Updated on Feb 25th 2012 at 12:12 AM from the JustGiving API

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped me to get to £5050, seems a very apt number somehow.am on version 4 of my packing & still not got any cycling kit in !! Cd be interesting

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www.genesisresearchtrust.com/events/central-america-cycle-challenge

Challenge- 1-11 March 2012 Panama, Costa Rica & NIcaragua...average 85-90km cycling per day.

The event is in March but I am committed to submitting all the sponsorship by the 9th of December so please sign up now..

Well here we are. It's Feb 2011and I decide finally despite everything to commit to a challenge that I have wanted to do for a few years. 2012 seemed like a good year, it's a certain birthday of mine and Olympic year, and London 2012. Having registered I thought "What have I done?. How am I actually going to a) get fit enough to do it b)how on earth will I achive the required £3300 sponsorship c) I don't know anyone doing it, d)how will i cope with the food and only 1 roll of toilet paper e) how on earth WILL I MANAGE with 1 x 20kg bag (including my saddle and pedals) and f) wait for it... how will i manage a non BA non direct flight connecting over Madrid in what is bound to be a middle seat???I'm a point to point knid of girl and what if my 1 bag doesn't turn up?

You see what I mean?

Anyway here I am, signed up, welcome pack and what passes for a training plan arrives.I e-mail the organisers with the list of things I can't eat, I look at the list of not very exciting things I have to pack in 1 ONE, yes, ONE bag and I have to say not one of them excites me. Normally my washbag and medical bag weighs about 10kg. Then I read that I've got to spend 2 nights in a tent..in a sleeping bag.. and that my sleeping bag, liner and mat WILL form part of my 20kg baggage allowance. So what excatly am I supposed to pack for 6 days riding a bike with what seems to be about 7kg of remaining baggage allowance. Suddenly looking very like I will be travelling with 2 bags and excess baggage, but I'm probably not allowed. ..spoilsports. It was at this point that the very nice lady at Genesis events rang to tell me not to worry that I didn't know anyone as I would know 1 person on my ride at least, Fern Britton will be riding with me. More like I'll be riding miles behind her as it's not her first ride, oh well, maybe I'll see her out on a training ride as she doesn't live very far away. Oh dear, what if I have to share with her, what if she snores?.. (refer to packing guide eyeshade and earplugs for night time..check)

Already I'm struggling with the potential hygiene issues raised by the "suggested" packing list. 2 pairs of cycling shorts...2 !! It's 6 days on the bike so I think I will go by the 1 on, 1 in the wash plus 1 spare at the very least, am wondering where the launderette's are on route should I still be able to walk at the end of the day. Anyway the packing list is just 1 of the challenges I have to overcome, and I guess I could always wear everything to board the flight then take it all off and stuff it into my hand luggage, well it's a plan.

so just to sum up 6 days on bike, sleeping bag, tent, no point to point , no concierge, 1 bag x 20kg ..very me......what do you think?

 May 2011..week 1

1x1000m swim, 2 x 1hr gym seesions, 1x1800m swim, 1x7 mile bike, 1 x 7km walk, 1 x aquarobics (drowning!!) 1x1500m swim,, because my v brief training plan says a variety of aerobic, strength, recreational  exercise..and I really can't face the spinning class yet..if ever. Oh i forgot the earlier falling off bike incident hurting shoulder due total lack of understanding as to why my bike has 3 x 8 gears but apparently half of them are duplicated ratios!! Why call them 1,2 & 3 on the left and 1-8 on the right and laugh at me when I refer to them as 1:1 and 1:8 etc...What's the point? If a woman designed the bike it would have the number of gears required not the ones we won't use. I did ask what the best gear to use is when pushing the bike, I was serious but got laughed at. There's a theme developing here..and it involves laughter, trust me I wont be laughing after a 90km day in Nicaragua and neither will my backside.

Various trips to bike shops to buy, locks, lights, and undersaddle packs...zzz..followed by more trips to return them when they dont fit or dont work. Sort yourselves out Halfords!!

01 Jun-have to confess to not being excited by the parcels that are ariving on an almost daily basis, lights,.shorts..top..wind top..rain top..mits..sleeping bag liner..sleeping mat..stuff sack..compression sack..travel towel..cycling socks..BUT still waiting for cycling helmet and my shoes(all way from good old USofA).Working hard on the training and that's what counts at moment. :-)

07 Jun- all I can say as a result of this last weeks training is ouch...

17 Jun-120 miles last week, only 10 didn't hurt!!! I'm told it will get easier. It needs to...and quickly.

29 Jun-did 50.2 miles at an average of 10 mph off road..aside from the blisters on my ankles, stinging nettle rash, ripped fingers from wild roses, swallowing about a thousand flies,being covered in mud and sore knees..it was fab!!!

