Reason No. 16 to Ride is a great holiday bike giveaway!

Here’s your chance to give your and others the gift of health this season.  Sign up for the San Diego Tour de Cure or better yet, Team US Cares rides the Tour de Cure and start your fundraising to help make a difference!

Raise $100 by December 16th and be entered to win a Specialized Road Bike courtesy of UC Cyclery!

$100 = 1 entry; $200 = 2 entries; $300 = 3 entries

About Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors appear to play roles. There are 23.6 million Americans living with diabetes, a disease that is outpacing heart disease, cancer and AIDS. Diabetes is a disease that has deadly serious consequences, and there is no cure.

You would think that as I approach this week end’s Tour de Cure, I would be preoccupied with training, nutrition and preparation. Not so much.

Part of my mental game plan is to go into this century ride for the American Diabetes Association with a happy, upbeat attitude. One large key in overcoming some of my obstacles has been to love what I am doing and find the happiness within.

While Tide may not be aware of how they are helping me across that finish line (and thus helping others) I thought I’d share with you something that has sent me into uncontrollable peals of laughter every time I look at it…

I went over to BeTheStain.com and upload my pic to their applet, making me the talking stain that you see in the commercial. Sure its dumb, but seriously, what sane person spends their day off biking 100 miles.. on purpose?

Oooh, I have another cause and a great ride ahead of me! Admittedly, the event is not until April 18th, 2009, but I am pretty excited about it.

I’m putting together a team of dedicated people who have and have not been on a bike for a distance event before.   Our goal is to fundraise and bring awareness to the American Diabetes Association during their Tour de Cure.

A few people have been surprised that this is not my “Cancer Thing” but since my goals are to make a difference in some small way, it works very well for me. Also, I will be wearing the designated Red Rider jersey to show myself as someone with type 2 diabetes.

Come join Team US Cares.

It’s been an eye opening week.

We lost someone that we met through our BNI business group, Phyllis Kaufman. Some time ago, she took a medical leave, and when asked how can we help, she responded that all she really wanted was a call now and then and to be in touch. Her medical leave was brief because you can’t keep a woman like Phyllis down, and she was back at the chapter meetings lickity split.

From time to time, I would call Phyllis, never as much as I should and mostly while I was traveling. Our phone calls were always long and usually had me sitting on the steps with no distractions, because she was so full of energy, I couldn’t miss a beat and still keep up with her. There was never a time when she wasn’t more concerned about me or other people in her life then herself. She knew this eventual end was not who she was to others or herself.

At the same time, I received an email from someone very close to me, that I have only met twice (or was it once?). Trish has been my right hand over at WWB for ten years. We’ve worked virtual side by side in the chatrooms and have shared our family stories, challenges and personalities to each other i the way women do. I’ve never felt Trish was any where other than right here with me – she’s another go getter that makes me, the over achiever, look like a slacker.

Trish is taking an experimental drug trial. She is fortunate enough that the $4,000 medication is free to her during the trial. In typical Trish fashion, she is more concerned that her discomfort during this time will help someone learn enough to provide help to others. She never misses a chance to touch my heart with that big southern heart of hers.

I’ve been thinking about Trish and Phyllis this week, my starfish, and how their lives have made me even more aware that we have so much to do towards making a difference. It’s not just about finding a cure, it is about the day to day issues as these people make their way. The cost of the medication, the support they need and provide,

Join me to provide day to day things like medicine, parking at Children’s Hospital, curing leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and helping patients and their families.curing leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and helping patients and their families. Donate now at: http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/cysbronner

The worst thing anyone ever said to me was the most freeing too, “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life checking every 30 minutes to see if you are OK.”

That totally works for me. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering every 30 minutes if I am OK. I have tons of set backs, we all do, but does that stop us from getting out there and doing? I certainly hope not.

We struggle every day. Each one of us has our issues, mine are no tougher nor no less than anyone else. Its my job to make my way through it all. Somewhere in all of this I found cycling. I found it in hopes of helping others and found that it gave me the clarity to really think, to clear my head out and take myself where I want to go.

As an endurance athlete goes, I suck. As a 46 year old, overweight, Grandma grappling with diabetes and a history of various tumors goes, I rock. In fact, I rock harder than lentils!