Trying to find the right words to describe training camp has proved to be very difficult, so I will do my best at piecing it all together.
Everyone is most intrigued by the physical aspect of training camp. This entails the dress code, the showers,the sleeping situations, the scenarios, the workouts, the food, and all the other lovely challenges presented to us. And yes, each of these was a challenge. The dress code was complicated and expensive. It didn’t bother me, personally, but finding shorts long enough for me was a struggle. It ended up being nice, though, because it was just comfy. The showers….oh the showers….they just weren’t. They weren’t showers. They were buckets. With scoops….that was all. Every few days, (when there was time), my friends and I would get in a very long line to fill up a five gallon bucket with hose-water, so that we could slowly dump it on ourselves and try to wash the red Georgia dirt off our bodies. 1) I hate humidity. 2) I hate humidity mixed with red dirt. It makes for very dirty, red legs. The sleeping situations were just all over the place. Aside from the different scenarios, (we’ll get there in a minute), we were supposed to sleep in our tents. Some of my squad-mates and I got very tired of unpacking and re-packing our packs every morning/night, so we ended up sleeping in our hammocks 4 out of 10 nights. While the bugs were a concern, the comfort level definitely went up. Otherwise, most of our free time was spent trying to find sleep in any (not hot) place we could find. The scenarios entailed things like
– getting our packs taken away for a night. This led to a very cold night in my hammock, covering my legs with my towel and using my swimsuit as a scarf for warmth.
– sleeping in an “airport.” Which meant the night spent on the cold floor, no packs, with bright lights, and recorded airport noises playing overhead. It also meant an hour and a half of sleep.
– making our own campsite. This was easier, but led to SO MANY ant bites. Apparently, ants really are evil enough to crawl down your hammock straps and bite your stomach.
– community tents. This was the (not to bad) opportunity to share a larger tent with ten people + packs. It was still pretty cramped, but not too shabby.
I don’t remember the rest of them, or if there were more…it was a very long ten nights of sleep, but the bonding was good. On another note, the workouts were very rough. Now, I don’t consider myself to be super fit, but I do consider myself to be nicely in-shape. While 30 minutes of running was pretty easy, the 100 push-ups, 80 squats, 40 sit-ups, 60 lunges, and the countless other exercises all in one morning was pretty difficult. However, I learned that I would have to motivate myself and my team if I wanted to work out while on the race. Lastly, the food was pretty interesting. While some portions were minuscule and others were way too much, my team/squad certainly learned how to share and be considerate of each other’s needs. There were very few spices, no salt, and some of it was just plain weird. Despite this, I was always hungry enough to eat anything put before me. All together, the physical aspects of training camp were pretty eye opening. I got a pretty good perspective on how hard camp could be, but also a pretty good view on how awesome it can be, even through sweat, heat rash, and bug bites.
The people at training camp were absolutely amazing. When I first stepped into the airport, it took me about ten minutes to find another girl carrying a huge back pack, and even less to become “airport pals” for the next 8 hours we waited. We got to camp as a team, cramped in the back of a hot school bus, and put up our tents, danced, ate, and sang as a team. By the time day 2 rolled around, we were already sharing our gear, clothes, silverware, and hammocks.
Not going to lie, meeting everyone on my squad was hard. Trying to befriend 50 people in 10 days is not an easy task, but they made it easier. It was exciting and different to be in an environment where no one expected me to be anything but myself. The atmosphere at training camp was honest; people were just real with one another. We were told to take criticism as it comes, and to be patient. We listened to each other pray for meals, we learned to graciously communicate with each other, we held hands, we lifted up praise to God together, and ultimately, we learned how to be a community. I can already tell you that I will remember some of these people for the rest of my life.
Lastly, the spiritual aspect of training camp was also pretty awesome. We spent each morning in worship and the Word, and ended each day in worship and the Word. Even then, there were some days we had 3 times of worship, and other days where we had small groups or team devotionals….I have never been in a place that focused so heavily on God. It was so exciting to see the way my own focus has changed because of the things we did at camp. Part of the reason I joined the race was to see the way God would work in my heart, and I already know that He is. The most important thing that I have realized, (even in the past few months), is that God is continually working in my life. Not only can I be confident that He is shaping me to do His will, but He will continue to do that! There has not been a crazy change in my life, but there has been a crazy difference in the way I view God and His provisions for me. I was so blessed by each and every aspect of training camp, despite it’s difficulty, and I really can not wait for the next 9 months.
It’s going to be life changing.
p.s. If there is anyone who would like to hear more about my experiences, I would love to talk in person. Also, thank you for all the prayers!
