FIT CITY

New Mamma Jamma Ride to raise money for breast cancer services

Grease Monkey Wipes take off grime on the go; dad who cycles across continents with the kids speaks at REI.

By Pamela LeBlanc
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, June 22, 2009

Kerry Tate compares her bout with breast cancer to sniffling her way through a bad head cold.

That's more than a bit of an exaggeration - the owner of the Austin public relations firm TateAustinHahn had a double mastectomy a year and a half ago, after all. But she never had to go through radiation or chemotherapy, and her cancer never spread through her lymph nodes.

"To people who are fighting breast cancer, my situation was ideal," she says. "I was fortunate that through annual mammograms and good medicine, I was able to cure it by surgery only."

With cancer behind her, Tate is now teaming up with the new Texas Mamma Jamma Ride to raise money for 10 local nonprofits that provide services for women with breast cancer.

"The motivation for me and a lot of other women is about changing the odds," Tate says. "Whenever a woman is diagnosed, there's fear first, and then they want to find out the type and the stage. What they're really wanting to get to is what are their odds of survival. ? My bottom-line message is we have to change the odds, and when you get early diagnosis and good help, the odds go way up."

Tate is honorary chair of the new ride, set for Oct. 10. She's set a personal goal of raising $20,000 for the cause and plans to ride 45 miles in the event. Her longest ride to date? Twenty-five miles a few years ago.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Last year, more than 14,000 Texas women were diagnosed and 2,870 died from the disease. Early detection and good health care can help more women survive.

"I don't know of any family who has not been touched by this disease," she says. "I can get my fat butt on a bicycle for this cause."

Cyclists can choose from routes of 10, 25, 45, 65 or 100 miles, which will all start and finish at Reunion Ranch north of Leander. Everyone, from beginners to serious cyclists, is invited to participate. To ride, individuals must raise $500 (for children, $250). Organizers aim to raise $400,000.

Beneficiaries are the Austin affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Breast Cancer Resource Center, Wonders and Worries, the Seton Family of Hospitals, the Care Communities, Capital of Texas Team Survivor, Cancer Connection, Wings, Community Action Inc. and the Sustainable Food Center.

Weekly training rides and fundraising assistance are provided. For more information, go to www.mammajammaride.org. And start training now.

That means you, Tate!

Two Austin cycling buddies are peddling individually packaged cleaning wipes that take off grease, grime and those annoying body markings athletes get at triathlons.

Erin Whalen and Tim Stansbury developed Grease Monkey Wipes after she had a flat tire on a 100-mile bike ride two summers ago. Filthy and annoyed after changing the tire, Whalen looked for a portable degreasing product she could carry with her while she was riding. When she couldn't find one, she and Stansbury created their own.

Both are avid cyclists. Whalen, 29, raced in Ironman Coeur d'Alene on Sunday and Stansbury is training for 24 Hours of Booty, an all-night charity road race.

"I use them all the time," Whalen says. "I just packed up my bike for Ironman and cleaned my entire bike with one."

The wipes use a natural citrus-based formula and can be easily stashed in a saddle bag or jersey pocket. They come packaged in sets of 6, 12, 18 and 24 (just like beer, the Web site notes) and sell for about $1 a wipe.

A dozen Austin bike shops carry the wipes, including Austin Tri-Cyclist, 923 Barton Springs Road; Bicycle Sport Shop, 517 S. Lamar Blvd.; Freewheeling Bicycles, 2401 San Gabriel St.; Jack & Adam's Bicycles, 1210 Barton Springs Road; and Nelo's Pro Cycles, 3010-H W. Anderson Lane.

Thinking about traveling - really traveling - with your family this summer?

An Austin father who rode his mountain bike 3,000 miles across Europe with his son will give two free lectures about outdoor activities that families can enjoy together.

Mark Altman will talk about "Planning and Benefiting from Weekend and Weeklong Trips" at 7 p.m. Tuesday and "Epic Family Expeditions" at 7 p.m. June 30 at REI, 9901 Capitol of Texas Highway.

"The first thing is to do it safely," Altman says. "The second thing is to understand what your goals are. Are your family goals merely to normalize spending time in the outdoors? For my kids, it is normal to go on a weeklong bike ride or ride a bike across a continent."

Altman and his son, who was 10 at the time, pedaled 3,000 miles from Rome, Italy, to Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2005. He and his wife and four children have also cycled from Portland, Ore., to Washington, D.C., together. They are planning several shorter cycling trips around Texas later this year.

Big-time adventure can have a big impact on children, he says, and it's exciting "to know they can exist and be comfortable where there are bugs and dirt, especially in our current cultural climate."

His quick tips for planning a family adventure?

• Go slow. Keep in mind that "high adventure" is a matter of perspective. For a 4-year-old, climbing on big rocks and throwing small ones is high adventure, especially if you get to sleep outdoors.

• Get familiar with your gear and be able to set up your tent quickly - and in the dark - before you go.

• Keep plenty of snacks (and water) on hand.

• Make reservations at the campground or park. If you can, walk to a primitive site to avoid college kids blasting the stereo in the wee hours.

• Eat dinner out on your way back home at the end of the trip. You won't have to cook or clean up and you can relive the experience and make it part of your family's story. You can also start planning the next adventure.

pleblanc@statesman.com; 445-3994