3 Jul-This week I have ridden 120 miles .. woo hoo 1x50 1 x 30 2x20.Times are getting quicker and, don't tell anyone but, in the sunshine it's actually quite plesant. It's when I stop that the problems arise. The post is still bringing things like cycling gloves, chamois cream, and anotehr pair of shorts to see if they are any more comfortable than the others. Hill training beckons..BUT NOT YET. So touched by the support I'm receiving from my friends and colleagues.

10 Jul-30 Mile ride for Peace Hospice at Watford, nobody told me it was someone nearly all uphill, including 1 hill of over 1.5 miles. Oh well all good training and all for a good cause. had to learn to put chain back on several times!!! seems I had better start my hill training soon!!

24 Jul-Brochure arrived regarding the challenge. Seems it's somehow elevated itself to a "tough" challenge. Thanks so much to the all girls for advising me of the requirement for a lighter to burn the leeches off of me when they drop onto me in the rain forest, a shewee,some fold up portable toilet box contraption, & something to burn my "toilet parcels " with. I shall stop there. Heading for 62%, thanks everyone.

03 Aug-Finally getting to grip with the gear thingy, although I'm still waiting for the Ski lift facility to arrive to drag me up hills..or was I dreaming that? Training, training and more training. Having stopped falling off for a bit I'm anxious not to made a speedy transition to clipless pedals so I'm putting that off for a bit.Onwards and upwards. 80 miles this weekend EVEN IF IT RAINS.

05 August-huge thanks to Shirley & Carol in the office for your "Blue Peter" efforts in creating a collection facility in there. You're stars!! :-)

FYI cycling shorts and Chamois cream are NOT designed by women...maybe when I'm out doing a 50 mile session I should spend a little time on that project. I think I could "refresh" the concept, rebrand it, make it look pretty, trial it and then give it a soft launch. No such thing as "comfort" at 50 miles. receiving great support from the BA team, completed 2x 20 miles  x 50 miles and 1 x 22 miles "out of saddle" hmm hmm listen to me!! They'll make a cyclist out of me yet.Heading for 70% . Session of e baying and car boot preparation calls, my poor family will have nothing to wear or use soon unless they nail it down. :-)

Progress made with training and a big push on fundraising, car boot sale with Mum, never ever to be repeated at Denham!!! It's not my idea of a giggle queuing for an hour and a half to get in and then fending off people who want to buy brand new things for 50p...but hey it's all in a good cause and as usual Mum was fab, and worked her magic. Poor Dad was dragged into "product preparation" and logistics.

My brother has taken to starting a small cottage industry in the manufacturing of plum jam, which has been packaged, marketed and sold and the proceeds donated here. A big thanks to the ladies at "Fourways" for your generosity and to Frankie Hart.

Delboy Burton made a great effort in doing a collection at work for me, which raised another £53, thanks to all who donated, I have the list and at somepoint you will all be mentioned in dispatches.

Training in the rain now, and I guess will have to invest in some thermal mularcky soon, or just resort to training at the gym (not my idea of fun to be honest)

Work to be done on securing the best possible deal for my flights next and for the special travel insurance that is required. never a dull moment.

15-16 Oct the long awaited training weekend in the Chilterns. We were blessed with fabulous shorts and T shirts weather and great company but 2 days of climbing those hills was challenging but was very pleased with myself as I actually got up every hill even if I did use EVERY gear. I even managed to put my chain back on when it decided to jump off on a 45 degree gradient when I was standing up on the pedals. Oh well. Great fun had by all, was great to meet some of the ladies and Fern and share fund raising tips. 65 miles of hill work complete and only managed a top speed of 28.6 mph downhill weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!! 4 spinning classes booked for next week 2 pilates and swimming!!!

