to each fee.

Please send a deposit of $650 (minimum) or full payment with your application. Our application includes a fitness form, terms and conditions (including cancellation and refund policy), and a liability waiver (all that good old, required legal stuff).

Please send completed application and payment in the form of check or money order to:

Team Stray Dogs
Attn: Marshall Ulrich
515 Brook Drive
Idaho Springs, CO 80452

Remember... only 7 spaces remain!

Sign up NOW!

Additional Ultra Running Training Camps

An additional ultra running training camp is planned for August 2007. Tentatively this camp is planned for August 22-26, 2007 near Denver, CO. Watch specific information on this camp.

In addition, an ultra running and multi-sport (snowshoeing, backcountry skiing, and optional mountaineering skills) training camp is being planned for the winter of 2007/08 based near the home of Marshall and Heather Ulrich at 10,400 feet above Idaho Springs, CO. Come for the experience, as well as the knowledge!

Training to Empower!