Mammoth Camp

Mammoth Camp was FUN!!! I had a great time at my first ever Mammoth Camp. We not only ran and trained at high altitude (7,000 feet), but also did a lot of team bonding activities that showed the true spirit of OHANA. I got a lot out of this week as  pushed myself to the limit on the run and got to know my fellow teammates, coaches, parents, and alumnis much better as I talked with a lot more new people. Everyone was encouraging on the tough runs and gave each other positive remarks.

The runs were CHALLENGING. Most of our runs were out a certain amount of time and then back in. Some were out uphill all the way and then back downhill, others were rolling hills with turns. What a good place to train for running! High altitude elevation with clean air and beautiful scenery surrounding you. In Cerritios, there are no legit hills to train on. The two-a-day run on Monday wasn't that bad. I survived through it. Convict Lake was a cool run. One of my greatest accomplishments of the week was the ridge run on Wednesday. I had planned to go out to the Mammoth Rock and then back, but once I reached there, I somehow got the inspiration to keep going and I did; ending up at the road. That was where A group ended. On Thursday, I did the same, doing 6 fartlecks, again the maximum amount that A group did. I feel proud of myself for ascending to new heights in running with A group.

My favorite run was the Ascent on Friday. The view was absolutely gorgeous of the Eastern Sierra Mountains and the Village of Mammoth. All along going up, I ran/walked as it was tough on my knees. I think it was at least a 1,000 feet elevation gain. Took lots of pictures along the ascent (6.4 miles in total), especially coming back down. I should've went with the earlier group which went all the way to the lake. Next year, my goal is to go to the lake!

Cliff jumping on Tuesday was some great experience. I was scared at first as it seemed dangerous. But as more people did it, I wanted to do it. I compared the height of the rock to the water like the CPE diving boards but just a bit higher. I hesitated on my jump and jumped too close to the rock. That was a bit dangerous. I flopped into the cold water weirdly and then swam ashore to the rocks. It was a great experience rock jumping into Arrowhead Lake.

The team-building activities and competitions were a blast and competitive. My condo, White Condo, did just well enough to maintain our place in the Camp Olympics. As of last night, we were in the lead, 980 points, by 100 over Gray Condo. Building up our music video was also great team-bonding experience. We used "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey and filmed each scene. Everyone participated and got involved in it. Great job to my condo mates, Mike, Brandon, Andrew, Kelvin, Tim, Vincent, Ganesh, Zach, Mark, Brian, Ben, and Raymond. White Condo 13 strong!

I will sure be back to Mammoth Camp next year, 2011. Thank you to all the counselors for prepping the food and feeding us so well. Most importantly, thank you Coach Wat for running such a wonderful and successful camp!