Exploring the Boolean operators — In my last article, I introduced you to the Select From Alternatives program template and how to implement the template using Python’s if statement. In this article I’m going to continue discussing the Select From Alternatives template, this time making our conditional statements more complex using Boolean logic. The Boolean Operators Boolean logic…

A few weeks ago I was reading Mario Fraioli’s newsletter and at the end, he included a quote from the mathematician Paul Halmos — “I read once that the true mark of a pro — at anything — is that he understands, loves, and is even good at the drudgery…

A fun way to create a flexible program — In this article, I’m going to introduce the Select From Alternatives program template. This template provides the programmer with a process for making decisions in their programs. The template is implemented using Python’s if statement. Many programming languages also provide the case statement as a way of implementing this template…

In my last article, I talked about how runners should make their running goals SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. In this article, I’m going to narrow down the types of goals we need to make SMART to process goals, as these are the most important…

Know how to properly receive input from your users — One of the most common ways to get data into a Python program is to have the user enter it from the keyboard. There is a program template that describes how to implement this type of input. It is the Prompt, Then Read template. In this article, I’m going to…

Runners who work in an organization have probably had to outline a set of goals they want to achieve. The college I work for has us do this every year. A few years ago, we were asked to start making our goals SMART. …

The long run is the staple workout of the competitive runner. If you are training for a race (regardless of the distance), you should be doing a weekly long run. The standard long run is from ten miles up to twenty miles if you are training for a race up…

Level up your Python skills — Python programs are written to solve problems. When we use a computer programming language like Python to solve a problem, we can usually break the problem down into three parts — input, processing, and output. When these parts are taken together they make up the Input-Process-Output program template. In this…

Brad Stulberg wrote an article some time ago on the eight rules for doing everything better. Here’s a link. I read them and realized that they can also be applied specifically to running. Here’s how I use them to make my running better. Stress + Rest = Growth This is my favorite of Stulberg’s rules…