From the pages of Peak Region Cyclist Magazine
Jesse Kurtz, Sports Director for KKTV News in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is preparing to ride the 86-mile route of the Tour de Cure in Woodland Park, Colorado this May. Carmichael Training Systems has decided to help Jesse prepare for the challenge, and he’s been coming in to the Endurance Sports Club at CTS to ride the Computrainers before heading to work. Jesse’s also documenting his progress and his experience on KKTV Channel 11 News with video segments on Sunday nights.

What brought you to become a participant of this ride?
A co-worker who is a board member for the American Diabetes Association asked if I'd be interested in helping raise some awareness by riding. Realizing the importance of the issue, and the growing problem, I was honored to help. I figured if I was going to be involved, I should be "all in" and ride the 86-miles. It's the least I could do. The people who are affected by diabetes have a daily fight that never goes away... I really felt I needed to take the challenge to prove that I'm behind them, and the cause 100 percent.

How has diabetes affected you or someone you know?
I don’t have any family members with the disease. I had a roommate for a short time who had diabetes so I had a little exposure to the issue, but very little. That's another reason I got involved. To learn about the magnitude of the disease and to better understand what people go through on a daily basis. It has been an eye opening education. One that I am truly grateful for. It has certainly opened my eyes to the severity of the issue and to the number of people who know very little about what diabetes really is and how serious it can be. I'm hoping the Tour de Cure helps raise that level of awareness so we can start to bring the alarming number of people affected by the disease down.

What does this ride mean to you?
The ride is about making a difference in our community. Diabetes is becoming such a huge problem in America, yet it doesn't have the awareness level of other diseases, such as cancer. Diabetes is a precursor to many deadly illnesses like kidney failure, heart disease, and stroke. In many cases, this can be prevented with awareness. By raising money and awareness for the ADA, I hope that people start to better understand that diabetes is a growing problem, and we as a community really need to bind together to help stop the disease. I have two young boys, 6 and 3... They have watched as I have been training for this ride. My hope is to set a good example for them, stressing that fitness is very important in living a healthy life, and also helping to prevent diabetes.

You are actually not a cyclist. What do you think of being on the bike?
Yeah, I had never been a cyclist. Other than riding a bike as a kid, I hadn't been on a bike more than twice in the last 15 years. Cycling has provided me with an alternative to running. I had been running about 20 miles per week to stay in shape. But I was always really sore afterward (muscles, joint, etc...). I was amazed at how good I felt the next day after a ride. I can get a killer two hour workout in, burn a ton of calories and wake up the next morning and feel great. It truly has been a blessing to discover what a great workout cycling provides.

What do think cycling brings to the fight against diabetes?
I think it's a great idea. Having a great event like the Tour de Cure will help not only raise money, but awareness for the cause. Research takes money, but also people who stand behind the cause. This event works on both fronts. It also helps get kids and families active by riding in the family rides. It also will bring a group of people who are affected by diabetes together to share stories and build a sense of community. Sometimes fighting a disease can feel like a lonely fight. But this will bring people together to strengthen the fight to find a cure.

The day of the Tour De Cure, what do you hope to see?
I hope families come and participate. The 86-mile ride will bring out some of the best of the best. But really, we're about building a community to fight diabetes. I hope parents bring their kids to ride in the 14-mile family ride. It not only gives them a chance to do something together, it builds strong fitness habits. Fitness can be fun. This ride will help make that point to young kids who need to start now in diabetes prevention. I also hope we get a ton of "Red Riders"! These are riders who are living with diabetes. These are people who have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but who are willing to get on a bike and ride to help in the efforts to raise money and awareness for the disease they have. It shows courage and determination on their part, for not giving in to the disease, and to live life to its fullest even when they have the extra challenge of fighting diabetes at the same time. The “Red Riders”, started in Colorado. These are the people who we are supporting and cheering on. They’re the reason we are fighting so hard to find a cure. My hope is they make a strong showing to prove to everybody not only that they appreciate what the ADA and the supporters are doing for them, but they set an example that this disease won't control their lives. They too can live an active lifestyle and participate in all that life has to offer.

What impact do you want to achieve personally with this ride?
Making a difference. Being a father of two, I really want to make this community a better place for them to live. In this case, I want Southern Colorado to be a place that binds together to fight for causes. By raising money and awareness, we will be helping the ADA not only help those who are affected by the disease, but we can help people in prevention. That's why we're putting so much effort into this fight. I hope everyone reading this will go to diabetes.org/tour and click through to the Woodland Park ride page to join in as a rider or to donate to someone riding on May 14th.

You trained with CTS for this ride. How did that challenge you and what did you learn along the journey?
I can't say enough for the people at Carmichael's. From the interns, to the coaches on up to Chris Carmichael himself. They are amazing at what they do. I WAS very intimidated when I started this journey, but from the moment I walked into the building the nerves subsided. They have been there to not only push me to get better, but to support and encourage along the way. The attention they provide makes you feel like you are a pro. The equipment and pro-grams they offer at CTS are cutting edge technology that helped keep my body guessing. Doing power intervals, speed intervals, and long rides all benefited my training in a unique way. I saw improvement within a few weeks and I feel really strong on a bike now. My coach, Ryan Kohler, was amazing. Even though I was clearly is most "novice" rider, I always felt like his #1 priority. He even checked in with my progress to push and encourage me when he was on paternity leave. That's commitment. I will be forever grateful to Ryan and all the people at CTS. They truly have made this journey special.