OCR and Aviation

Short entry tonight. All of my energy is going towards a race I have on Saturday. (Part of my New Year's Resolution to run one road race a month) Now it's not just ANY race either - it's the Spartan Sprint. It's one of the top obstacle course/mud races (OCR) out there (some even say the hardest) and it's also a Bucket List item for me. I am a mixture of excitedly nervous and nervously excited.

I have my outfit ready to go and I have team mates, both experienced and non-experienced willing to help me be as successful as possible. We're put our heads together to think of a checklist of items not to forget for brand-new racers. Although this is my first Spartan, I have run an OCR before - the Run for your Lives 5k.



What does this have to do with aviation? The prep is nearly identical.

-First, make a check-list.
-Gather the items you will need ahead of time. And bring extras, just in case.
-Reach out for advice from those who have experience - they are usually more than willing to help newbies be as successful as possible.
-Help those who are just starting out - I may not be an expert, but I still know more than when I started and can pass on what I have learned.
-Have confidence.
-Use proper ORM (operational risk management) - push my limits, but if I come across an obstacle I don't feel safe doing, move on. Safety first.

During this exercise, I will face obstacles that are unknown to me. I do not know what is coming or when, much like the weather we face as pilots. This race is more mental than physical, which was never more apparent than when the race management made us read a document that stated:

"This race is brutal" and "This race is no joke"

I started to get scared after reading those words and then I remembered that they were just trying to psyche us out. It's a mind game and people I know who have run this before have confirmed it. The last obstacle course I ran was pretty awful and I felt it was as tough as a marathon I once ran. But I made it through. I WILL make it through this one too. After the last one, I loudly proclaimed that I hated these types of races and would never do one again, yet here I am a year later doing it again. If it was really all that brutal, I wouldn't have signed up for another one.

The aviation world is full of obstacles too and are more mental than physical. People seem to have the hardest time on the radios? Not because it's extra hard, but because people get "stage fright" and are hesitant. Once you get over that, it gets easier. Walking into a room full of older guys who are all pilots is quite intimidating and can be quite a daunting obstacle. But again, it's mostly mental. Most of those guys are really nice and more than willing to help. Money can be an obstacle too. I could easily list a hundred more obstacles...

Why? Because LIFE has obstacles. But you wanna know what?



Just know that they are mostly mental road blocks and change your attitude so you are better equipped to handle them.

Madness? Perhaps... However, THIS. IS. SPARTAAAAAAAAA! Wish me luck. :)  Talk to you guys again after I reach the finish line. Nervously excited is slowly morphing into just excitement now. AROO!!!!