Ok, I'll give you some time to have a good laugh at the prospect of this first...

Yes, you did read it right. I, a rather fat man, am planning to cycle the 54 miles from London to Brighton for the British Heart Foundation on 15 June 2014. To add to the hilarity, I will be wearing lycra too...

Finished laughing?

In which case, it's time to put your hands in your pockets and sponsor me please. Surely just the thought of me doing this is enough to stump up a few quid? It doesn't matter what you can afford, a £1 donation is just as well-received as a £20 donation.

How about we put it another way? Treat the donation as a ticket to come down to Brighton and cheer me on/abuse me as I cross the finish line all red-faced and sweaty!* You can even take a picture to mock me with for years to come!

On a more serious note, I don't have a heart-wrenching personal story behind doing this challenge. It was suggested by a colleague and I thought, why not? I'm pretty sure though that we all know somebody who has been affected by a heart problem, and the British Heart Foundation carries out vital research into treating and preventing many heart-related conditions.

I guess doing this ride is also about me playing my own part to keep fit, and it will hopefully be a good test of the work done so far. Who knows, you may see me doing Lands End to John O'Groats yet...

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this page. If you do wish to donate, then please click on the button above.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

*donations sadly do not guarantee that you'll witness this hilarious sight. I will put a photo on Facebook as evidence of the occasion though...