Chris Van Lanen-Wanek

Software Engineer | Web Developer


Running Activity


I'm currently training for the Madison Marathon! Check out my progress and most recent run below.

Marathon Training Plan

from the Boston Athletic Association

Total: 1017 mi

60 mi
30 mi
0 mi

Morning Run
View on Strava
November 10, 2024 at 1:02 PM

Distance
26.24 mi

Pace
8:12 /mi

Time
3h 35m

Other Activity


GitHub Repos


advent_of_code
· updated 3 days ago
Python

huevana
· updated 2 months ago
Ever see a color that's not quite blue, not quite green, and you're not sure what to call it? Well this project uses AI to determine an appropriate name for whatever color you want
TypeScript

color_identifier
· updated 3 months ago
TypeScript

dashboard
· updated 5 months ago
A website pulling data from various places to create my own personal dashboard
TypeScript

swiftly
· updated last year
An app for creating and sharing running training programs
TypeScript

adventOfCode2023
· updated last year
A repo of solutions for Advent of Code 2023 in Python
Python

strength_app
· updated last year
A simple API to store/retrieve my strength training data
Python

Books I'm Currently Reading


Beyond Order

by Jordan B. Peterson
2021 432 pages
The inspirational sequel to 12 RULES FOR LIFE, which has sold over 10 million copies around the world - now in paperbackIn 12 Rules for Life, acclaimed public thinker and clinical psychologist Jordan B. Peterson offered an antidote to the chaos in our lives: eternal truths applied to modern anxieties. His insights have helped millions of readers and resonated powerfully around the world.Now in this long-awaited sequel, Peterson goes further, showing that part of life's meaning comes from reaching out into the domain beyond what we know, and adapting to an ever-transforming world. While an excess of chaos threatens us with uncertainty, an excess of order leads to a lack of curiosity and creative vitality. Beyond Order therefore calls on us to balance the two fundamental principles of reality - order and chaos - and reveals the profound meaning that can be found on the path that divides them.In times of instability and suffering, Peterson reminds us that there are sources of strength on which we can all draw: insights borrowed from psychology, philosophy, and humanity's greatest myths and stories. Drawing on the hard-won truths of ancient wisdom, as well as deeply personal lessons from his own life and clinical practice, Peterson offers twelve new principles to guide readers towards a more courageous, truthful and meaningful life.

Slow Productivity

by Cal Newport
2024 256 pages
A New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and IndieBound bestseller"Brilliant and timely" — Oliver Burkeman~ Do Fewer Things. Work at a Natural Pace. Obsess over Quality. ~ From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overloadOur current definition of “productivity” is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers – from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe – Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative.From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.