12th place X 2

Little updates. Took last week off, to "rest" my legs. Getting to the point in the season, where I was not recovering like I wanted to, and needed a little break. Did some nice riding with the gang, nothing too heavy. Still got in a couple of hundred miles, but little intensity. Have 20 races in so far this year, and have another 18-20 on my schedule, including cyclo-cross.

Did the Wood Dale ABR State Criterium Championships the first weekend of July, both the 30+ and the Cat III's.
30+ was fast, strong and windy. My buddy Robert was off the front most of the race, as usual, so I did my role as teammate & friend, and blocked, chased things down, blocked, and did a lot of work. It was nice, as I would up in 12th place overall, out of about 50 something riders. Not too bad.
Robert & I at the start before the 30+ event.














Turtle looking for the best draft, saving energy for the workload ahead of me. I actually bumped into a guy in turn 3 as we swept through. I was so low on the bars, and he was so tall, that my helmet actually touched him in the ribs!


The Team Mack Gang after the 30+ event!

Biker Danny, newbie and up & coming cat 5 to cat 3 in one season did the 3's race with me. We had fun, and it was fast. I decided to launch into turn 3, for the final sprint. Ramped it up the best I could, into the final turn, and got passed by 11 others, for another 12th place finish.

I guess two 12th placed in one day is a sign? I'm getting there, slowly but surely. 2009 will be a smoking season I think!


Update on The Boyz.

If you don't know, and you do now, I have an extensive collection of Manhattan Toy Co. stuffed dinosaurs dating back to the mid 80's. Weird? Yes. Care? No.

Well, Yunior & Oscar (right to left) required some medical treatment that needed to be performed by a specialist, located in Frankfurt, Germany, by the infamous Dr. Rebeccasprechen.

Ms. Rebecca heads the Refuge for Injured Dinosaurs, an international organization for dinosaur care. She offered to escort them to Deutschland for the procedure. She got them a first class, round trip ticket from the states, personally escorted them & "assisted" in the procedure. The Boyz are still in recovery in Chicago, but the procedures went well. Thanks Ms. Rebecca, The Boyz are forever in your debt, and they have a life span of about 2 million years, so that's a LONG time!
Ms. Rebecca with Oscar & Yunior heading to Germany!