This Saturday, we begin the first of two consecutive training camp weeks for our September World Race and World Race Gap Year squads. Training camp can be a little intimidating, especially since Racers don’t quite know what to expect. We want to reassure everyone that it will be a great week, so we thought we’d offer a few tips about how Racers can make the most out of the week. And who better to do that than a brand new Racer who just went through the experience herself? Sarah Baker, of a freshly launched third generation G squad, shares her thoughts on how to survive a week at training camp.
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I am a planner. My life revolves around lists, calendars, and colorful pens. So trying to prepare for training camp was nearly a disaster. I now understand why they keep everything so vague and schedule-free, but I’d like to offer a bit of advice to future World Racers who find themselves in the the midst of a panic attack as they’re about to head off to training camp.
1. There are two things that will become your best friend this week: packing cubes and baby wipes. On day two (and three and four), you’ll quickly learn that showers aren’t considered a necessity, and a backpack with clothes shoved in all available pockets is a set-up for disaster.
2. Expect to get dirty. Don’t bring nice clothes or new tennis shoes—they WILL be tainted with red dirt by the end of the week.
3. Bring what you love and what is you. That being said, don’t compromise your style or wardrobe! I brought a few shirts that I would wear in “normal” life but also wasn’t incredibly concerned about getting a bit grungy. And I wore Forever 21 tribal harem pants nearly every day and functioned fine, so it is possible to look like yourself!
4. Don’t forget your dance moves. Great moves, silly moves, awkward moves—bring ’em all. They’ll be put to good use and you’ll be surprised at the new ones you end up bringing home.
5. Sunglasses, bug spray, hand sanitizer, SOAP. Oh, and gum. Trust me.
6. Don’t bring curling irons, blow-dryers, etc. You’ll quickly learn to embrace the untamed mess on your head, and if you feel insecure about it, just look at everyone around you. You’ll see nothing but frizz and grease, and it’s awesome. (But a hat/beanie or headband wouldn’t be a bad idea, if you wear them regularly).
7. Also, forget your laptop. You’ll be so busy (and when you’re not, you’ll want to hang out with your squadmates) that you won’t have time to mess around on it, even for blogging purposes. But if you do find yourself wanting to blog during camp, journal entries are a great substitute.
8. Embrace all emotions. You’ll be riding the rollercoaster of your life (until the Race begins, that is), and it’s perfectly normal if you experience doubt, irritability, worry, sadness, and even homesickness. It’s all part of the process of giving yourself up to Jesus.
9. Get ready to overcome your fear of bugs. By the end of the week, you’ll be grabbing spiders by the leg and throwing them out of your shower stall. (Although I will never be ok with sleeping in the woods with scorpions…ever).
10. Take Squad Wars seriously. The color they tell you to bring/wear? Go all out. High school and college sports you used to play don’t compare to the competitiveness that goes down on Friday night. But don’t worry, everyone loves Jesus and no one is a sore loser (shout out to my fellow G’s, cause WE WON).
And that’s all you get!
All the blogs I read before going to training camp said the same thing and I wanted to scream “JUST TELL ME EVERYTHING, DANG IT!” But seriously, friends, who enjoys Christmas morning when you already know what all the gifts are?
Nobody—and if you do, I’ll pray for you.
So think of training camp like Christmas: it’s a giant present that doesn’t get unwrapped until you arrive. It’s SO worth the wait. And that’s coming from someone who isn’t too fond of surprises.
Faith, trust, and pixie dust, right? Pack those things, and you’re golden.
And if you’re still a little nervous. Watch this video and you’ll see it’ll be just fine. Promise.
Photos by Kirsten Hughes and Sarah Hayes.
