Diabetes is not the Boss of me! by Lew Alexander

In July, 2008 (45 years old), I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. My Mom, Dad and older brother are all Type 2 so I wasn’t surprised at the diagnosis but was shocked to be faced with it at that age.   I am fortunate to have a Physician who explained this diagnosis in very clear terms: “I can go on with my current lifestyle and he will keep me alive with meds having to increase dosages and types over the years and someday will become insulin dependent. In the meantime, I will potentially be faced with all sorts of medical issues (loss of limbs, loss of eyesight, impotence and many more) and will probably die prematurely from complications from Diabetes.  Or, I can start eating better and exercising more and stave off these issues and live a life much closer to normalcy”.  The next day I was in the gym doing spin class.  I could only manage 30 minutes on the bike at first  but soon I was pounding out one hour classes and working hard.  I shed about 30 lbs. in a matter of a few months and feeling better than I had in a very long time.  The next step was a road bike and then I discovered the joy of riding and the stress that I left on the road.

In March 2010, I was involved in a violent motorcycle accident that severely injured the left side of my body and nearly killed me.  It took nine surgeries over 6 months to get everything sorted out.  My body totally atrophied from all of the time in hospitals and being bed ridden at home.  In January 2011, I started climbing back both physically and mentally using first the Spin bike and then my road bike to recover.  I had set a goal of riding a century (100 miles) that August but could only manage 25 miles (my recovery was bigger than I ever expected).  But I wasn’t discouraged and continued riding with a new goal of 100 miles in August 2012.  Along the way I was doing local rallies; increasing my endurance at each step.  I chose the DFW Tour de Cure as one of those training rides thinking that raising a few dollars for my disease while training was a double bonus.  That ride transformed me; getting to know other diabetic riders, learning about the ADA and what they do for us Diabetics, and seeing the impact they are making gave me a new cause.  After I made my century goal in August, I went on to ride the Houston Tour de Cure a month later (my second century). 

On the drive back home from the Houston TdC, I came up with a goal for 2013: “1,000 miles of Tour de Cure’s and raise $10,000”.  Since then I have been focused on the logistics of fitting 11 events in an 8 month time frame and training to prepare my body for the physical challenge.  My first TdC is in March, so right now this is just a goal but by then end of September I am confident it will be a reality.

Even though I have diabetes, I feel blessed.  I am blessed that I can control my diabetes with diet, exercise and low doses of oral meds.  I am blessed that I am healthy enough to ride my bike for a cause.  I am inspired by my Type 1 friends who depend on insulin to stay alive; who battle daily with a delicate balance of insulin and carbohydrates and the highs and lows that they struggle with.  I am inspired by the kids who are faced with a disease they don’t understand which makes them live their lives differently than their friends; and their parents who have to help them struggle with managing insulin shots, finger pricks, and the right amount of food each day.  I am inspired by my Type 2 friends and family that have to deal with the health issues associated with Diabetes (I have a friend who is now blind in one eye and struggling to keep his sight in the other).  While I know that my contributions to fight Diabetes are small in the grand scheme of things, I am inspired by the prospect that those contributions, along with all of the others who share this cause with me, may someday bring a cure for this disease.

So I ride; I ride to stay healthy and to fight off the eventual effects that diabetes will have on my body.  And I ride the Tour de Cure to raise money so that someday this scourge on people will be wiped away forever.

Why I Ride...One Man's Personal Story of Why he Supports the Tour de Cure

By Ray Bransky

Fifty-five years ago, four years before I was born, my sister was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of four. For most of my life I always thought my sister had a normal childhood. Sure I knew her diet was a little different and she needed to take insulin injections, but for the most part the challenges she faced were similar to most. Because of our age differences, my sister and I rarely shared "coming of age" milestones. High school, college, dating, work, marriage, children were all events we passed on separate calendars. In truth, our parents and the family visits they encouraged were our mainstay in spanning the generational as well as geographical differences. When my father, our last surviving parent, passed away 5 years ago, I made a promise to myself to put more effort into staying in touch.

Oddly enough, cycling became that connection. Being avid century riders, my son and I are always looking for new events and rides. Because my sister lives in Portland we started looking for organized rides that could bring us into her town for a visit. When we found the Tour de Cure, we knew we found our event. The first year it was just my son and me raising a small sum and riding the century. The next year we formed a modest team, Linda’s Loose sprockets, in honor of my sister. Riders included my son and myself on the century, my wife, niece and two of my sister’s friends (including “Red” Jennifer, a red rider diagnosed in her teen years) pedaling the 27-mile route and my sister and brother volunteering at the stadium.

Even though I had grown up with a diabetic in my family that year, as Linda’s Loose Sprockets gathered for our post celebratory dinner around my sister’s table, I think I finally had a better understanding as to what diabetics really faced. My sister talked about the changes she has seen in her lengthy tenure as a type 1 diabetic. She remembers my father sharpening needles and having to boil glass syringes to sterilize them for reuse. She spoke of learning to count calories at an early age to balance out her blood sugar and insulin levels. With pride she recounted her testing of some of the earliest insulin pumps, one of which allowed her to successfully navigate the gestational cycle that produced her daughter, my niece and now our fellow rider. “Red” Jennifer, in turn beamed about my sister’s current health and her ability to control diabetes. She shared the challenges she faced as a rebellious teen diagnosed with diabetes and subtly wondered what health issues lay ahead for her due to the choices she made as an adolescent.

All of this made me realize that my sister, and diabetics face anything but a “normal” life. In a way, I see my participation in Tour de Cure as an opportunity to pay back all those before me who have helped my sister, through research, education and technology, live a half-century and beyond with diabetes. But in truth what I really hope is that my riding might be a small step that helps someone else diagnosed with diabetes enjoy a life that is at least as long and fulfilling as that of my sister.

NOTE: Join the BicyclingHub.com Team at the Portland Tour de Cure tomorrow (Saturday, July 30th). Look for the BicyclingHub logoed jerseys en route and introduce yourselves. Can't make it to the start line? You can still DONATE TODAY to help put an end to diabetes and spread the word.

What else is happening at the Hillsboro Stadium? Here's the latest word from Kris Bockmier, Portland Tour Organizer.

Stick around! Here's What's happening at the stadium before and after the ride:
Join us for breakfast and coffee, 5:30am-10:00am, brought to you by Ambridge Event Center. Breakfast will include fruit, bagels, PB & J, yogurt, granola and boiled eggs. Gleukos will be available at 5:30am to fill your bottles and is also the sports drink on the course. Located next to food area. Bring your swimsuit, shorts and towels so you can enjoy the Wild Rapids waterslide after you return from your ride. Lunch will be served by Helvetia Tavern. They will be grilling burgers and veggie burgers, along with a salad and chips. Fruit, snacks and soda will also be available. Extra meal tickets for your friends and family are available for $7.00. Bring your ID and cash for the beer garden.

Give the Gift of Good Health this Holiday Season

Online Fundraiser to Benefit American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure

BicyclingHub.com knows its customers ride their bicycles for different reasons: fun, fitness, transportation, recreation, and/or restoration. And sometimes, they ride for a cause. Now they can shop for one, too: on Friday, December 10th, BicyclingHub.com is teaming up with the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure and donating 10% of all sales to aid in the fight against diabetes.

The premise behind this unique holiday fundraiser is simple: the more items an individual purchases for loved ones (or themselves), the larger the donation to the Tour de Cure. By simply utilizing the unique link http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?bicyclinghub+MnZSbN+index.html+ to shop online, proceeds will be automatically directed to the American Diabetes Association.

"The Tour de Cure is a great fit for BicyclingHub.com's giving goals. Not only is the ride about raising money for the American Diabetes Association, it's also about a healthy lifestyle that includes the cycling," states Doug Duguay, President of BicyclingHub.com.

"BicyclingHub.com has raised over $5,000 for Tour de Cure in the past 2 years, we appreciate their continued support and hope everyone shops this Friday," enthuses Kris Bockmier, Associate Director, American Diabetes Association.

In 2011, the Tour de Cure is celebrating 20 years and 83 cities riding strong nationwide. 10% of total proceeds from this special one-day online fundraiser will benefit the Portland Tour de Cure, scheduled for July 30, 2011. Starting from Hillsboro Stadium, the scenic ride offers cyclists of all abilities an opportunity to enjoy the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley. Tour de Cure is a series of fundraising cycling events held in 43 states nationwide to support the ADA's mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information about the event, visit: tour.diabetes.org .

To find the perfect gifts for the cyclists in your life and join the fight to prevent and cure diabetes, be sure to utilize this link on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10th and make EVERY DOLLAR COUNT. Duguay states, “Go ahead and place your holiday order as you normally would; we'll take care of the rest!”

Mike and the Bike Meet Lucille the Wheel

Michael Ward, Lance Armstrong and Phil Liggett Inspire Children (and their Parents) to Ride

“It’s time to hit the road and have some fun
two-wheeled action is better than one
riding on the bike is a rocking good deal
When Mike and the Bike Meet Lucille the Wheel”

It’s not just professional cyclists like Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and David Zabriskie who tap out a rhythm with each pedal stroke as they take formation in the peloton and soar up hors de category climbs: professional musician and author of Mike and the Bike children’s books does the same as he rides west of his Los Angeles home, seeking both musical and literary inspiration.

By all accounts, he’s found it. Motivated by a different kind of “roadie” (in this case, a sound tech) on tour with his band the Wallflowers, Ward first began riding his mountain bike in 1991 all over town, quickly making the switch to a road bike for longer journeys and the mountain passes that beckoned. Ward was soon taking his bike with him everywhere on tour, enabling him to see large portions of the U.S. as well as Australia, Europe, and Japan from the vantage of a bicycle seats. Ward credits cycling for sparking much of his musical creativity: in direct contradiction to the stereotypical partying stoner musician, Ward observes (of both himself and comrades in the industry), “When you’re exercising, no matter what you do--hiking, biking, running, the gym, whatever--[we’re] uniformly better musicians for it.”

