This blog is for the future World Racer who is as nervous for training camp as I was and for the reader who is curious about some insider thought.
Entering thought: training camp may be one of the most intense but WONDERFUL 10 days you will ever experience.
1. The first thing I want to address are your nerves. Myself and my fellow squad mates all felt anxious for a couple days before training camp and right up to training camp for a couple reasons. There are SO many questions and you really don’t get those answers until you are there. You have a large group of people you have to meet in great. You have no idea what to expect.
I want to tackle a couple of them now.
A. First, if you are working and in school or both: Take care of yourself. As much as you can. You are already probably worn out and being nervous about training camp won’t help. Try and get sleep, try and not get sick. Drink tea with honey and lemon. Being sick at training camp is not fun and beginning training camp being sick is also not fun.
B.The second thing I really struggled with before training camp was what would my squad of 58 think of me? I told my dad, “I feel like I am a little kid going to a new school and being nervous about what the other kids think of me.” It can be daunting to meet so many people! Especially if you have a large squad like me of 58.
However, your squad mates are as nervous as you are! And remember, you all come from different walks of life, with different life experiences—you will come to be a family throughout training camp.
But until then, remember that the first day of training camp when everyone meets, EVERYONE in your squad is new to this adventure.
2. Thoughts on the packing list.
A. If you go into training camp in the fall, bring clothes for heat and cold. Please. We had some days when it was warm and then sometimes during the day and especially at night it would get into the 40s. I found it so helpful to have a scarf, hat, and warm socks especially.
B. Bring cold medicine. Especially if you are at the fall training. 1. Being in the cold is hard on the body but 2. You are running ragged with probably little sleep. Bringing it to take care of yourself is important.
C. I know myself and at least one squadmate were SO worried that we were missing something. Double check, but you probably aren’t. What is on the packing list AIM gives you is good.
D. I would say that they say bring extra clothes for working out. For us in the fall, we didn’t need to bring anything extra because it was cooler. Definitely bring active wear, but not extra if it is in the fall. If your training is in the summer though it may not hurt since it’ll be A LOT hotter.
E. You don’t have to have everything that you are going to bring on the race to training camp. It may be nice to test things, but you don’t have to. For instance, I didn’t have my sea-to-summit towel, packing cubes/compression sacks, etc. yet.
F. Definitely follow dress code. Long enough shorts, etc. are VERY important. They will enforce it, but more importantly this is how it will be overseas. Respecting the other culture’s standards is important PLUS we are also representing the Christians in those countries and AIM. Better to practice now.
3. There are some crazy and great things that happen during training camp. Each day you try new foods from around the world, there are sleeping simulations, there are a ton of lessons—you will learn more about yourself and God than you can imagine. I will go into more detail in my next blog, but I would rather not talk about some of this stuff too much because I think you should experience it first hand. Or, you can check someone else’s blog.
But at the end of the day, Breathe. God is with you. Literally. And as much as training camp seems terrifying, it’s not. It’s a challenging, but it is a GREAT challenging and you aren’t alone—you got your squad, your training staff, and God. It’s a beautiful time.
And if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment. I’d love to help you and encourage you.
Blessings!
