# blueollie

## More gym stuff, and teaching new stuff…

Workout notes: my routine was a bit off due to the Labor Day running race. So today, I lifted and walked.

The walk came after my lifting session; I did a hilly 10K course (Cornstalk 5 plus a 1.2 mile lower loop). The route was somewhat slippery.

Lifting: just under 1 hour; I did hip hikes and rotator cuff.
Pull ups: 15, 10, 10, then 5 sets of 5 with various grips. (60 reps total today)
bench: 10 x 135, 3 x 180, 3 x 180, 9 x 160
military: 2 sets of 12 x 50 seated, supported (finally got it!), 10 x 40 standing (dumbbells)
rows: 10 x 65 each arm.
incline: 9 x 135
pull downs: 3 sets of: 7 x 160 traditional 7 x 100 low.

The heel: somewhat sore, but not bad. I used some ice and took NSAIDS afterward.

Teaching new stuff Teaching the numerical analysis stuff is time consuming. But…I am learning interesting things that I wouldn’t ordinarily be exposed to.

For example: suppose you wanted to choose $x_0, x_1, x_2,...x_{k-1}$ within the interval $[-1,1]$ so as to minimize the maximum magnitude of the product $(x-x_0)(x-x_1)...(x-x_{k-1})$?? The answer isn’t that obvious, is it? If you are wondering why we’d want to do that, this product forms the “negotiable” part of the error term of the Lagrange polynomial. Minimization of the error term leads to the maximum accuracy of the interpolation.

September 2, 2014

## Tawny Frogmouth, charter schools and race in America

Science

Do you see the birds in the above photo? See the larger photo at Jerry Coyne’s website; this is an example of evolution leading to excellent animal camouflage.

Education Though current conservatives tend to be a fan of charter schools (which are often “top-down” managed), originally charter schools were a liberal idea to give teachers more say in schools; they were supposed to be an educational laboratory to try out new ideas.

Race This is a very balanced editorial about race relations and the Ferguson shooting aftermath by Nicholas Kristoff. This is a nice companion piece to Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s Time Magazine editorial. Neither editorial is a shallow “whitey sucks” screed but rather an honest, balanced look at the situation.

September 2, 2014

## Bridge to Bridge 2014 version

I’ve run a version of this race in 2012 (October) and in 2013 (Labor Day). This course features a bit of everything: the 2014 version starts on the water front, goes up over the Bob Michael Bridge,

follows a bike path, a street, then goes back over the 80 foot high Cedar Street Bridge

and then returns to the downtown water front. Conditions were a bit humid: 75 F, 82 percent humidity. (it was 64 F last year). So, due to the heat and the fatigue of my 20.6 mile training walk yesterday, my performance suffered just a bit:

However, my I averaged only a slightly slower pace than I did for last week’s warm 5K (78 F, 87 percent) and this was on a tougher course. Last year I was 132/616, this time I was 140/531; somewhat worse. But I am not a good heat runner.

This year: 8:22, 8:51 (against a breeze), 9:13 (uphill), 8:09 (downhill, with the wind), 34:37 total, just over a minute slower than last year.

My race
I was somewhat worried about my foot; that proved to not be a problem. I didn’t even take NSAIDS though I did ice it afterward. I went to the Riverplex and jogged 1.25 miles on the treadmill, then jogged .75 miles to the race start. I lined up slightly further back than normal and took it easy on the way out. I could see Pat ahead but left her alone; I wouldn’t be running with her today. As I made my way up the bridge I saw Mardi. I tracked her for most of the race as she is very steady and was running the sort of pace I had hoped to hold.

The out felt slow. But people wilted and I kept going; my second mile was probably slightly too conservative. But I was saving for the big uphill on the Cedar Street Bridge and was in a “get through this” mode. Still, Mardi was close so I felt ok with my place.

Finally, we got to the crest and I tried to pick it up some and I, surprisingly, gained quite a few places.

Mardi got me back and we jockeyed back and forth. 5:00 into the final mile I tried to pick up the pace but could feel her there, and she nailed me with a nice kick right at the end (within a second, one place ahead).

I had to walk back (saw Pat and Terry) and got in a cool down mile; Mardi called out to me to further discuss the race. I enjoyed that.

I saw others; it was nice to see T and her tight shiny spandex again.

Later: there is some post work day, run ache so I am icing it. It should not be a problem though. I think.

September 2, 2014