6 Nov-Information day at Hammersmith Hospital. A very inspiring and motivational afternoon listening to Prof Lord Winston and Prof Kate Hardy talking about the ground breaking and world leading research being funded by our sponsorship. Paul Blakeley talked to us about amazing research he is carrying out into foetal programming.Again it reminds me of how blessed I have been in my life.  I feel deeply moved and humbled and even more certain that this is an amazing charity. On the other side of the coin was horrified to learn my 2 nights camping has turned into 4 and that I have to put up my own tent and there are no showers and hole digging will be done!! Rapid searching on Amazon now for essentials. It feels like it's only a matter of weeks to go and that it's rushing towards me. So glad to meet up with other mad women undertaking the challenges. Nearly at £4000 now so a huge thank you to everyone who continues to support me in so many ways, I really appreciate it all. Off to book and pay for my flights now...........BA/AA all the way.

Dec 2011-oh not liking clock changes at all...am resorting to "turbo trainer" and the "watt bike".....very dull and very hot but very necessary. Am looking into whether I can rig the tumble drier up to the bike and work if from there. ..well anything is possible. Thanks everyone for sponsoring me. Now doing the big raffle for my final push would really love to get to £5k as with giftaid thats £6250 and I know it will do great work.

28 Dec..my Northface 120 litre bullet proof "rolling thunder" has finally arrived. It's not pretty, infact is pretty ugly but hey I'm told it's bullet proof so if it all gets a bit messy out there (thanks Cris Risdon) I can jump in the bag and hide. See BA has prepared me well to be resourceful.

Xmas..ok this is what I've become..rough guides to Costa Rica and Nigaragua, map of Panama (just incase I didnt know just how hilly it is), chamois cream, wind up torch, hand wipes, baby wipes,hand sanitiser, travel toilet rolls, shorts, pedals, cycling socks,batteries, immodium..shall I go on? merry Christmas everyone and thanks again.

2012...argh it's only 8 weeks to go. I really must get onto the "double daily" training sessions as going out on the road and staying alive is proving impossible.Fortuneatley my job has prepared me well for a full and comprehensive rang of abuse and not one "white van driver" has managed to use a hither to unknown swear word at me. Very disappointing.

2 Jan- very touched a customer sponsored me after a discussion about North face bags, which lead to why I had purchased one, the bike ride  and then onto the charity.  Heading for £5k now. :-)

Well here we are Jan training in the freezing cold, Richmond Park, Bushey Park, Windsor Great Park..lots of parks involved. The deer look at me as if to say "do you have any idea what you look like?". Block Head winds, fog, ice and rain and 3 layers of clothing, but still turning the peddles. Have had to revsit the packing list and add another sleeping mat which has involved battling Sports Direct Customer Service Team, yes..poor them I hear you say. It's coming up too fast now, it's this year!!.

Purchase of solar charger made, then a second after first was declared" not fit for purpsoe", Then purchased another and returned the second. Now I'm thinking the 3rd weisghs twice the 2nd. Oh gosh I need a Sherpa. hard to train, not enough time.

OH Hello February..how did that happen. It's this month now and the count down is now in the 20 range, and is less than 5 weeks. Am I looking forawrd to it"no" and I excited? Well I'm about as excited as I would be awaiting general surgery in a hospital closed for MRSA, so that will be a "no then". Am I ready? NO, am I prepared? NO..Am I other words that indictae apprehensive "YES". BUT fundraising is nearly at £5K so £6250 with Giftaid, so grateful to everyone who has made that possible, particularly the cake bakers and eaters!! You know who you are!! A new award for excellence to Dan who has really and truly excelled at "Cake Consumption for Charity". Well done Dan. 

Last few weeks..now..and will be spending every spare minute on the bike.. 

44 degrees, uphill, hot hot hot, bumpy gravel roads,uphill rather up mountains, lengthy 10km climbs, hours in the saddle, crosswinds, blazing heat and incase I haven't mentioned it.. relentless climbs, lots of rice, bananas and pineapple, met lots of local wildlife, (not all friendly) climbed way above the tree canopy into the clouds, but a unique opportunity to experience all 3 countries with an amazing group of ladies .as a group of 21 we raised in excess of £76k and we would probably do it all again in a heartbeat. Wonderful team of Dr sarah, Marco, big Mike, Little Mike and Hairo kept us all well and motivated, so many experiences, new friends and special moments, a true blood, sweat and tears challenge, that we are all teh better for. If you ever get the opportunity to do an event with Women for Women for Genesis Research Trust grab it with both hands. Thanks so much to you all for your belief, faith and endless support, I couldn't have done it without you and the money you have donated will change lives for the good. this page will now feed into www.justgiving.com/sue-fuller-genesisresearchtrust.