Farewell, 2021
As the curtain drops on 2021, here are a few learnings/surprises from two recent experiences:
Completing an Ironman triathlon last month (11/21/21)
Earning a private pilot certificate yesterday (12/30/21)
Why these two experiences?
Many of our 5,000+ readers are ambitious technology professionals. In addition to excelling at work, these same leaders often have sky-high personal goals!
By working with, advising for, and investing in these individuals (and their companies), I came to be inspired by them, and decided to 1) train for an Ironman and 2) learn how to fly. They were two of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.
Why share these learnings?
This article is my way of paying it forward. At one point, someone shared them with me. My hope is you might get intrigued enough to explore them and, if so, may benefit from my (many) mistakes along the path.
I’ll attempt to keep things objective, focusing primarily on 1) financial cost, 2) time required, 3) reward, and 4) mistakes/learnings. The goal of this article is not to brag and boast. Instead, I hope it might be useful to you should you endeavor to walk (or run!) the path for yourself.
Of course, your experience could vary—drastically!—but at least below you’ll have some high-fidelity data points to consider.
What do you get?
After successfully completing an Ironman and pilot training/check ride, you get a piece of metal and a piece of plastic, respectively. They look like this:
1. Completing an Ironman
Cost: $6,300 (detailed cost breakdown)
If you already own a wetsuit and bike, and register early for an event that’s near you (no travel cost), it’s feasible to do an Ironman for ~$1,000.
Time: 168 hours (training: 154 hours; event: 13.5 hours)
Reward: fitness, mental stamina, confidence, t-shirt + medal
Finish line with Kristen @ Ironman Tempe (11/21/21)
2. Earning a private pilot certificate
Cost: $16,946 (detailed cost breakdown)
If you log only the minimum flight time (40 hours), and purchase the most economical equipment, it’s feasible to get your private pilot license for ~$10,000.
Time: 185 hours* (learning/practicing: 176 hours; practical exam + check ride: 9 hours)
*this is the “all-in” time it took me to get a pilot license, not to be confused with the FAA requirements for flight time of 40 hours to sit for your check ride (which, in reality, is more like 60 hours based on student averages).
Reward: you can fly single-engine airplanes, travel farther/easier, unlocks unique experiences, exhilaration; new mental models for risk management
Sunset at KLHM with Kristen and our little one after a successful check ride (12/30/21)
The devil is in the details
"Your achievement can be no greater than your plans are sound." — Napoleon HillBigger goals require better plans—the complexity demands it. Completing an Ironman and learning to fly require significant time & money. So if you decide to take these on, its important to be candid about 1) your plan, 2) the discipline required to achieve it, and 3) the opportunity costs, i.e. things you’ll be giving up.
1a. The details: Ironman Tempe (2021)
Of the 2,355 participants in Ironman Tempe, 1,932 completed the Ironman. This equates to a completion rate of 82%. Inversely, 18% of participants did not complete the Ironman (423 athletes), and stopped at some point during the swim (2.4 miles), bike (112 miles) or run (26.2 miles).
In my opinion, you’ll need at least 6 months and 15-20 hours per week to train for an Ironman. Most people train 5-6 days per week; I did 3-4. It’s intense.
When I look at the data below, my Ironman training included 128 workouts and covered 2,117 miles, and I was significantly under-trained—especially on the run—due to a running injury (right-knee bone bruise) sustained in March-2021.
The blue dots are swimming (typically 1-2 miles each), the red dots are biking (typically 10-85 miles, almost exclusively on a peloton), and the yellow dots are running (typically 2-12 miles before getting injured).
Biggest mistakes:
I didn’t weight train or stretch. The benefits of strength training and stretching are well documented, but I got lazy and just didn’t do it. As a result, my run time was slow (5:14) and my back/hips/calves were tight.
I didn’t practice swimming in open water enough (only 2-3 times). As a result, my swim time was slow (1:25). Pool swimming is very different than open water swimming, and all triathlons are in open water. I should have done 5-10 open water swims.
I ramped my running too quickly in Q1-21 and, as a result, injured my right knee (bone bruise). This was a disaster and created a lot of fear and uncertainly leading up to race day.
I flew into PHX on Friday afternoon (the last day for packet pickup at 5pm!). This was stressful, and a delayed flight could have jeopardized everything. Should have flown in Thursday.
What worked really well:
Compression socks are amazing. I wore them during the run, and didn’t take them off for 1-2 days after the Ironman (you can shower with them on). They drastically reduce recovery time and soreness. I wore these 2XU compression leg sleeves ($64) on top of these 2XU compression calf sleeves ($34).
I nailed my nutrition plan. Since I was at a disadvantage on the run due to being under-trained, I really doubled-down on nutrition/fuel. This means I didn’t cramp and, more importantly, didn’t bonk. You’ll often hear Ironman triathletes refer to nutrition as the “4th Discipline” and I couldn’t agree more. Here is my full race day nutrition plan.
Special shoutout to Maurten 320 which provided the majority of my carbs. This brand has a cult following in triathlete circles and now I understand why: it is fantastic fuel. I was also impressed with LMNT salt (which I mixed with Maurten 320 drink)—tastes great and provides critical salt replenishment.
