Firstly, I'd like to say a huge "THANK YOU" to everyone who kindly donated to this fantastic charity last time around. This included my employer who added £500 to give a final total of £1,165. That is fantastic, but I'm determined to do even better this year. A reminder of why can be found by simply browsing the CLIC-SARGENT website. They are just brilliant at helpings kids with cancer. and supporting the poor parents/carers who are faced with the prospect of every Mum and Dad's worst nightmare; outliving your children.

Now while I made some effort at training for last years fundraising event - The Clic24 MTB marathon - things didn't go according to plan on the day. It was about the only dry weekend of Summer 2008, the course was superb fun and the organisation faultless. Sadly my own performance was less stunning, with a first lap dismount triggered by an exploding tyre.

The fifteen seconds following that mechanical incident were reasonably involving. The bike went into the bushes, while I plunged headlong down the rocky fall line. I spent a while watching first the sky and then the ground wheel round in ever slowing rotations, before coming to rest against a handy tree. From where I took a stock of the bleeding limbs and idly wondered where the bike might be. A lovely fella riding behind found it buried in the shrubbery and checked it over, while I laid waste to my first aid kit.

Damage was limited to all body cuts and bruises, slight concussion from an impact much cushioned by, my now broken helmet and a left hand swollen to about one and half times its' twin. This made the remaining 10 kilometres of my first lap experience slightly daunting, but I refused all kind offers of the hospital wagon with a Pyhton-esque "It's merely a flesh wound". The marshals took me at my word, and the St. Johns Ambulance did a proper fix up job once I'd made it back to the starting field.

The rest of the team took up the slack and put in lots of laps. I managed three more, the last one being at dawn which was both fantastic and irritatingly painful. By the end of the twenty four hours, I was knackered, bruised, hungry and a bit sore where no gentleman should be feeling soreness.

Obviously then, I couldn't wait to get back out there and try again. I've badgered the same fine loafing trio into reuniting the 2008 team. And we've learned from our experience, so this year no camping stoves that offer nothing other than flaming eyebrows, no pitching the tent next to noisy people from Lancashire, no fitting tyres badly the night before, and - maybe - a few more laps. I'm mentally down for six and training so far includes frozen day and night rides in the Malvern hills, and an entry for a bonkers-hard-looking 100k "reliability MTB trial" early in April.

Anyway enough of my rambling. I know times are tough but this is such a brilliant charity, I hope you'll be as generous as last year. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: CLIC Sargent will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.