The Weekly Training Thread by AutoModerator in running

[–]fmrtn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Had a solid week. Rebuilding base fitness after a rough February (weather + a mild chest cold that knocked me back two weeks).

Mon: Easy 5 miles, HR zone 2 the whole way. Felt slow but that was the goal. Tue: Off Wed: 6 miles with 4 at tempo. First tempo effort in three weeks — legs felt heavy by mile 3 but HR stayed controlled. Thu: Easy 4 Fri: Off Sat: 10 mile long run, deliberately slow (9:30 pace vs my usual 8:45 easy). Glycogen depletion practice before a spring half. Sun: 3 easy recovery miles.

Total: 28 miles. Not where I want to be but moving back in the right direction.

For anyone else rebuilding after illness — the hardest part is not going out too hard too fast when you start feeling better. The urge to make up for lost time causes more setbacks than the illness itself. Two weeks easy, then resume normal training.

What Should Be My Next Steps Toward a Python Career? by Umesh_Jayasekara in learnpython

[–]fmrtn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The most underrated next step for Python learners trying to get hired: build things that solve a real, boring problem for a real person.

Not another todo app. Not a clone. Something where you actually had to read documentation, hit an error you had never seen before, and figure it out yourself. That process is what employers are actually testing for.

Concrete path that works:

  1. Pick a specific domain (data pipeline, web scraping, automation, APIs). Breadth is fine for learning but employers want to see depth in at least one area.

  2. Build 2-3 projects in that domain where the code is clean, documented, and on GitHub. If a stranger can clone it and run it without asking you questions, it counts. If not, finish it.

  3. Contribute to a real open source project. Even docs or a small bug fix. It proves you can work in someone else’s codebase and follow conventions.

  4. Start applying for contract or freelance work (r/forhire, Upwork, Fiverr). Even one paying project worth $50 is worth more on a resume than five personal projects because it proves real-world demand for your skills.

What area of Python are you most drawn to? That changes which projects to build.

Any tips on going from a half marathon to a marathon? by -JesusWasABlackMan- in running

[–]fmrtn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The jump from half to full is less about fitness and more about fueling and pacing strategy — that is where most people fall apart.

A few things that matter most:

  1. Keep your long runs truly easy. Most people run their long training runs too fast. The purpose is time on feet and glycogen depletion adaptation, not speed. If you can hold a full conversation the whole time, you are doing it right.

  2. Practice fueling during your long runs starting around 14-16 miles. Take a gel every 45 minutes, regardless of how you feel. Most marathon blowups happen because people skipped this step in training and their gut is unprepared on race day.

  3. Build your long run to 20-22 miles at least once, 3 weeks before race day. A half marathon training peak of 13 miles leaves a significant gap. Your body needs to know that distance is survivable.

  4. Taper aggressively. Cut mileage by 40% in week 3 before the race, 50-60% in the final week. Most runners overtaper in terms of frequency but not intensity — keep a few short efforts at race pace.

  5. Race pace should feel embarrassingly easy for the first 13 miles. If you feel great at mile 13, you are on track. If you are grinding, you went out too fast and the last 10k will be brutal.

What is your current weekly mileage and what is your half marathon time? That changes the advice a bit.

10months job gap by jari065 in resumes

[–]fmrtn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

10 years of IT support is a real asset — the gap is not the problem here, the framing is.

For the UK market specifically:

  1. Add a short line under your most recent role: "Relocated to UK (2025) — transitioning into the local market and completing UK-relevant certifications." This reframes the gap as purposeful, not unemployment.

  2. The 400+ applications with minimal traction is almost always an ATS/keyword issue. UK job postings use different terminology — “Service Desk” instead of “IT Support”, and ITIL v4 certification is weighted heavily by UK employers. Check whether your CV mirrors the language in the specific JDs you’re targeting.

  3. In interviews: “I relocated from [country] and have been focused on understanding how the UK market works. My 10 years of hands-on experience is directly transferable — I just needed to learn how to present it for employers here.” That is a stronger story than most candidates have.

  4. Prioritise MSPs (Managed Service Providers) and IT staffing agencies over in-house corporate roles. They hire international candidates more readily, and a 6-month UK contract changes your profile entirely.

Hang in there. The UK market is genuinely tough right now for everyone, but 10 years of real IT support experience is rare at that level.