Tulsa Toughin' it

I'm finally home after a crazy night of traveling, a four hour nap followed by a 9 hour work day, able to relax and reflect on what was the Tulsa Tough. To my suprise Tulsa has a lot to offer, from quaint dress shops, elegant food and all all night WalMart to a spectacular waterfront full of activities. The organizers of the Tulsa Tough have made this 3 day race into a marquee event. The festival offers, public townie rides, a running event and even an art exhibit in additional to Pro to Cat 4 racing. The residence LOVE the crits running through their neighborhood and local downtown pubs, so much so that "they" created their own primes on the hills of Saturday and Sundays courses. On the last day there was a $450 pack prime for the Men's Pro to the rider who cross the KOM first. Cash was donated by the spectators, completely seperate from what the announcers were giving away at the finish line. The spectators on the hill would hold up a sign and yell out the prime. What more could you ask for but entertainment in your own front yard.

The racing for the Vanderkittens got off to a great start in Friday nights downtown crit, but quickly went glum about 20 mins into the 55 min race when Melissa,Virgina and Melodie went down with Me, Leigh and Jenn Wilson stuck in the pile up. Me, Jen, Leigh and Melodie were able to hop in an finish respectivley in the race, but Virginia and Melissa went to the hospital.

Virgina: Broken Colloarbon and 2 broken ribs, Melissa, 7 stiches in her arm. Melissa might post up some aftermath photos at http://www.melissasanborn.com/.

Saturday May 30 was another evening crit in downtown Tulsa. We got off to another solid start with me taking the reigns in lap one, wanting to feel out the course before letting another team pull. The first 4 laps we great, until someone went down at the finish line and it was a pack pile. I think 90 to 100% of every team went down in the wreck. I might have taken the hardest hit in this one, with a huge hip contusion and cut in my leg and scrapped my right arm. I also broke my pedal, shoe buckle, derailur and hanger. Somehow I managed to finish, all be it pack fodder on minimal shifting and 1/2 a leg. With a few of our girls in the top 20 we were not happy with the results, but releaved to have no one go to the hospital.

Sunday May 31: This is the day that makes Tough for Tulsa. the 3/4 mile course has a 12% half block climb, followed by a false flat, with a 2 block descent into a off camber 100 degree turn into the finishing stretch. The pace was lightening fast from the gun, with the women drilling it up the hill and into the false flat, IT WAS AWESOME. I love racing that hard! We dropped pack fodder on lap one. I was part of the fodder that got dropped with 15 to go but Melodie Metzger, Melissa Sanborn and Leigh Hopkins finished in the top 20 of only 25 finishers. They rode GREAT!

The Philly team is prime for the race this weekend. They've got all the crashes out of the way, they trained on a mini Manayunk and raced in the heat of summer. I expect good things for the VK's on Sunday June 6th. I will not be attending the Philly race the weekend, but will be reading the play by play.

Wish us Luck.