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Stephen Gruppetta

@stephengruppetta.com

1.7K followers 400 following 1.2K posts

Constantly looking for simple ways to explain complex things… Here you'll find: • Python • Narrative Technical Writing • Track & Field Athletics Links in the pinned post below stephengruppetta.com

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · May 19

Stuff I do…

• Python
Python articles www.thepythoncodingstack.com

The Python Coding Book amzn.to/42tJKOL

Real Python realpython.com

• Narrative technical writing
stephengruppetta.com/breaking-the-rules

• Track & Field Athletics
backonthetrack.substack.com

• Everything stephengruppetta.com

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 15h

Double bill article for The Python Coding Stack shaping up nicely

Let’s see how far I get tomorrow and whether I can publish the first one

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 1d

I remember this one…

Real Python @realpython.com · 1d

🐍 Build a Python Turtle Game: Space Invaders Clone 📰

#python

Build a Python Turtle Game: Space Invaders Clone

In this step-by-step tutorial, you'll use Python's turtle module to write a Space Invaders clone. You'll learn about techniques used in animations and games, and consolidate your knowledge of key Python topics:

realpython.com

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 1d

I do too, but I use PyCharm and I’m not sure if all the new and colourful REPL goodies filter through there, yet!

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 1d

And this is a beginners’ course, so not much that’s new is relevant, anyway, except some better error messages!

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 1d

Right, so I’ll use 3.14 to run the course starting this Monday.

I only downloaded it yesterday.

What could possibly go wrong??

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 3d

This was the last of the information sessions discussing the new @realpython.com Python for Beginners instructor-led course

Last few places left on the cohorts starting next week. This course won’t run again until well into 2026

See you Monday?

www.youtube.com/live/Y0H6yYQ...

Python for Beginners Information Session

YouTube video by Real Python

www.youtube.com

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 3d

The last of the live information sessions is later today.

But then the course starts this Monday and there are hardly any places left.

So if you’re thinking of enrolling, don’t wait…

@realpython.com

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 25d

Interested?

Option 1: You can either come and find out more in a live info session: realpython.com/workshops/py...

Option 2: Or read about the course and book your slot here: realpython.com/live

Python for Beginners: Join One of the Info Sessions – Real Python

Join one of our live info sessions to find out more about the Python for Beginners: Code With Confidence live cohort-based course.

realpython.com

Reposted by Stephen Gruppetta

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 14d

Time to start writing the first chapter of “How to Sprint: Understanding Biomechanics”

I’m not a biomechanist.

So, I’m not writing this as an expert in the field.

…

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Reposted by Stephen Gruppetta

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 14d

It's so interesting to write articles on two different topics, for two different audiences, on publications that are so different

The Python Coding Stack is approaching 6,000 subscribers, and many articles get more views/reads than that as Google and Python newsletters feature them and all that…

…

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 14d

Sprinting — how hard can it be? You accelerate. And when you reach maximum speed, you maintain it until the finish line.

Simple, right?

But things are a bit more nuanced than that. So, put on your spikes (figuratively), and let’s get started.

backonthetrack.substack.com/p/arent-ther...

Aren't There Already Many Books On The Biomechanics of Sprinting? • Preface

Yes, but how many of them are a clear, friendly, and relaxed journey through the biomechanics of sprinting, focusing on understanding why things are the way they are?

backonthetrack.substack.com

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Reposted by Stephen Gruppetta

Real Python @realpython.com · 4d

🐍🎧 Advice on Beginning to Learn Python

What's changed about learning Python over the last few years? This week on the show, @stephengruppetta.com and Martin Breuss return to discuss the basics of learning Python.

buff.ly/cuVQHIq

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 7d

He ran it in 46:36. Not quite the sub-40 he had aimed for, but it’s still the first time he ran 10k, so he’s reasonably pleased with it

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 21d

A personal message: My son is fundraising for The British Red Cross Society–he's planning to run a 10k in less than 40 mins.

Check out his @justgiving.bsky.social page and please donate if you can. Thank you! #JustGiving

www.justgiving.com/page/jonatha...

Jonathan's fundraiser for The British Red Cross Society

Help Jonathan Gruppetta raise money to support The British Red Cross Society

www.justgiving.com

Reposted by Stephen Gruppetta

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 11d

More importantly, do you like the stick figures I crafted for this series?

I’ll be using them throughout.

And yes, the arms are missing deliberately.

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

It’s time to sprint. Where do you start?

You start from standing still. That’s how all sprinting starts. Your velocity is zero. You need to increase your velocity. You need to accelerate.

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 11d

More importantly, do you like the stick figures I crafted for this series?

I’ll be using them throughout.

And yes, the arms are missing deliberately.

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

It’s time to sprint. Where do you start?

You start from standing still. That’s how all sprinting starts. Your velocity is zero. You need to increase your velocity. You need to accelerate.

1/n

Reposted by Stephen Gruppetta

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

It’s time to sprint. Where do you start?

You start from standing still. That’s how all sprinting starts. Your velocity is zero. You need to increase your velocity. You need to accelerate.

1/n

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Reposted by Stephen Gruppetta

teachmepython.bsky.social @teachmepython.bsky.social · 12d

I don't use lambdas very often, but they are very handy in #Python when you use the built-in sorted() function

By using a lambda, you can do some cool advanced sorting! 🐍🔥

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Reposted by Stephen Gruppetta

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

I think you may find this interesting even if you don’t care about sprinting. Here’s the first part of How to Sprint: Understanding Biomechanics

…and as you’d expect, I wrote it in my own casual and narrative style.

backonthetrack.substack.com/p/1-its-time...

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

You’ll get back to the “pulling the ground” misconception later in this chapter.

Let’s find another way to start moving forward.

Continue reading at backonthetrack.substack.com/p/1-its-time...

/end

1. It’s Time to Start Sprinting • Force, Acceleration, and Maximum Velocity

This post includes the introduction to Chapter 1 and subsection 1.1 Acceleration

backonthetrack.substack.com

Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

“Ah, but Stephen, in addition to pushing down into the ground with my feet, I can also pull the ground behind me with my feet–my hamstring does most of the work in this situation. Surely, that’s how I can start moving forward!”

No.

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

But you’ve been walking and running daily since your toddler years. This means we’re still missing something.

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

So, that’s it. You’re stuck. You can jump upwards, but you can’t move forward! It’s like when you’re playing a video game and you can use the up arrow to make your character jump, but you can’t use the right or left arrows to make it move sideways!

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

Stand up straight and imagine a straight line connecting your feet to this point behind your belly button–your centre of mass. It’s a vertical line, perpendicular to the ground. This is the only direction you can apply force to the ground.

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

You’d place this imaginary sphere roughly at the location of your belly button, somewhere in the middle of your abdomen between your tummy and your back. This point is the body’s centre of mass.

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

You wouldn’t place it on the tip of your small finger in an outstretched arm. Most certainly not. And you wouldn’t place this sphere at the top of your head, either. You’d topple over instantly if your centre of mass were at the top of your head.

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

Where would you place this sphere to best represent your body?

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Stephen Gruppetta @stephengruppetta.com · 13d

Let’s avoid a technical discussion of the concept of centre of mass. Instead, let’s focus on an intuitive understanding of the centre of mass, which is all you need! Imagine you had to place all of your body’s mass into a small sphere. It will be a small, heavy sphere.

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