Friday Randomness – May 1, 2015

1. I know this is late but did you watch the Boston Marathon?  Wow, what  a race huh?  I was able to watch it with my kids on the SmartBoard at school.  We saw the beginning of both the men’s and women’s and then watched halfway through the race and then the end of it.  I told them to be on the lookout for Desi and Meb. Some of them remember seeing Meb win the race last year.

2. I’ve been having calluses on my right foot.  It is so bad that I finally bought  a bottle of callus remover.  I failed to follow the instructions.  Let’s just say I put on way too much because I was not seeing any results.  Well, imagine my surprise after the relay marathon on Saturday (where my feet got soaking wet) when I took off my socks.  The liquid and water had soften the skin and most of it was peeling off. And because I am stubborn, I took a nail clipper and began clipping away any loose skin.  In the end it was so bad that I had to put on bandages.  Definitely will not make that mistake again.

3. My class “History of Mathematics” is sort of interesting.  I am sort of kidding when I mention that the best part of my evening class is my big cup of iced coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.  Well, the class is not interesting anymore.  Last week the teacher lectured nonstop on geometry.  Let’s just say I dislike geometry and simply do not get it nor do I care to understand it.  I know this does not sit well with me wanting to be a math teacher.  See below the homework assignment.  I mean, really?  Who gives out homework like that?

4. I am thinking of signing up for the Quarryman Challenge 10 mile race taking place on Saturday, May 9.  I’ve never done it but have heard good things about it. What freaks me out is that another runner (a guy that can run 6:30 minute miles) said that it is a challenging race/course.  Seriously?  He is a fast runner and thinks it is challenging.  I wonder how it will go with me then.  Well, regardless, it is on my radar and am about 90% sure that I will sign up.  It is $45 and about 30 minutes from my house.  Also, this is one of the races on the list for the CARA Chicago Marathon Incentive Program.

5.  Are you be running the Chicago Marathon this year?  Confirmation emails went out Tuesday afternoon and I know of two runners that were not selected.

According to this article From Runner’s World,

A total of 71,040 runners applied to the lottery or registered via a guaranteed entry, according to race representative Cindy Hamilton.  With an expected field size of about 45,000 runners, here’s a quick breakdown of the numbers surrounding the 2015 event:

• 64 percent of the field was accepted through the lottery. In other words, of the 54,800 runners who entered the lottery, about 53 percent got in. Those are much better odds compared to the 2014 New York City Marathon, where only 18 percent of lottery applicants were accepted.
• 36 percent of the field earned a guaranteed spot.

From those runners who entered with a guaranteed application:

• 41.7 percent will run through a charity.
• 23.6 percent are time qualifiers.
• 17.4 percent are Chicago Marathon Legacy Finishers who ran the race five or more times in the past 10 years.
• 11.3 percent deferred their entry from previous years.
• 1.2 percent will particpate through a tour group.
• 4.8 percent entered through other means.

6.  Another photo of gifts from my kids.  🙂