Saskia Lacey - Spectacular Sports: Worlds Toughest Races: Understanding Fractions

0covercover.xhtmlSpectacular Sports World's Toughest Races Understanding Fractions Saskia Laceycover3page0003page0003.xhtml44page0004page0004.xhtmlTable of Contents Built to Be Brutal 4 Outrageous Obstacle Courses 18 Bike Across Borders 22 Dream Big 27 Problem Solving 28 Glossary 30 Index 31 Answer Key 3255page0005page0005.xhtmlBuilt to Be Brutal The world of racing is changing. Courses are longer. Their settings are more extreme. Obstacles are stranger and more dangerous. Athletes want to try things that seem impossible. They want a chance to prove their strength. So, races are created. Obstacles are built. Incredible courses are designed to test the strongest of the strong. Athletes train hard. They need to be ready for icy terrains, desert winds, and steep climbs. They must have superhuman endurance. These races are built to be brutal. They are not for everyday athletes. Only serious competitors need apply. You may have heard of some of these races, but you probably dont know them all. Have you ever heard of the Antarctica Marathon? What about the Jungle Marathon? Does the Tough Mudder ring any bells? Each has its own difficulties. All are super tough. Which is the toughest? You be the judge. Athletes make their way through the Antarctica Marathon course.66page0006page0006.xhtmlContestants compete in the Beaver Run, Lithuania's version of the Tough Mudder obstacle course.77page0007page0007.xhtmlTough Around the World The first course seems simple. Racers do not face weird hurdles. There are no wild locations. The weather is not extreme. In this race, there is just one city block. Easy, right? Well...maybe not. The Self-Transcendence (tran-SEN-dents) 3100 Race takes place every year in Queens, New York. The race is 3, 100 miles (5, 000 kilometers) long. That is like running all the way across the United States! And, there is one more challenge. Runners have to finish the race within 52 days. Athletes must run almost 60 mi. (100 km) a day to finish on time. It may seem impossible. But, the athletes who finish have a lot to brag about. It is the longest footrace in the world! Many runners don't want to just finish the race. They want to beat the record. In 2015, the winner finished in just 40 days, 9 hours. He had to run a little over 76 mi. (122 km) each day. Ashprihanal Aalto set the record in 2015.88page0008page0008.xhtmlLets Lets Kareen Houses Park City School99page0009page0009.xhtmlBadwater 135 The Badwater 135 is not an easy race. Runners travel 135 mi. (217 km) through the Death Valley desert in July. If you're thinking about running, then be sure to bring plenty of water! Death Valley lives up to its name. It is the hottest place on Earth. To make it to the finish line, racers have crews that help them stay calm and cool. The crews follow the runners as they race. They make sure runners keep going. They also help keep them safe. One crewmember, Amanda McIntosh, was worried about the heat. "When I stepped out of the van, it was like jumping into an oven. " But by the end of the race, Amanda was almost a convert. "While I still contend that this is not a race for me...I now understand the allure of Badwater. " The racers impressed her. She was amazed by how they pushed past the intense heat. Runners try to stay cool in the extreme heat.1010page0010page0010.xhtmlA crewmember squeezes wet sponges over a runner's head. Lets1111page0011page0011.xhtmlJosie Benson competes in the 2014 Jungle Marathon and places first among female competitors.1212page0012page0012.xhtmlMarathon through the Amazon The Jungle Marathon is one of the toughest races in the world. It takes place in the Amazon jungle. It is hot, humid, and very dangerous. Runners have to endure temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). So, don't try this race if you are scared to sweat! It's not just heat that makes this race tough. The course is over 150 mi. (240 km) long. Athletes must survive in the wild. They must build shelters and live off the land. They have to be ready and aware at all times. Danger lurks in every corner. There is plenty to be wary of in the jungle. There are big predators. Anacondas and jaguars lurk in the jungle. There are insects that bite and sting. Creatures like tarantulas crawl underfoot. This race may not be easy, but the payoff is huge. Runners are not just in it for a medal. They also want to experience the untamed beauty of the Amazon. pink-toed tarantula jaguar1313page0013page0013.xhtmlAntarctica Marathon If the Jungle Marathon sounds too hot for you, you may want to check out the Antarctica Marathon. Biting winds hit runners along the way. Subzero temperatures are common. But, runners prepare for this. After all, it is in Antarctica the coldest place on Earth! This icy race is a standard marathon a little over 26 mi. (42 km). But, this race is anything but standard. It takes great skill to be able to run through the freezing cold. A pack of runners start their adventure on the Antarctica Marathon.1414page0014page0014.xhtmlWinter Vinecki is one of those skilled racers. When she was just 14 years old, she ran the