In hindsight we might have made this decision without truly appreciating the amount of training we need to do but in any case we will give this 100 mile route the best shot we can on two wheels! This will be Jonny's first ever cycling event with this kind of mileage but he has been talking about wanting to try out lycra for a long time and if his running gear is anything to go by (please see attached pic complete with head wear) we should all be in for an absolute treat. Henry managed to get a selfie with one of his sporting idols when completing the Pru Ride London a few years ago so we will definitely try and at least match the celeb selfie count. We are best friends and also fiercely competitive and we have found this extra dimension really helps when training for events such as the Pru RideLondon. We will certainly give it all we have got and would very much appreciate any support you can afford.

We have decided to cycle for MS-UK because we both know friends who have family members that suffer from this disease and its consequences. At the moment the disease is not curable and the symptoms can be far-reaching, all the way from balance and mobility issues through to problems associated with vision, speech and swallowing. However, the team at MS-UK do an astounding job to help these families live life they want to live it and take control of this disease, rather than let it control them. People suffering from MS can still live a very complete life and it is important they are empowered and supported in a way that can help them achieve this goal. All the work MS-UK does comes down to ensuring this goal is met and it is important everyone is given this opportunity.

MS-UK was established in 1993, and is a national charity dedicated to empowering people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to make the most of today, and live life to the full. MS-UK put people affected by MS at the heart of our work. They provide high quality, professional services to support people living with multiple sclerosis, and listen to people affected by MS. To find out more about what this brilliant charity does, please visit www.ms-uk.org.

About MS: MS is a disease of the central nervous system (your brain and your spinal cord). The central nervous system cells are covered in a protective layer of fatty protein called the myelin sheath (a bit like the insulation on an electrical cable). MS is an auto-immune disease, where the immune system gets confused and instead of attacking an infection or virus, the immune system turns on itself and attacks the nerve cells, damaging this protective sheath. This process is called demyelination. The demyelination disrupts the ‘messages’ being transmitted from and to the brain, causing them to slow down, become distorted or not get through at all.

The term ‘sclerosis’ is a Greek word that means scaring. Demyelination causes many scars or lesions in different places within the central nervous system. The symptoms that occur depend on the site and severity of the lesions and this is why people with MS experience different symptoms at different times.

It is estimated that there are more than 107,000 people in the UK diagnosed with MS. MS is commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. There are roughly three times as many women with MS as men.