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Photo: Lori Van Buren, Albany Times Union

GE engineer conquered diabetes with bicycling

GE engineer Bill Monaghan kept in great shape as champion high school bicyclist. But as a became happily married dad he became less active and chubby.

His wife Natalie worried about his high cholesterol and obesity-related sleep apnea. When he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, he returned to his biking passion and won back his health.

"He lost all the weight and the diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep apnea were all gone," Natalie says proudly.

Now, Monaghan is coaching about 40 Capital Region bike ridersincluding many diabeticsfor the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's September 14-17 fundraising rides. Those rides range in length from 30 to 100 miles. All of the upstate New York JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes start in Saratoga.

Monaghan posts details of his Saturday coaching rides on the JDRF Northeast New York website for those who would like to train with him.

"The diabetics I'm coaching are vigilant and take very good care of each other," said Monaghan, a Charlton resident. "They'll suggest we stop if they sense someone should check his or her blood sugar."

Monaghan loves Italian designed bikes but his key preference is that the bike be made of titanium bike because the metal is so strong. (The newer lightweight carbon bikes concern him because carbon crumbles under impact far more easily). He was so devoted to biking that he owned a White Plains bike shop for eight years where he became expert at fitting bikes to riders.

He remains such an evangelist for biking's health benefits that he spends Saturday afternoons at Freemans Bridge Sports in Scotia fitting customers for helmets and bikes. A properly adjusted bike seat can make all the difference between viewing a bike ride as fun or just a chore that burns calories.

"The fact is, you're going to be safer and have a better time on a $200 bike that is perfectly fitted for you than an $8,000 bike that doesn't fit," he said. "You're better off getting fitted at a local bike shop where people love bikes and know what they're doing. At a big box sports store, you might find a kid who only knows football in the bike department. And he's there putting together bikes primarily to earn Ramen noodle money, not because he knows how to fit bikes to customers."

Natalie accompanied him on his bike journey back to good health. They rode a tandem bike along the coast of Maine's Acadia National Park for about 26 miles. Then they rode to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which Natalie describes as three miles of sharp switchbacks. She doesn't remember it as grueling.

"It was romantic, with fog drifting around the mountain," she exclaimed. "And it was invigorating with all the clean air so I hope other people trying to get in shape will try it."

The JDRF Saratoga has a fundraising goal of $2.1 million and $$1,465,4331 in donations have been pledged in the name of various bicyclists as of Thursday afternoon. There are several locations across America where fundraising rides will roll out in September. Maryland-based Ben Etheridgeof JDRF's Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter is coming to New York to participate in the Saratoga ride. As of this week, he raised $74,961 in pledged donations, more than any other rider.

"I've been participating in these rides for years all over the country because I have two children with Type 1 diabetes," Etheridge said. "Doctors are very optimistic that they can overcome through nutrition and fitness. About 25 percent of the riders each year have Type 1 diabetes."

To learn more about the Saratoga ride visit the JDRF website;

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Ride/JDRFNationalRide?pg=entry&fr_id=6889

Excerpt from:
GE engineer conquered diabetes with bicycling - Albany Times Union

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