I survived my first Jamboree in the Hills.

While 95% of my time was spent like this :

… I DID manage to don some Oiselle and Brooks long enough to tackle 7.5 hilly miles with a friend.

No doubt it took less time to consume that many calories worth of (light) beer than it took to actually run them, but it was great and SO WORTH turning in a little early and chugging 3 bottles of water the night before.

After indulging in a proper shower at Kristina’s friend’s house (camp showers require a bathing suit and come with exposure to thousands of strangers) I got back to the campsite and a friend said,

“Jesus you’re like a brand new person.”

I took it as reference to the post-run endorphins, not the fact that I was no longer a skuzzy smelly mess with grass in my hair and jello shots dried to the side of my face anymore, but who knows.

Surprisingly we did spend some time actually listening to music – yelling ‘FREEBIRD!!’ at the beginning of every Skynyrd song (do they all sound alike or were we all that drunk?), sprinting 1/2 mile while dragging an (empty) cooler to beat the crowds back to camp, and watching Neil Young climb the stage rafters after sticking his head in some dude’s cooler were among the top highlights that didn’t fall out of my brain once I hit that tent floor at night.

And meeting this girl, who’s name DID fall out somewhere in my tent.  See, I told you I’d post it!

Also, Brian shamelessly checking out the buns on Mr. Homemade (accidental?) Assless Denim Chaps…

And letting my competitive spirit shine through a million games of flip cup, crossfire, dizzy bat, and cornhole.

Since I’m fan of summaries, bulletpoints, and am in need of a segue back to running talk, here are my takeaways from my first Jambo and how I will apply them to better myself as a Nuun HTC teammate…

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Jambo Lessons to Remember for Hood to Coast

• Pacing is Key  –  A splash in your OJ, a pinky-out mid-morning sippin’ cup, and by lunchtime you’re settled into a nice spot where the cheap cans flows right down the ol hatch like water.  There’s no need for a breakfast beer bong, sprinting your first leg, and/or doing cowbell toe-touches every single time a runner goes by.  Conserve some energy to prevent a major crash later on.
• Hydrate Often  -  Grab an al-free choice out of the cooler once in a while.  Ok, ok… you have two hands, grab a beer AND a water.  (Just make sure it’s not the one you refilled with vodka earlier.)  Drink often, not just when you feel thirsty or are suddenly overcome with cross-sightedness and a slurry vocab.
• Chill When You Can  -  Downtime? JUMP ALL OVER THAT SHIT.  Sit down and freaking just hang out a second.  There’s no need to try to jampack action into every last second.  You won’t regret getting an extra ounce of shuteye or pausing the van dance party every once in a while, I promise.
• Feed Yourself Like a Normal Human  -  Attempting to exist solely on rice krispie treats and gummy bears just because it’s vacation(/you’re running a million miles) isn’t a great plan.  If you expect your body to perform at least close to it’s norm, eat a few vegetables or a protein bar if that’s what it’s used to.  Then go dive headfirst into the jello shot cooler.
• RALLY!!  -  I know, you’ve been going at it hard forever, you’ve barely slept, and every inch of you hurts so bad you swear you look like a walking corpse.  Time to suck it up Sally, because the show isn’t over and this is what you came for.  Dig deep, wring out your liver, and put your party pants back on for the finishing act.  You’ll forget the sore feet and ringing head as soon as you’re driving away and this crazy weekend is suddenly a thing of the past.  Soak it up and freaking finish strong.

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Settled back into the real world and counting just over 4 weeks till I’m in a van on top of Mt Hood.  Hard to tell if these butterflies are nerves or excitement right now.

Or maybe I’m still hungover.

Sarah OUaL