Hi,

With Only 10 weeks to go before I'm to cycle 166 miles in four days, up hill and down sunny dale in Tuscany I am now beginning to realise the enormity of this challenge!

Being a typical bloke I took the suggested training regime that says I should be up to 30 miles by this week and said I know best.  That is until now!  166 miles on a saddle with no training now suddenly seems like a really stupid idea, and therefore the training regime is to start in earnest this Sunday.  I've been and bought the padded shorts and the gel saddle so hopefully I'll be able to walk on Monday.

The really serious part of all this though is the fact that it's for a great charity:

Action for Children is committed to helping the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people in the break through injustice, deprivation and inequality, so they can achieve their full potential

Today, Action for Children is the leading provider of family and community centres, children's services in rural areas, services for disabled children and their families, and services for young people leaving care.

For these reasons I am proud to be supporting this charity, even if the event is possibly the biggest physical challenge of my life!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please, if you feel this is a worthy cause dig deep and donate now.

With sincerest thanks,

Jamie