So it begins

Yesterday I was told I've been included in a small group of cyclists to take part in next year's The Race Against Time, a six-day dash from Land's End to John O'Groats.

Covering the 875 miles in less than a week will mean cycling around 150 miles a day at an average speed of around 16mph. This year I did a 100 miler at a shade over that speed so I don't think this is beyond me but getting through it in one piece will require a lot of training and discipline - and probably a fair bit of luck too.

I'm not exactly sure why I'm doing this. It's probably a mid-life crisis of sorts - I'm probably desperate to prove there's at least some life in the old dog yet - but I see no shame in that. If I emerge from this exercise with a successful Lands End to John O'Groats run under my belt (known as LEJOG among the cognoscenti I gather) I will be both deeply chuffed and entirely indifferent to what motivated me to do it in the first place.

The challenge won't be limited to cycling a long way. Each rider is required to raise at least £2,000 for the Bishop Simeon Trust, a charity that helps AIDS victims in South Africa. I know this isn't going to be easy because my sister is currently raising money for a sponsored trek up Mount Kilimanjaro next year (at the same time as this ride, funnily enough) and I've seen at first hand how difficult it is to go beyond the quantities generated by the initial good will of ones friends and family.

This blog will include details of the fun and games I have while training and raising money. It will be filled with thoughts, fears, observations and anything else that comes into my head as I prepare for the big ride. It will also act as a disincentive to quitting - the more of those I have the better I think.

So, this is where it all starts...