It was on one of his favorite solo rides in the mountains outside LA, shortly after his son Tennessee was born, that inspiration for Mike and the Bike struck. “Often, I would get a song idea, pull out a cell phone and sing the idea into my voice mail--wind noise, bouncing over roads and all,” Ward recounts. Three key ideas occurred almost simultaneously:

1. He should write a children’s book about cycling

2. His name rhymed with “bike”

3. With personal friends like Lance Armstrong, Phil Liggett and Davis Phinney, he could assemble a top-notch team to make this a great project.

Ward first met Lance Armstrong in Austin, Texas in 1996 while on tour with the Wallflowers, as Lance was emerging from his battle with cancer. (Ward also had the pleasure of introducing Armstrong to his fellow headline performer Sheryl Crow that evening, although they wouldn’t become romantically involved until much later.) The Wallflowers were subsequently invited to perform at a new fundraising event in Austin for the Livestrong Foundation named “Ride for the Roses;” from that point onward, a strong friendship (and California riding parter) emerged.

Mike and The Bike book and CD is an adventurous tale about a boy, his bike, and their travels in and around the fictitious small mountain town of Colberg (translation: “cole”= hill; “berg”= hill”), a “bike-riding heaven” located “far and away from big skyscraper buildings and traffic delay.” With contributions by Lance Armstrong and narration by Phil Liggett, widely regarded as the pre-eminent “voice of cycling,” Ward brought together a who’s who in the cycling world to craft a well-written story and share the joy, passion and enthusiasm for bikes that both children and parents can relate to. However, the celebrity voice he is proudest to have included on the CD is his son Tennessee; you can hear his musical accompaniment on the recording (sing-along optional).

Following up on the success of , released in 2005, Mike’s found a new friend and savvy mechanic to join him on his cycling adventures. In the newly-released Mike and the Bike Meet Lucille the Wheel, the authors made an intentional choice to cast a strong female protagonist who could not only match Mike pedal for pedal stroke up the climbs, but fix his flat while he stands by in admiration. “It was a conscious decision to declare the race a tie,” Ward states. “But the bigger message is to get kids excited to go out and ride their bikes—and hopefully for parents to do it with them.”

Recalling childhood days when he and his friends would set out for day-long adventures on their bikes and not return until moms across the neighborhood rang the dinner bells, he simultaneously acknowledges present-day safety concerns have parents a bit more cautious. That sense of freedom? “It’s something that we can’t let slip away as time change, “Ward says. “Look at the Dutch--everyone’s on bikes. When you go to Holland, bikes must outnumber cars 10 to 1...It would be great if we could plant the seed, and get a couple parents to go out and ride with their kids more.”

Diagnosed as a Type-1 diabetic 5 years ago, just as “Mike and the Bike” was being published, Ward’s perceptions on exercise, good health and staying active receive daily reinforcement. “I am consistently motivated to spread the message of health and fitness and taking care of your body. Especially Type 2 diabetes with kids is real concern of epidemic proportion, all around the world—if we can keep them healthy and active and eating right and being outdoors we stand a lot better chance of overcoming something like that.” Involved with fundraising events such as the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure and and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Ward is optimistic: “[we can] raise awareness and get kids active and defeat this thing. And I think it’s possible....I think a cure is within reach.”

Practicing what he preaches, Ward rides regularly with his son Tennessee. About this time last year, they did a metric century (62 miles) together, one week prior to his 10th birthday--an event Ward describes as “a huge accomplishment.” “It’s a magical thing. It’s been the greatest father-son bonding experience, riding with my boy.” He encourages all parents to partake in this family-friendly activity and get out and ride with their kids--”and if you already do it, chapeau to you, as the French would say.”

One thing he never leaves home without? His “Mike and the Bike” team kit (in his affable and self-deprecating style, Ward fully acknowledges his choice of dress as “a silly bike racer, bibshorts all the way” and desire to match the bike liken him to a “ testosterone-laden version of ‘Sex and the City’”) and his Giro helmet. “Helmets have literally saved my skull more than once,” Ward recounts. Partnering up with Giro to now offer children’s Mike and the Bike and Lucille the Wheel helmets, helping keep kids safe? “It was a very proud moment to be able to do something like that.”


Order your copy of Mike and the Bike and/or Mike and the Bike Meet Lucille the Wheel with BicyclingHub.com today and start inspiring the next generation of cyclists in prose and song. For interactive games, music samples and an interactive race against Lance in the 2010 Tour de France, visit mikeandthebike.com .

ATTENTION! BicyclingHub.com has received one autographed copy of Mike and the Bike and Mike and the Bike Meet Lucille the Wheel for a special online auction to benefit the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure. To cast your bid on this cycling keepsake and join in the fight to end diabetes, go to http://cgi.ebay.com/Mike-and-Bike-meet-Lucille-Wheel-Autographed-/160453992668?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255bcda0dc TODAY!