After the wettest, coldest winter I can remember, I started my annual training for the Prudential LondonSurrey Ride100 rather later than usual, giving myself just 100 days from Friday 20th April to get fit for the ride on Sunday 29th July. 

After 3 months' training during the driest early summer since records began, I am almost ready for the 100 mile road ride, which should take between 5 and 6 hours in the saddle. My bottom will be pretty sore by the end and that rather neatly brings me to the charity I'm riding for.

This year your support is really important as I am putting myself through my  battle with Newlands Corner, Leith Hill and Box Hill on behalf of my friend, Patrick Wymer, because it's the sort of thing he would do if he wasn't busy at the moment, fighting stage 4 bowel cancer.

I won't tell Patrick's story here because he's far more eloquent than I could ever be and he's got a great blog which you can read at https://bowelcancerman.wordpress.com   (Seriously, copy and paste this url into your browser now; Patrick's writing is informative and moving.)

In short, Patrick's advice is don't be shy or squeamish; if you notice any change in your stools or regularity, stomach pain, weight loss or extreme tiredness for no apparent reason, for goodness sake get yourself checked out immediately. Patrick's one regret is that he didn't act sooner, because bowel cancer is curable if it's caught early. Patrick tells me that the prognosis for stage 4 is around 2 or maybe 3 years. 10% make it to 5 years (go, Patrick!)

So that's it. Please donate what you can to help fund research into treating bowel cancer. It is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, after breast, prostate and lung cancers. Over 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. Patrick is one of them and I don't know what else I can do to show him what a legend I think he is, other than riding 100 miles in a big circle.