A chance sighting of the challenge advertisement in a cycling magazine planted the seed; a gentle mention the following morning at work generated a positive response and within a couple of days we had a team.

That was three or so months ago and having registered for the event, the reality of what I'm actually taking part in has hit home like a hammer thanks to my mate, Dave, showing me some You Tube footage of athletes getting "the bonk"!

The training has been steady but not spectacular and definitely needs to move up a gear now, in equal measure to the weight going down!

So why am I doing this? Two reasons: First, perhaps in a misguided way, to prove to myself I can do this still; and second, in my professional capacity I often see the devastating impact spinal injuries can have upon peoples' lives. REGAIN is a really worthwhile charity which sets out to help those who have become tetraplegic through spinal injuries. If you can, spare a moment to take a look at their website - www.regainsportscharity.com.

Thank you very much for your donation.