Meditation was key. Your body is capable of far more than the mind allows. This is a biological necessity for self-preservation. Your body can do an Ironman, but your mind doesn’t want to. Your mind wants to sit on the couch, watch Netflix, and consume calorie-dense foods. My daily meditation regiment helped work through the inevitable mental barriers—during training and the event—while instilling a “flip the script” sense of optimism:
Nasty headwind on the bike? It’ll be a tailwind on the way back + lower sweat rate.
Can’t run due to bone bruise? Focus on swimming and nutrition.
Lost a water bottle during the bike leg? Less weight to carry.
Getting crushed on the run? Smile and be grateful you’re capable of such feats.
2a. The details: Private Pilot certificate
Of the ~45,000 aspiring pilots who sit for their check ride each year, about 33,750 will pass. This equates to a pass rate of ~75% (source). Inversely, ~25% will not pass (about 11,250 student pilots).
In my opinion, if you’re working full-time and/or have a family (as I do), you’ll need at least 12 months and 4 hours per week. Most people try to fly once per week (~3 hours) and study once per week (1 hour).
To become a private pilot, the process is actually pretty straightforward:
Take your “ground school” and pass the FAA written test (70% score is passing)
Get a medical certificate (3rd class is most common; basically its a checkup with a FAA doctor)
Fly 40 hours with a flight school instructor (thereby earning the required “endorsements”)
Pass the oral test (5-6 hours) and check ride (2-3 hours; technically called the “practical test”)
I’m assuming you are fluent in English and 17 years of age (two other requirements).
Biggest mistakes
I passed my FAA written test before ever stepping foot in an airplane. As a result, my brain had memorized concepts without context/experiences to tether them. I accumulated “leaves” without establishing the roots, trunk and branches first. I should have done “ground training” in parallel with flight training.
I almost picked the wrong flight school. This initial fly-by-night “cowboy” flight school, I later found out, did not have a good track record. “Many people can teach you to fly a plane, but few can teach you to do it safely.” I should have done deeper flight school research upfront. Thankfully I was introduced to NorCal Flight Center (where I happened to take my written test) which proved to be excellent.
I should have prioritized Weather and Aircraft Systems in my curriculum. These knowledge areas are more dense, and I should have allocated more time to them, sooner. As a result, I barely passed my written test (73%; 70% is passing), and struggled with various knowledge checkpoints due to these “blindspots,” now illuminated.
What worked really well
My instructor is amazing. His name is Eduardo Jiron and he’s an exceptional CFI. With over 6,000 hours under his belt, Eduardo is a true professional when it comes to aviation. I’m fortunate to now consider him a friend. If you’re going to spend 40+ hours in a small aircraft with someone, make sure your personalities mesh well.
Choosing a low-wing. I trained in a Piper Cherokee 140 (low-wing), whereby most student pilots learn in Cessna 172 (high-wing). I like low-wings because 1) lesser demand means they’re easier to reserve, 2) I don’t need a ladder to refuel, 3) better ground effect for landings, and 4) they look niftier, imho. This isn’t to say one is better than the other—both are great trainers, but I found the low-wing Piper Cherokee 140 to be an excellent, less-popular option.
Investing in good equipment. I highly recommend paying a bit more to get quality equipment like: Bose A20 Headset, Sentry ADS-B Receiver, iPad mini (256GB, wi-fi), RAM X-mount, RAM tough claw, and Foreflight Performance Plus (software). Having good gear is correlated with the confidence, energy and enthusiasm needed to learn to fly. For example, buying the premium version of Foreflight lets you see a 3D view of any airport in the world. So cool!
Resources
If you’d like to dip your toe in the water (air?), here are my notes from ground school, practice written tests, and check ride prep.
Photo with my instructor Eduardo Jiron after successfully completing check ride.
Opportunity costs
“Putting first things first means organizing and executing around your most important priorities. It is living and being driven by the principles you value most, not by the agendas and forces surrounding you.” — Stephen CoveyCompleting an Ironman and pilot’s license were significant investments of time and money (especially in the same year). To accomplish them, I had to de-prioritize a lot of other things (hard part). Here are a few phrases that helped me:
“Sorry, I wish I could join for [social thing] but I have to train.”
“I’d love to watch a show with you, but tonight I have to swim and hit the peloton.”
“I’d love to attend the party this weekend, but I already have plans [long bike/run].”
“Learning to fly will be expensive ($10-15k), but we can pay as we go, and it will pay dividends over the next 30 years.”
“I won’t be able to make our 6pm meeting because I have a family commitment and then have to train for 3 hours.”
“I won’t be able to make our 8am meeting next week because I have a personal goal I’m working on.”
As you can tell from the first two pictures, I’m incredibly fortunate to have a loving, supportive partner. Kristen was there to celebrate all the milestones for both the Ironman and pilot’s license.
Kristen logged over 13 miles (!) during Ironman Tempe just tracking me around the course with a “run like a corgi” banner. She also now likes to say she has her own “private pilot” :)
Kristen had to pick up a lot of the family work to free up time for me. Not every partner would be willing to make this sacrifice, especially with a 1-year-old. None of this would have been possible without her love and support.
I love you, honey.