Hey beautiful people! Alex AND Caroline here for our first co-written blog, YIPPEE!. Now that we have experience the wonder that is training camp we thought we’d share all of our new found wisdom for future racers, and give everyone else a glimpse into what those 10 days looked like for us. So here we go!
P.S. There are no real spoilers here. Safe for future racers. 😉
Everything You Need To Know About Training Camp:
1) The person with the snacks holds all the power.
The food portions at training camp (intentionally) left something to be desired most days. So snacks were a highly desired commodity. And the person with the snacks was a hero. And we happened to bring A LOT of snacks. That being said, being a little hungry and uncomfortable is part of the experience, and it really does help you prepare for the adventure you are about to go on. If I had to do it again I would bring a lot less snacks and go hungry and bit more.
2) You will talk about your bowel movements (and everyone else’s) way more then you ever thought possible.
Your strange new diet IS going to mess with your digestive system, and talking about it with your team IS going to help because they are experiencing the exact same thing. You aren’t alone in your suffering.
3) October in Georgia is COLD.
Days may be sunny and warm, but nights it may get down to mid-thirties. You may or may not wear the same outfit every single day because you only brought a few warm things. And that’s just fine. Roll with it.
4) Tent poles are necessary when setting up a tent.
So don’t forget them beside the bookshelf in your bedroom and (thank you Jesus) you just so happen to live close to the training camp that your dad could stop by and drop them off for you so that (thanks you again Jesus) you didn’t have to sleep outside in the previously mentioned frigid nights in Georgia. This is all hypothetical. Of course. Who would be silly enough to forget their tent poles?
5) Married Couples: have the “how we met” story down pat before coming to training camp.
You will be asked how you met *approximately* a billion times. Hopefully, like us, you enjoy telling this story. 🙂
6) “Clean” is a relative term. “Smelly” is not.
Stock up on the perfume, deodorant, and baby wipes, y’all. You may not be able to get really clean, but you can still smell decent if you have the right tools. You get pretty used to it pretty fast though. At least we did.
7) Cold bucket showers are cold.
So. Cold.
8) You’re always going to want more sleep than you’ll be getting.
But again, that’s all part of the experience. Learn to thrive in a state of tired. Even if that means taking naps during any and all personal times. I promise there will be time to hang out with your squad later. Which brings me to my next point:
9) Make personal time personal (if you need it to be).
If you are anything like the two of us you will need your alone time, and that is perfectly ok. You do not have to spend every second with your squad. A lot of people on our squad did not need a lot of personal time, and that’s fine too! Just know yourself, and know your limits, and spend your personal time in a way that will help you feel rested when it’s over.
10) Don’t worry about who will be on your teams: just trust.
The people at AIM know what there doing, and they will prayerfully decide the team you are on. And even more then that just trust God to place you where you’re supposed to be. Don’t do what I (Caroline) did and spend the last half of training camp worrying about your teams instead of focusing on making relationships with your whole squad. Even if your team doesn’t look exactly like you expected, it WILL be exactly what you need.
11) But more important then anything: Expect God to show up, and show off.
The Holy Spirit is going to show up during these ten days, and it’s going to be awesome. Things get really real, really fast. No matter what your background, God will rock your socks off if you let Him. SO LET GO AND JUST LET HIM.
Also: Fundraising Update! We are currently at $9,836! And we have to be at $20,000 by December 18. So please pray for us and please donate!! Thank you!
