MONS: Part 1

After working on my classroom in anticipation of the move to a new
position as a Teacher of Physics at St. Catherine's School in Richmond,
VA (far from finishing, by the way), I'm also working with a couple
of Master Teachers as a part of the Mars Outreach for North Carolina
Students (MONS).  This is a grant-funded group of students who have
applied to be a part of the opportunity.  My friends call this "Smart
Camp," but it's really just a group of motivated students who are not
always at the top of their class rankings.  One group is using state-
of-the-art imaging software to study characteristics of Mars geology,
today concentrating on Gale Crater, one of the proposed landing sites
for Curiosity, the newest Mars Rover, set for launch in November of
2011.  The software will be discussed in later posts.  Another group is
studying thermal inertia for soil having a shallow water table.  Once
again, more about this in a later post.  The third group is building a
robotic arm which will use an infrared sensor to measure thermal
inertia remotely.  This will also be discussed at length in a later
post.  Just for clarification, the studies were largely suggested by
Dr. Jeff Moersch from the University of Tennessee.  The robotic
 aspect was started last year by a group that is now getting ready
to go off to college, and was enlarged by three students who are
currently in high school.  This program was initiated by Howard
Lineberger from Durham Academy in Durham, NC, and Sam Fuerst
of Northern Durham HS, also located in Durham, NC.  More
information about "the early days" of this program may be found at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/1667.pdf.
 More in the next post!

New Beginnings

I've been away from blogging for a really long time.  Lots of changes have occurred during the interim period.  I've retired from coaching (November, 2009), initiated a new course entitled Game Development and Simulation (January, 2010), I became a grandfather (April 2011), retired from Durham Public Schools (July, 2011), and I'm embarking on a new teaching career with St. Catherine's School in Richmond, VA (August, 2011).  This blog will take on a new direction, but it will still be a repository for my thoughts about specific things and my philosophy about general issues.  When I have time, I'll take on different areas, such as science education, athletics, music, computing, game development, and family life.  So, more to come, and a bit more frequently!

Goals

I’ve always been goal-oriented. From my early days of school, I had goals planned, although not necessarily academic. Sometimes they were to do something physical, as in walking to school, climbing a particular tree, or riding my bike a long distance. Sometimes they were in other areas, such as reading a book a week (which I did for over thirty years, until non-fiction reading related to my subject areas took precedence), studying and journaling the feeding habits of a bird or a turtle, or tanning the hide of an animal. This carried over to athletics in high school, where I developed long-term plans and goals, such as competing in college and running in other areas of the country. Eventually, I developed life goals, and worked out somewhat elaborate five-year plans. Whether I actually achieved these goals was much less important than the effort. As I’ve aged, I still have retained this outlook, with some modifications. No longer will I try to break 32:00 for 10km, but I will try to work towards getting back to 20:00 for 5km. No longer will I try to read a book each week, but I will devote more than an hour each day to reading. I’ll learn and employ pedagogy at school designed to enhance my teaching and student learning, and will go to workshops as often as possible and research educational methods weekly and daily. And, most importantly, I will try to accomplish some project around the house to the benefit of the family each week. The major modification for me has been in the expansion of my goals from a direction only towards me, to goals involving more people, including my family, my students, and the athletes with whom I come into contact, as well as the public in general when possible.

Back to Blogging

Alright, back to blogging after a year, and back to the one I started last year…
As a person who has a major interest in science and math, I look for patterns in everything. Sitting on the porch with my wife (after a plate of home-grilled swordfish and broccoli) I began to think about the decades of my life to this point. Fifty years ago, I was preparing to become a Cub Scout. Forty years ago, I was running 100+ miles per week, getting ready to join the cross country squad at the University of Richmond upon graduating from high school. Thirty years ago, I was moving to Durham, NC, to take a job as an assistant cross country and track coach at Duke University. Twenty years ago, I was beginning studies in microelectronics, and introduced robotics into my Applied Physics curriculum, using the programming language BASIC. Ten years ago I began teaching C++ to the AP Computer Science and Computer Programming classes I had just taken over. My oldest son Thomas was a student. This year, I’m learning Game Development and Simulation to teach in a new course I’m putting together. Each decade was a new beginning to some part of my life. Each beginning was a major chapter in my life. Other years have memories as well, but these were significant. Each of these periods involved taking a chance, and using that chance to better myself, and perhaps to help others. Taking chances can produce great things, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have gained some measure of success with few dismal failures.

Post-Exam Update

June 8, 2008

Another semester has come and gone. Exams are completed, papers are graded, and all marks have been recorded. Now it's time to ramp up the training!

In my virtual run across North Carolina, I've just passed the last Asheville exit (Exit 55 for East Asheville). The running has been a bit tougher because of the heat recently. Here in Durham, we've experienced temperatures of around 100° F. Most of my runs have been in the morning. This morning I ran 5.4 miles starting at 8:30AM when the temperature was a "cool" 80°and the relative humidity where I was in Duke Forest was 60%. By the end of my run a bit over an hour later it was 83°and 70% RH. My weekday runs have been at about 5:15AM, and, while humid and warm, are not hot and drippy-wet.

