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ghporter · May 9, 2008, 02:04 PM

I have just changed my signature-and it's for a good cause. Diabetes is a very nasty disease, and it's becoming an enormous problem all over the world. I want to do my part to fight it.

Folks, on May 17, I'll be riding in the San Antonio Tour de Cure, supporting the American Diabetes Association's fundraising efforts to find a cure for diabetes. Check out my new sig for how you can support me and my team-any donation helps!

Thanks. You may resume your normal lives.

turtle777 · May 9, 2008, 02:51 PM

Oh man, I read Shameless, Blatant Apple.

Had me there for a moment

-t

imitchellg5 · May 9, 2008, 10:25 PM

My best friend found out that he has a good chance of having diabetes last week. This is certainly something that is important to me as well, now.

ghporter · May 10, 2008, 08:35 AM

turtle777, while that wasn't intentional, I'm glad it made you look. imitchelg5, I'm sorry for your friend-I have a number of relatives who have managed to acquire type 2 diabetes; I understand your feelings.

Hit that site and help me make a difference!

ghporter · May 12, 2008, 08:51 AM

Here's a bump for this issue. I really DO need some donations, and if anyone can just spare a few dollars, please click on the picture in my sig and donate.

Or click here:

Whatever. I'm not doing this for me (bicycling that far is not going to be "fun" for me in ANY sense of the word), I'm doing it for my team and for the American Diabetes Association. Please donate. Thanks.

seanc · May 12, 2008, 01:04 PM

Are they researching how to prevent or how to solve? [naive]Possible solutions could be this new finger growing pixie dust to grow a new pancreas.[/naive]

turtle777 · May 12, 2008, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Here's a bump for this issue. I really DO need some donations, and if anyone can just spare a few dollars, please click on the picture in my sig and donate.

Donatinated.

Good luck, Glenn

-t

paul w · May 12, 2008, 01:38 PM

I rarely donate money to strange people in the internets, but I guess I'm in a good mood today. Good luck Glenn and let us know how it goes.

turtle777 · May 12, 2008, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by paul w

I rarely donate money to strange people in the internets...

Me neither, but I don't consider Glenn a stranger.

Strange, maybe

(j/k)

-t

osiris · May 12, 2008, 02:01 PM

This is an important cause to me too, quite a few family members have died over the years as a result of diabetes.
Before death came blindness, gangrene.. not pretty. I'm trying to control diabetes through diet, but I already know that I have a problem looming for my old age, it would be nice to solve the problem before then.

thanks for posting this Glenn, and good luck!

ghporter · May 12, 2008, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

Are they researching how to prevent or how to solve? [naive]Possible solutions could be this new finger growing pixie dust to grow a new pancreas.[/naive]

Both, actually. Type 2 diabetes is acquired through stressing the body's glucose processing system severely and over an extended period of time. Either the pancreas just plain wears out or (more often) the cells actually become resistant to insulin. Interfering with this resistance process is a promising line of research.

ghporter · May 12, 2008, 04:45 PM

Thanks turtle777 and Paul (both anonymously donated?) and osiris (not anonymous). I'm starting to gain ground on my goal.

Chuckit · May 12, 2008, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Both, actually. Type 2 diabetes is acquired through stressing the body's glucose processing system severely and over an extended period of time. Either the pancreas just plain wears out or (more often) the cells actually become resistant to insulin. Interfering with this resistance process is a promising line of research.

See also: My friend who drank several cups of Coke (out of those "you should drink this much water a day"-sized cups) for 20 years. Finally at age 35, after a metric ton of health problems, he discovered he had diabetes. He's a cool guy, though — it's a shame he had to learn his lesson like that.

bradoesch · May 12, 2008, 05:30 PM

I also have diabetes in my family. Have a good ride Glenn.

LegendaryPinkOx · May 12, 2008, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

See also: My friend who drank several cups of Coke (out of those "you should drink this much water a day"-sized cups) for 20 years. Finally at age 35, after a metric ton of health problems, he discovered he had diabetes. He's a cool guy, though — it's a shame he had to learn his lesson like that.

I take it that maybe I should stop doing this.

OldManMac · May 12, 2008, 08:03 PM

Donated, for a worthy cause, Glenn.

turtle777 · May 12, 2008, 08:19 PM

Well done, all.

I'm proud of MacNN contributing to this.

-t

vmarks · May 12, 2008, 10:01 PM

Don't stop now- keep it up!

turtle777 · May 12, 2008, 11:55 PM

True dat.

-t

ghporter · May 13, 2008, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by vmarks

Don't stop now- keep it up!

