This July, I will be cycling almost 1000 miles over 14 days (average of 70 miles a day) from Land's End to John O'Groats. This is a massive undertaking, especially given that 4 years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease (an inflammatory bowel disease with no cure) and at the time went through a massive flare, losing 2 stone that I certainly didn't have to lose and becoming so weak that I was at a point where walking the length of Pitlochry High Street was beyond my capabilities. It has taken a lot of medication (some of which worked for a while and some which didn't work at all) to get me to a point where I feel relatively normal again. Even in this medicinally induced remission, I still encounter a plethora of symptoms and side effects of the drugs which I have to take both orally and intravenously during 8-weekly trips to the hospital. Yet, I am one of the lucky ones. Many people with Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis do not find drugs that work and are forced to endure crippling symptoms on a daily basis or worse, repeated surgeries to remove the damaged parts of their intestines. It is especially difficult for children for whom the disease seems to be more aggressive and many drugs regimes are not appropriate. Crohn's and Colitis UK is a fantastic charity which has supported me and those close to me in coming to terms with living with the disease, but also helps to educate people about the disease, provide much needed funding for new scientific treatment options and studies. 

My training started last August and in that time, I have cycled in all weathers: heavy rain, strong wind, snow, ice, fog, hail, up to 200 miles a week and taken part in several Audax events, charity events and sportives.  Not all the training has been easy, and there have been times when I have wondered if I am even capable of such a feat, not least whether I'll be able to find any bikepacking equipment big enough to carry all the drugs I need to take with me! LOL. The first part of my cycle will be unsupported, which means I will be carrying everything I need for 9 days on my bike. The final 5 days I will have support, but this takes me through some of the wildest terrain Scotland has to offer, and will test my endurance skills to their maximum, having already completed 9 days in the saddle. 

Please help support my epic cycle and the causes I have chosen to do it for.