Encore une Bagette du Fromage!

I’m taking part in the London to Paris Bike Ride on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Care. Really.

The 'Marie Curie' bit.

Marie Curie provide care and support for cancer sufferers, as well as carrying out research into prevention and cure. Wherever possible, Marie Curie provide their care at the homes of sufferers. Where that is not possible, they run 9 hospices in the UK. One of these – in Hampstead, North London – recently looked after a great family friend of ours, Gordon Royle, who sadly passed away last year. I’m looking to raise £1,300.00 for Marie Curie as a thank you for the amazing support he got, and to help support their work in the future.

The 'Me Cycling to Paris' bit.

I was thinking of raising this by doing a sponsored snooze. I’ve been training comprehensively, and am probably in the best shape of my life to take this on. However, initial research suggests that people are likely to feel uninspired by a sponsored snooze and are 78%* less likely to donate.

For those of you who know me well, here are the answers to the questions you are asking.

1.        Of course it wasn’t my idea.

2.        No, it doesn’t have an engine.

3.        Yes, I’m going to ride it myself.

4.        Not since I was 13, but they say you never forget how to.

Since signing up, I’ve had some bad news. Apparently Lance’s Armstrong’s training schedule doesn’t include ‘watching football’, nor does his entire diet consists of Diet Coke and the happy world of Haribo. Secondly, affixing an armchair to a pushbike requires a greater understanding of engineering than I, apparently, possess. Thirdly Paris is really, really, really far. Fourth, and most frustratingly, apparently there’s a train that goes right there. In two hours. It’s going to take me four days.

                    

The 'Costing You Money' bit.

So please sponsor me. A tenner would be great. Anything else is a bonus.

There are some costs involved – staying overnight on the way, eating, buying extraordinarily well-padded pants, that sort of thing. I plan to pick these up myself so all of the money you donate will go to Marie Curie.

Plus, if I hit £ 1,300.00, Allen (James) and Lane (Ben) will double it, and I’ve done the maths, and that’s, er, lots.

It’s going ahead, whether I like it or not, come rain or shine.

I hadn’t even thought of that. Please God, don’t let it rain…