Antarctica Marathon. She finished the race in less than 5 hours. This is a big deal for any age! But Winter did not stop there. She set a goal to run a marathon on every continent. And she did! Winter was the youngest racer to do this. Winter Vinecki1515page0015page0015.xhtmlA French team suits up for this adventure in endurance. The M.O.B. (Mind Over Body) team from Canada takes on the mountain biking portion of the race.1616page0016page0016.xhtmlPatagonian Expedition Race The Patagonian (pa-tuh-GOH-nyuhn) Expedition Race is famous for its beauty. There are mountains and plains. There are glaciers and deserts. You name it, this race has it! Athletes on the course feel lucky. Not many people get to see the wonders of this area up close. Training for this race can be like a guessing game. Each year, the course changes. Athletes are never sure what will be around the corner. But, they can be sure that their bodies will be pushed. Teams of four must work together to climb, run, bike, and kayak to the finish line. The route is revealed 24 hours before the race begins. Athletes must be able to think on their feet. Every decision is a way to get ahead or fall behind. One of the course's greatest athletes is Nick Gracie. His team has won four times! Gracie says that when people ask him where they should travel, his answer is always the same : Chilean Patagonia. Gracie says, "It's the most beautiful place I've ever been on the planet. " The U.S. team kayaks through southern Chilean Patagonia.1717page0017page0017.xhtmlFierce Frisco The San Francisco Ultramarathon is a little over 52 mi. (84 km) long. That is the length of two marathons! Athletes start racing at midnight and keep running through the next day. The course is not easy. San Francisco has tough terrain. There are many steep hills. Even the strongest athletes are nervous to run the race. To qualify as a finisher, athletes must run the nighttime part of the race in five hours or less. Then, they have to run the daytime part of the race in six hours or less. This is part of the reason why so many of the runners keep running through their fatigue. One more step feels like one too many. But, they keep going because it is an honor to run the course. The race is limited to only 100 of the best athletes. Each of these runners competes for a cause. By racing, they will raise money for the charity of their choice. Their legs will get weak. Their lungs will burn. But these ultra-athletes keep fighting their way to the finish line.1818page0018page0018.xhtmlUltramarathon runners start the race before dawn. Lets1919page0019page0019.xhtmlOutrageous Obstacle Courses Ready, set, groan! The toughest athletes know how to push through the pain. When they are tired, they keep moving. When they fall, they get back up. Great athletes thrive in crazy conditions. The Tough Mudder is a perfect example. This obstacle course has many different parts. Each obstacle has a silly name. There is the Funky Monkey 2. 0, the Cage Crawl , and the Block Ness Monster. But trying these events is anything but funny. One obstacle has athletes run through a field filled with hanging live wires! Raise your hand if getting zapped by 10, 000 volts sounds like a good time? Anyone?2020page0020page0020.xhtmlTough Mudder athletes try to reach the bell without falling into the water. Lets2121page0021page0021.xhtmlAn athlete emerges from the Sewer Rat obstacle. With a puff of orange smoke, runners set out to conquer the Tough Mudder.2222page0022page0022.xhtmlBut live wires are just one of the Tough Mudders terrors. There are also obstacles with extreme temperatures. One features a dumpster filled with freezing water. Wading through pounds of ice is a teeth-chattering task. Some athletes choose to test the waters before they jump in big mistake. The only way to make it through this ice-cold challenge is to take the plunge. The same can be said for most of the Tough Mudders crazy obstacles. In recent years, the Tough Mudder has introduced new races. Now, there is The Worlds Toughest Mudder , a 24-hour race without a finish line. The course is 5 mi. (8 km) long. It is filled with every obstacle you can imagine. And, racers dont just run the course once. They run it over and over. The athlete who runs the course the most times in a day, wins. An athlete leaps over the Fire Walker obstacle.2323page0023page0023.xhtmlBike Across Borders Some athletes prefer to race on two wheels rather than on two feet. Every year, some of the world's best cyclists put their pedals to the test and compete in Race Across America. The course goes from California to Maryland. Cyclists may compete alone or in teams. Most cycling contests have scheduled rest days. But, Race Across America does not. This makes it harder to compete alone. Cyclists on teams can spend less time riding and more time resting. This is helpful as they bike from coast to coast. But, the distance is not the only challenge. Athletes must complete the race in just 12 days. That means they must ride about 250 mi. (400 km) every day. That is some serious mileage! Most people don't even like to drive that far in a day. Imagine what it must be like on a bike! The