Flight Training - January/February 2025 - 6

ALWAYS LEARNING BY SARAH DEENER
Editor SARAH DEENER started
middle school cross-country three
decades ago. She's slower now,
but still has her original knees.
sarah.deener@aopa.org
VARIED MISSIONS
AND TRAINING HELP
KEEP US SHARP AND
MOTIVATED.
Bring friends. It's easier to
summon the motivation to bundle
up for a long run at oh-dark-30 when
there's someone to commiserate with
afterward, and the prerace wait and
post-race festivities are better with
company. Similarly, fellow pilots' " Do
any flying lately? " reminds me what I'm
missing if it's been a few weeks since
my last flight. (For a glimpse into how
two pilots motivate and support each
other through their flight training, see
Julie Summers Walker's " Lean on Me "
on p. 34.)
Mix it up. During high school
RACE DAY
Shuffling up Independence Avenue on mile six of the Army
Ten-Miler, I noticed a spectator waving a hand-written neon
poster: " Smile, " it said. " Remember you paid to do this! "
This October marked the tenth year my husband and I ran the race, which tours
Washington, D.C., attractions from the Pentagon up the Potomac River, down past
the Kennedy Center, and along the National Mall. We treat it as a weekend getaway,
indulging in a pasta dinner on Saturday night and rising early to enjoy the tranquility
of the capital in the still morning amid 28,000 runners' footsteps and the occasional
brass band. Still, in the endless span of the 14th Street bridge, it occurred to me I
could choose a more relaxing hobby.
I'm not alone among pilots in gravitating toward pastimes that involve goal-setting
and some level of measurable proficiency. High-intensity hobbies keep us engaged in
the moment and give us something to strive for, for many of us filling the void left by
high school sports. But finding fulfillment in a pastime is different from the rewards
of competitive athletics. Flying recreationally is more like the type of running I do
today than the interval workouts and ride-or-die training of my high school crosscountry
days. Now, the principles of running in my age bracket are a closer parallel
to flying.
Finish. There's no winning or losing in flying, only the imperative to come home
safe. Elite runners and athletic champions may sweat their rankings, but most of the
rest of us are here for the scenery and snacks at the finish line.
Know your limits. In my twenties, with only two half marathons under my belt,
I signed up for a trail marathon-in the mid-Atlantic, in June. I finished, eventually,
but I walked the second 13.1-mile lap alone in the woods while my friends debated
whether to send a search party. Call it the folly of youth or the " macho " hazardous
attitude, but the urge to prove I can do it has lost some of its edge over time. A race or
flight that demands I " leave it all on the course " may not be worth the cost.
6
FLIGHT TRAINING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
cross-country seasons, I used to run
six days a week. A quarter-century
later, different workouts help me
maintain my sanity and my joints.
Flying the same routes over and over
can be satisfying, but varied missions
and training help keep us sharp and
motivated.
Set goals. Anyone who has ever
booked a checkride date without
feeling confident yet in their skills can
appreciate the motivational power of a
goal. An upcoming trip or race gives me
the nudge I need to stay proficient.
Find the time. This fall, my
husband and I agreed to alternating
dibs on the treadmill for morning
workouts, ensuring we'd each have
time for a passable number of miles
before the race. I also know which days
of the week he can take daycare dropoff
and school bus duty so I can fit in an
early-morning practice flight. In sports
and flying, regular practice is key.
Have fun. Personal growth comes
from challenging yourself, but it doesn't
require you to make yourself miserable.
Self-serious maxims like " no pain no
gain " suck the joy from the present and
predicate it on future performance.
Today, I'm not pursuing a rating or
training to set a personal record. I'm
just out here having fun. FT

Flight Training - January/February 2025

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