Tour de France - Living Strong

It's July, and Lance Armstrong is back racing in the Tour de France. All is right with the world. I love nothing more than getting up early to watch men in spandex cycling through the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the French countryside. Lance Armstrong is Twittering and videoblogging and he has a whole new outlook after three years off from the race. After his historic seven Tour de France wins, he couldn't stay away. He is back to win, but also to use the return as a platform for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which supports cancer survivorship and raises funds for cancer research, screening, and treatment.

I've walked in the Livestrong Challenge Bike/Run/Walk event, which is held in a few cities throughout the year. When it comes to fighting cancer, I like the spirit of Livestrong -- that there can be a rich and full life after a diagnosis. That you need to live every day and not stop living until you really are dead. I grew up in a family where both of my grandmothers slowly died of cancer when I was a teen. I find the Livestrong philosophy to be the antidote to those painful memories. I plan to live strong, and cheer for Lance.
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner