TITLE: More on Software Speed Training
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: December 07, 2004  6:24 AM
DESC: Maybe the distinction between speed play and speed work is essential when thinking about how software developers can get faster.
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BODY:
Last evening, I commented on the idea of
<A HREF="">
   speed training for software developers</A>,
raised in
<A HREF="http://weblogs.java.net/blog/emeade/archive/2004/12/fartlek_increas.html">
   Erik Meade's blog</A>.
John Mitchell also
<A HREF="http://weblogs.java.net/blog/johnm/archive/2004/12/rhythms_in_soft.html">
   commented on this idea</A>.
Check out what John has to say.  I think he makes a useful
distinction between <I>pace</I> and <I>rhythm</I>.  You'll
hear lots of folks these days talk about rhythm in software
development; much of the value of test-driven development
and refactoring lie in the productive rhythm they support.
John points out that speed <I>work</I> isn't a good idea for
developers, because that sort of stress doesn't work in the
same way that physical stress works on the muscles.  He
leaves open the value of intensity in learning situations,
more like speed <I>play</I>, which I think is where the
idea of software fartleks can be most valuable.

Be sure to check out the comments to John's article, too.
There, he and Erik hash out the differences between their
positions.  Seeing that comment thread make me again want
to add comments to my blog again!
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