Bothell’s Steve Brack readily admits that five years ago, he was overweight and out of shape.

“I was concerned about my health,” said Brack, who added he started walking 45 minutes to an hour daily.

“With walking, you’re not really going anywhere… It’s kind of boring,” Brack said.

So, he bought a bike.

“I knew about the STP, I heard people talking about it, but I never thought I’d take part in it,” Brack added.

STP is, in this case, an acronym for Seattle to Portland, the common moniker for the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, which is marking its 31st year July 17-18.

Organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club, the ride covers some 200 miles starting at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus and ending at Holladay Park in Portland. The ride is expected to attract some 10,000 cyclists. Brack will be among them.

And so will his son. And his daughter-in-law. And his brother. And a sister.

All in all, including Steve Brack, seven members of the Brack clan will be peddling their way to Oregon. At Brack’s urging, his brother and a niece will be coming in for the ride from Overland Park, Kan.

Including Brack’s wife, Sandy, and his mother, numerous other members of Brack’s family will be waiting at the Portland finish line. Brack even came up with a name for his team, the Bloom’n Bikers, “bloom” being an acronym for the towns the family members are from. Each rider will have a T-shirt with a Bloom’n Bikers logo.

For everyone except Brack, this will be their first time taking part in the STP. Brack himself has finished the ride three times.

“It’s just incredible, really,” he said of the experience, adding it’s an impressive sight watching thousands upon thousands of bikers head off down the road together.

The ride is designed to be completed in one or two days. Brack and his group plan on stopping at roughly the half-way point and spending the night in Centralia. Hotels were filled, so they will be staying with some of the many locals who open their homes to riders.

“I’m really looking forward to the finish line,” Brack added. “When you enter the park, people are gathered around and cheering for you. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Steve Brack’s wife, Sandy, said she rides off and on, but has never tried to tackle the STP. She said she’ll drive to Portland as she has in the past to meet her husband.

“I’ll have plenty of company this time,” Sandy said, referring to the numerous relatives who will accompany her.

While Steve Brack said he is in much better shape than he was a few years ago, he doesn’t hesitate to add he has a major health challenge ahead of him.

Brack was riding his bike in Bothell about two years ago and, as he put it, maybe going a little bit too fast, and simply lost control while crossing a slough. A subsequent X-ray revealed not only a couple of broken ribs, but a dark spot in his chest that turned out to be non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“I’m optimistic,” he said regarding the disease. Brack said that fortunately the cancer turned out to be a slow growing variety and he has so far not had to undergo any treatment.

“I’m glad I was working my way back into shape,” he said, saying that only can help him in the long term.

“I really think it’s possible that by the time it’s a problem for me, there might even be a cure for it,” Brack continued.

In the meantime, Brack said he just wants to promote his chosen form of exercise and just generally hopes people will get into shape.

“It really is true that when you take off that extra 40 pounds or so, everything is easier,” he said.