diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index bd06fce..390fd0d 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@firebase/app/-/app-0.10.13.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-OZiDAEK/lDB6xy/XzYAyJJkaDqmQ+BCtOEPLqFvxWKUz5JbBmej7IiiRHdtiIOD/twW7O5AxVsfaaGA/V1bNsA==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@firebase/component": "0.6.9",
         "@firebase/logger": "0.4.2",
@@ -338,6 +339,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@firebase/app-compat/-/app-compat-0.2.43.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-HM96ZyIblXjAC7TzE8wIk2QhHlSvksYkQ4Ukh1GmEenzkucSNUmUX4QvoKrqeWsLEQ8hdcojABeCV8ybVyZmeg==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@firebase/app": "0.10.13",
         "@firebase/component": "0.6.9",
@@ -350,7 +352,8 @@
       "version": "0.9.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@firebase/app-types/-/app-types-0.9.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-oMEZ1TDlBz479lmABwWsWjzHwheQKiAgnuKxE0pz0IXCVx7/rtlkx1fQ6GfgK24WCrxDKMplZrT50Kh04iMbXQ==",
-      "license": "Apache-2.0"
+      "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true
     },
     "node_modules/@firebase/auth": {
       "version": "1.7.9",
@@ -771,6 +774,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@firebase/util/-/util-1.10.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-xKtx4A668icQqoANRxyDLBLz51TAbDP9KRfpbKGxiCAW346d0BeJe5vN6/hKxxmWwnZ0mautyv39JxviwwQMOQ==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "tslib": "^2.1.0"
       }
@@ -2384,6 +2388,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-TGf22kon8KW+DeKaUmOibKWktRY8b2NSAZNdtWh798COm1NWx8+xJ6iFBtk3IvLdv6+LGLJLRlyhrhEDZWargQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@typescript-eslint/scope-manager": "8.45.0",
         "@typescript-eslint/types": "8.45.0",
@@ -2949,6 +2954,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-NZyJarBfL7nWwIq+FDL6Zp/yHEhePMNnnJ0y3qfieCrmNvYct8uvtiV41UvlSe6apAfk0fY1FbWx+NwfmpvtTg==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "bin": {
         "acorn": "bin/acorn"
       },
@@ -4057,6 +4063,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-hB4FIzXovouYzwzECDcUkJ4OcfOEkXTv2zRY6B9bkwjx/cprAq0uvm1nl7zvQ0/TsUk0zQiN4uPfJpB9m+rPMQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@eslint-community/eslint-utils": "^4.8.0",
         "@eslint-community/regexpp": "^4.12.1",
@@ -4146,6 +4153,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-82GZUjRS0p/jganf6q1rEO25VSoHH0hKPCTrgillPjdI/3bgBhAE1QzHrHTizjpRvy6pGAvKjDJtk2pF9NDq8w==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "bin": {
         "eslint-config-prettier": "bin/cli.js"
       },
@@ -4247,6 +4255,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-whOE1HFo/qJDyX4SnXzP4N6zOWn79WhnCUY/iDR0mPfQZO8wcYE4JClzI2oZrhBnnMUCBCHZhO6VQyoBU95mZA==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@rtsao/scc": "^1.1.0",
         "array-includes": "^3.1.9",
@@ -7378,6 +7387,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/next/-/next-15.5.4.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-xH4Yjhb82sFYQfY3vbkJfgSDgXvBB6a8xPs9i35k6oZJRoQRihZH+4s9Yo2qsWpzBmZ3lPXaJ2KPXLfkvW4LnA==",
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@next/env": "15.5.4",
         "@swc/helpers": "0.5.15",
@@ -7888,6 +7898,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/preact/-/preact-10.27.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-5SYSgFKSyhCbk6SrXyMpqjb5+MQBgfvEKE/OC+PujcY34sOpqtr+0AZQtPYx5IA6VxynQ7rUPCtKzyovpj9Bpg==",
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "funding": {
         "type": "opencollective",
         "url": "https://opencollective.com/preact"
@@ -7921,6 +7932,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-I7AIg5boAr5R0FFtJ6rCfD+LFsWHp81dolrFD8S79U9tb8Az2nGrJncnMSnys+bpQJfRUzqs9hnA81OAA3hCuQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "bin": {
         "prettier": "bin/prettier.cjs"
       },
@@ -8069,6 +8081,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/react/-/react-19.1.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-FS+XFBNvn3GTAWq26joslQgWNoFu08F4kl0J4CgdNKADkdSGXQyTCnKteIAJy96Br6YbpEU1LSzV5dYtjMkMDg==",
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=0.10.0"
       }
@@ -8078,6 +8091,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/react-dom/-/react-dom-19.1.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-Xs1hdnE+DyKgeHJeJznQmYMIBG3TKIHJJT95Q58nHLSrElKlGQqDTR2HQ9fx5CN/Gk6Vh/kupBTDLU11/nDk/g==",
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "scheduler": "^0.26.0"
       },
@@ -9051,6 +9065,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-5gTmgEY/sqK6gFXLIsQNH19lWb4ebPDLA4SdLP7dsWkIXHWlG66oPuVvXSGFPppYZz8ZDZq0dYYrbHfBCVUb1Q==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=12"
       },
diff --git a/src/pages/about.js b/src/pages/about.js
index f1bd66a..203e34d 100644
--- a/src/pages/about.js
+++ b/src/pages/about.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import styles from './about.module.css';
 import Link from 'next/link';
+import Image from 'next/image';
 
 export default function About() {
   return (
@@ -11,7 +12,15 @@ export default function About() {
         </div>
         <div className={styles['hero-illustration']}>
           {/* Placeholder for the complex glowing keyboard illustration */}
-          <img src="/hero-keyboard.png" alt="neon keyboard" className={styles.keyboardImg} />
+          <Image
+            src="/hero-keyboard.png"
+            alt="neon keyboard"
+            className={styles.keyboardImg}
+            width={540}
+            height={300}
+            style={{ height: 'auto' }}
+            priority
+          />
         </div>
       </div>
 
diff --git a/src/pages/race.js b/src/pages/race.js
index 3f7175f..5538ae5 100644
--- a/src/pages/race.js
+++ b/src/pages/race.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { useAuth } from '@/context/AuthContext';
 import { ArrowLeft, RotateCcw, Settings } from 'lucide-react';
 import Link from 'next/link';
 import { useRouter } from 'next/router';
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, useCallback } from 'react';
 
 export default function Race() {
   const { user, saveTypingStat } = useAuth();
@@ -27,18 +27,13 @@ export default function Race() {
   const [showSettings, setShowSettings] = useState(false);
   const [sentenceInfo, setSentenceInfo] = useState(null);
 
-  // Fetch random sentence on component mount and when difficulty changes
-  useEffect(() => {
-    fetchNewSentence();
-  }, [difficulty]);
-
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!loading && inputRef.current) {
       inputRef.current.focus();
     }
   }, [loading, raceStatus]); // Focus input when a new race starts
 
-  const fetchNewSentence = async () => {
+  const fetchNewSentence = useCallback(async () => {
     setLoading(true);
     try {
       const response = await fetch(`/api/sentences?difficulty=${difficulty}&type=mixed`);
@@ -52,7 +47,12 @@ export default function Race() {
     } finally {
       setLoading(false);
     }
-  };
+  }, [difficulty]);
+
+  // Fetch random sentence on component mount and when difficulty changes
+  useEffect(() => {
+    fetchNewSentence();
+  }, [fetchNewSentence]);
 
   const endRace = async () => {
     setTimerActive(false);
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ export default function Race() {
               <input
                 ref={inputRef}
                 type="text"
+                onPaste={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
                 value={userInput}
                 onChange={handleInputChange}
                 placeholder="Start typing the sentence above..."