Some people are elite and don't have to worry while others fret over registration lottery results

Results of the entry lottery for the 2011 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler are in, and they are grim. Not only did I not get selected, but no one I know who entered the lottery got selected. Last year we all got in. Is it a coincidence that all of us were randomly selected last year and randomly rejected this year, or is the selection process not as random as we're supposed to believe? It doesn't matter one way or the other, but it makes me wonder.


This bad boy is likely not getting a new brother medal in 2011...
I am terribly unhappy about this because the Cherry Blossom is one of my favorite runs and I was hoping to keep my two year streak of running it going to a third year, but while I don't have a "golden ticket" to get in there are a few options that may allow me to run the Cherry Blossom yet:

• Charity entry: The irony and/or hypocrisy of my gaining an entry via fund raising would be too much to bear considering all the railing against fund raising in conjunction with running I've done, but entry this way requires raising "only" $500 and it is an option. Just not one I'm likely to choose.
• Volunteer: People who volunteer one year get guaranteed entry into the race the next year. I'd still not be able to run this year, but I wouldn't have to put up with the registration lottery nonsense next year.
• Number transfer: There will be people who get injured or fail to train or whose plans change who will want to get rid of their registrations. The race offers a sanctioned way to do that in February, but I'll have to compete with who knows how many hundreds or thousands of people for a very limited number of transfers, and they may be willing to pay a much higher premium for an entry than I.
• Bandit: No bib number, no official time, no goodie bag, no bag drop, no scruples, but I guess if I want to run badly enough just showing up and running is an option.

The one I'd most likely choose is to volunteer. It can be fun, and while I'd be jealous of everyone running it would allow me be not have to be bummed next year with its guaranteed entry. The problem is that with my luck I'd get a lousy job, like separating recyclables from trash, which I saw some volunteers doing this past year.

Oh, well. I might look into these options and maybe somehow still be involved with the 2011 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, but as of now I have a race date in early April open.

And to those who did get selected to run, I hate you congratulations!