On August 10th 2014, I will be taking part in the Ride 100 London Surrey cycle ride in memory of my father in law, Peter Parker who sadly passed away last year from cancer and also for everyone else that I know that has been affected by cancer. Peter was one of life's true gentlemen, always thought of others first, always willing to help you, generous and nothing was ever too much trouble. His passing made me realise how indiscriminate cancer is and how nearly everyone is affected by it either directly or indirectly.

When I rode this event last year, we raised an amazing £1,900 for Cancer Research thanks to all you fantastic people out there!

Well, this year, we are raising money fro Macmillian's Cancer Support. They are an amazing charity providing much needed support for people diagnosed with cancer and for their families. They provide practical support and advice and most importantly, they are there to guide you through what happens next.

The cancer story is changing. Four million people are expected to be living with or beyond cancer in 2030 – which means the need for Macmillian's work is set to increase dramatically. Thanks to their loyal and committed supporters, over 98% of Macmillian's income in 2012 came from voluntary donations and fundraising, so they take care to manage our money wisely.

Ride 100 is a great opportunity to raise money for them and I will be riding a 100 mile circuit around London and over the famous Surrey hills which has to be completed within a certain time limit to make way for the professional road cyclists who are racing later that day. The route I am following is more or less the same route as the Olympic Road Race in 2013.

Please donate as much as you can, every pound helps and I may even shave my legs again if we hit the target(not a pretty sight at the best of times)!!!

Follow my training diary on twitter here: @paulxman

Many thanks for taking the time to read this and for your amazing generosity.

Cheers

Paul