best cyclists only rest for about 90 minutes each day. The rest of the time they ride. How is this possible? Perhaps only Race Across America cyclists will ever know!2424page0024page0024.xhtmlA support crew vehicle follows a racer. Cyclists start the race in Oceanside, California.2525page0025page0025.xhtmlLe Tour de France Le Tour de France is a race with a long history. It takes place over many weeks. Cyclists cover thousands of miles. They ride through many countries. For over 100 years, athletes have fought to win the famous race. All of them want to wear the yellow jersey given to the winner. The first race was in the summer of 1903. It started and ended in Paris. There were 60 competitors. Fast forward to 2016. Nearly 200 cyclists competed. What a difference 100 years makes! In 2016, Chris Froome won Le Tour de France for the third time. The champion is still excited about racing. Froome believes that cyclists start as equals each year. He says, What has gone before counts for nothing. This year I am hungrier than ever for success. These are the words of a committed athlete. Chris Froome completes a time trial wearing the famous yellow jersey.2626page0026page0026.xhtmlAthletes race through Paris in 1926. Lets2727page0027page0027.xhtmlThese young athletes race in the 2-km Kids Run at the Laguna Phuket International Marathon in Thailand. A family wades through a water obstacle during a mud run event.2828page0028page0028.xhtmlDream Big Athletes train for years before competing in the world's toughest races. These are extreme courses. They are designed to inspire the toughest athletes from around the world. From Paris to Patagonia, top-level athletes test their skills. One thing all of the athletes have in common is their drive to compete. But, even the best athletes have to start somewhere! Do you have what it takes to compete in one of these races? You just might! Explore races near you. You'll find that there are races for athletes of all experience levels. Or, maybe you just want to take a walk around the block. All that matters is that you lace up your shoes and go!2929page0029page0029.xhtmlProblem Solving Taj and his friends love to ride bikes. But, they aren't quite ready for the grueling Le Tour de France. So, they have started their own race, Le Tour de Park! It's not Le Tour de France, but they have fun just the same. Their course is 1 km long through the park, with markers along the way. Just like the riders of Le Tour de France, Taj and his friends each want to be the winner! Use the clues to plot Taj and his friends at their current points in the race on the number line. Then, answer the questions. 1. Who is closer to the 48 marker on the course : Dora or Jen? 2. Is Ben closer to the 48 marker or the finish line? How do you know?3030page0030page0030.xhtmlClues 1Km Starting Finish3131page0031page0031.xhtmlGlossary allure-power to attract or influence someone brutal-extremely violent or difficult contend-to claim or state convert-someone who has changed their beliefs endure-to continue past pain or unpleasantness fatigue-the state of being extremely tired or exhausted fraction-a number that shows how many equal parts are in a whole and how many of those parts are being described grueling-very difficult or requiring a lot of effort live wires-wires that carry an electrical current parts-pieces that make up a whole subzero-below 0F (-18C) terrains-certain kinds of land transcendence-existence beyond normal experience whole-having all the parts; complete or full3232page0032page0032.xhtmlIndex Antarctica Marathon, Badwater 135, Froome, Chris, Jungle Marathon, McIntosh, Amanda, Patagonian Expedition Race, Race Across America, San Francisco Ultramarathon, Self-Transcendence 3100 Race, Tough Mudder, Tour de France, Le, Vinecki, Winter, World's Toughest Mudder,3333page0033page0033.xhtmlAnswer Key Let's Explore Math page 7 : 1. 4 parts 2. Each part is the same size. 3. 14 of the block page 9 : 1. less than half 2. 26 (or 13) 3. 46 (or 23) page 17 : 1. 38 of a mile 2. 58 of a mile page 19 : 1. 3 parts 2. Each part is the same size. 3. 13 of the obstacle course page 25 : 1. 48 (or 12) are in red. 2. 28 (or 14) are in blue. 3. 68 (or 34) are not in yellow. Problem Solving Number lines should show Taj at 48, Ada at 28, Sean at 18, Dora at, Jen at 38, and Ben at 78. 68 1. Jen is closer to the 48 marker. 2. Ben is closer to the finish line. He is 18 km away from the finish line and 38 km away from the 48 marker.3434page0034page0034.xhtmlMath Talk 1. What is a fraction? 2. How are fractions different from whole numbers? How are they similar? 3. How can you use a drawing to model a fraction? 4. What is the relationship between a numerator and a denominator? 5. How can you prove that a model of a fraction is correct or incorrect? 6. How would everyday life change if there were no fractions?3535page0035page0035.xhtmlSpectacular Sports World's Toughest Races Understanding Fractions Tackle today's toughest races as you learn about fractions. Marvel as contestants around the world climb, crawl, run, and jump through each race. You'll see what it takes to conquer a world-class course, fraction by fraction. Fractions36