Hot weather running can be dangerous. The loss of water can cause many problems. This was brought home to me tragically in 1969. A group of runners from Richmond, VA, including me, journeyed to Ahoskie, NC, to run in a 10-mile race in July. The race started early, and there were hydration stops on the route (water, electrolyte drinks were rare then). Nelson Hedley was an outstanding runner with credentials of 1:56 (60-56!), 4:23, and 9:35. He was part of a training group we had together in Richmond composed of most of the best distance runners from the area, and from most of the schools. He was fit, and wanted to challenge John Van Dyke from the Norfolk-Newport News area. Van Dyke had been a state champion-level runner, as had Hedley as well. Our group also included future state champion and collegiate All-America Scott Eden. The race started under hot conditions, and Nelson ran hard to the point of collapsing. This effort and the conditions found a weak spot in Nelson, perhaps a result of a spider bite reaction in his childhood, and he ran himself into heat stroke. He never recovered. He seemed better the next day, but died a few days later. This case was mentioned in several articles and books, and has always been a strong lesson to me. A few recommendations:

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink enough fluids well before you run, and make sure you have an additional amount just prior to exercise. Water is fine. Be careful of drinks such as Powerade and Gatorade. They may contain large amounts of sugar. We always “cut” them when we have them for our athletes by mixing them half-and-half with water.

2. Pick cooler times of the day to run. Granted, most high school kids look forward to sleeping later, but morning runs are cooler, and often more productive. The danger of evening runs involves air quality, which is worse in the afternoon and early evening.

3. Make sure you let someone know where you are running, and about how long it will take. This is a safety issue.

4. Run with others if possible. This is a just in case issue.

5. Avoid sugary drinks and caffeine, as these can cause hydration and retention problems in the athlete.

6. Pick a shady course, if one is available.

7. Be smart with your running. Err on the side of safety. High mileage is a goal, but there may be days when this is not possible.

Remember: run smart and run a lot, but first make sure you do the former (run smart) BEFORE the latter (run a lot).

Stormy Day

As the road continues to beckon, despite wet weather, I’m reminded of wisdom from the many people I’ve met, read, or to whom I’ve listened. I’ve had many memorable encounters, from the late Steve Prefontaine to Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Shorter, from Olympian Joan Nesbit Mabe to nationally-ranked ultramarathoner (and Northern HS grad) Missy Foy. I’ve also met Nobel Laureate physicist Sheldon Glashow and Royal Fellow mathematician John Conway. Most of these people will not remember me, but I’ve gained something from each of them as well, as others who have affected me in varying ways. Someone I haven’t met, but whose materials I use in my computer programming class, is Randy Pausch. Dr. Pausch, who most recently taught at Carnegie Mellon University, developed the object-oriented 3D animation programming language called Alice, which we use to introduce computer programming at Northern HS. In September, 2006, Dr. Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Dr. Pausch was given little time to live, and delivered at talk known as his "Last Lecture," entitled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," at CMU on September 18, 2007. Some of the statements he made resonate with achievement-oriented people:

It’s not how you achieve your dreams; it’s how you lead your life.
Tell the truth.
Never lose the child-like wonder.
Be earnest.
Loyalty is a two-way street.
Apologize when you screw up.
Focus on others, not yourself.
Show gratitude.
Be prepared.
Don’t complain; work harder.
Help others.
Find the best in everybody no matter how long you have to wait to find it.

These statements are applicable in all aspects of life, from academics to athletics to social interactions. There are many lists of suggestions for success, but this one is a great compilation for anyone, from business entrepreneur to high school student. Dr. Pausch, incidentally, has outlived his projected demise at this writing.

Back on the road tomorrow…

First Days on the Run

Welcome to my blog. My name is Charlie Payne, and I teach science and computer science at Northern High School in Durham, NC. During the next three months, summer training for the cross country team will be in the form of a virtual trip along I-40 in North Carolina. The length of the route is 420 miles. If the entire state is traversed, this will be just over thirty miles per week, a bit over 4.5 miles per day. Some may just get to Durham, 270 miles, about twenty miles per week. Some may do more, and will extend their journey to Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, NC, adding an additional 22 miles. A few may run back across North Carolina, virtually, of course!

My intention is to complete this trip also, although as a back-of-the-pack runner. Along the way I’ll discuss the local environment, as historical and scientific aspects of the places passed on this journey. I’ll also write about training and running, as well as offer some insight from my own past as a runner, teacher, and coach beginning in the 1960’s. Welcome to the journey!

During my first couple of days I’ve made it near Exit 7, Harmon Den. This is a beautiful area often called The Gorge, and, to be my corny self, it is really gorgeous! The Pigeon River runs nearby, and the area is forested and scenic. This is a well-known horse-riding area. With trails in abundance, this is equestrian paradise. With the Appalachian Trail nearby, it’s also a hiker’s haven, with miles of good (and bad) footing. I’ve had the pleasure the last two summers of proceeding west into Tennessee to attend a great workshop at Tremont, TN, nestled in the Great Smokey Mountains. This is an interesting area, with the calm and peace of GSMNP within a rather short distance of the crass and tasteless (in my opinion) commercialism of Dollywood.

Further descriptions ahead…