Diabetes. It sucks, and it’s everywhere. I have a family history of the disease, which disrupts the body’s ability to properly break down sugars, and lots of relatives whose lives are rendered colorless and bland by the inability to drink alcohol. For this reason, I was given yogurt instead of ice cream as a child. All birthday cake has a specter of doom lingering over it.
Luckily, diabetes can be staved off with a combination of the right diet and exercise. That makes the Portland Tour de Cure, on July 25, a particularly fitting fundraiser, a bike ride fit for all ages and athletic abilities through the Willamette Valley. You can register for anywhere from a fun 10-miler all the way up to the staggering 110-miler. Themed rest stops, along with food and live music, will accompany the riders along the way out and back from Hillsboro Stadium.
Funds raised benefit the American Diabetes Association. And you can keep an eye out for the Red Riders, who are riders with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes yourself, you can also register as a Red Rider and get–in addition to tons of support–free gifts.
To ride in the Tour de Cure or find other ways to participate as a vendor or donor, visit the website here or contact Kris Bockmier at kbockmier@diabetes.org.
Portland Tour de Cure, Hillsboro Stadium, Hwy 26 at Cornelius Pass Road, Saturday, July 25. 6 am-5 pm. $25. 
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KEEP YOUR FREAKING CLOTHES ON/
I participated in the 65 mile Tour de Cure ride on Saturday. The heat was brutal and I had to say a few prayers, to the powers that be, to get me to the finish line. It was a huge accomplishment for me. At age 48, I’ve had type 1 Diabetes for 34 years. Keep on, keepin’ on!!