A teammate, Kristi, is still sort of lagging-she apparently doesn't have the network of supporters I do. You can find HER page by going through my team page, or just clicking here. Of course our team goal keeps bumping up because of all you wonderful contributors, but that's not a bad thing. I would like to see the whole team get to at least $150 each-it's doable.

And thanks again for making my "oh crap, I'm not bringing in any money at all" feeling disappear so thoroughly!

paul w · May 13, 2008, 08:46 AM

Glad to have helped Glenn, but really you owe us a thread with all the gritty details.

ghporter · May 13, 2008, 01:41 PM

Gritty details will be forthcoming. I'm planning to ride the ~~bunny hill~~ easy route, a 15 mile loop with relatively mild hills and not much traffic. I have to admit that I'm no Lance Armstrong, not by a long shot, and that I got into training for this WAY too late to be ready for even the 30 mile route (that's the first leg of the 80 miler, I believe), but I'm good for 15, even if it's going to take me a while. I don't know about pictures, but I'll fill everyone in on how it goes.

ghporter · May 15, 2008, 11:12 AM

There's less than 48 hours to go, and my goal got bumped to $300! I'm only $40 away, folks... Any and all help will be tremendously appreciated.

KeriVit · May 15, 2008, 12:40 PM

Am I just retarded? I'm trying to donate, but just get led back to your page and no place to donate.

EDIT: never mind, it was a pop-up block thing.

ghporter · May 15, 2008, 01:40 PM

"Retarded" only in the "delayed from doing what you want" sense, Keri. Thanks!!!

KeriVit · May 15, 2008, 03:11 PM

Go Glenn Go!

Thorzdad · May 15, 2008, 03:33 PM

Glenn, what's your bike like? Featherlight speeder? 10-ton cruiser?

turtle777 · May 15, 2008, 04:44 PM

Hampstor on wheels ?

-t

ghporter · May 15, 2008, 05:45 PM

I recently bought a Specialized Rockhopper. The closest thing to a "cross-purpose" bike I could find, since I won't be going off road much for quite some time. It's great-disc brakes, 3X8 gears, the fork suspension can be locked out, and they had a 21" frame!!!!! A bike that FITS ME!!!!!! This is just too cool-I'm 6'2"+ with relatively long legs, and a bike that I can get more than half-extension with my legs is awesome! On top of that, it's lighter than my wife's Giant Rincon. I love it. So I will not zoom by anyone on the road (until I get to the bottom of the hill, that is!), but I can cover some ground.

ghporter · May 16, 2008, 07:02 AM

At this moment, I'm $15 short of my new goal. Just a hint here...

And thanks to everyone for their support! Boy, I had no idea how much help everyone here would be on this. I hope it's as much from generosity as from personal contact with someone who has diabetes, but the way the stats look, just about everyone in the West knows someone (probably more than that) who has diabetes, or will soon be diagnosed. While a good diet and regular exercise can help prevent much of this upsurge in diabetes cases, research into WHY it happens and what can be done to un-do it is very vital.

ghporter · May 16, 2008, 08:28 PM

Wow. Thanks everyone for helping me out in supporting the American Diabetes Association! My $300 goal has been busted wide open-I'm at $335 right now, thanks to someone named Alex. Thanks for everyone's putting up with this appeal, too. It's not normally my style to just come out and say "hey, help me out," but you did and I'm very grateful.

Tomorrow, I ride! Hopefully pictures will follow.

Hg2491 · May 16, 2008, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Oh man, I read Shameless, Blatant Apple.

Had me there for a moment

-t

So did I.

alligator · May 16, 2008, 09:02 PM

Hope you have a good ride!

besson3c · May 16, 2008, 09:04 PM

Hampstor!

besson3c · May 16, 2008, 09:04 PM

Yeh Alex! Let's make him a mod...

KeriVit · May 16, 2008, 10:21 PM

Have a good ride Glenn. Proud of You!

ghporter · May 17, 2008, 11:13 AM

Well MY part of the Tour de Cure ride is over. Man, those hills are brutal! But I survived and again I thank everyone for contributing.

As promised, here's a picture of me at the end of the run.

In the interest of full honesty, I can't say that I finished the 15 mile loop. I got about a quarter of the way through and the hills had beaten me. I turned around and headed back, so I did about half of the distance. Next time, I will hopefully have more time and better coordination with my training so I'll be able to handle those nasty hills. If you want to know how nasty, Google a topographic map of northern San Antonio, emphasizing Bulverde road and Evans road. There were a couple of places that I hit 30 MPH on the downhill, only to have to shift to my lowest gear to manage to get to the top of the next hill. No, I wasn't ready.

turtle777 · May 17, 2008, 11:27 AM

Well done, Glenn

Hill and mountain rides can be tough, I remember that from my bike trips through Switzerland when I was a kid.

-t