When I heard that two friends of mine were embarking on a mission to ride to Edinburgh from Surrey in 4 days and then to run the Edinburgh Marathon without a day's rest, I thought that it sounded like a great idea to join them for the ride, after all I enjoy riding bikes and I love the countryside. Then it dawned on me that 450 miles in 4 days was going to be hard, much harder than I initially thought. And then for some incomprehensible reaon I thought I would be missing out if I did not run the marathon too. So I just signed up even though the furthest I have run in years is probably 26 metres not miles!

I will be cycling and running to raise money for 2 charities, the Jeremy Wilson Charitable Trust & Cancer Research UK (http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/)

Both my friends have lost someone close to them, very recently Simon's mother died of cancer and 2 years ago Matt's twin brother to CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease). Today was Simon's mother's funeral and I though there is no better time than now to commit and sign up. Cancer Research UK is helping many people particularily in its quest to find a cure that will potentially help everyone's family and friends. In January I also lost my grandfather; he reached a grand old age of 91 years but he was also diagnosed with 2 types of cancer. And even more recently one of my aunts has been diasgnosed with cancer, hopefully caught early enough - her treatment begins soon. So this charity helps us all in many ways, I am sure we all know someone close to us touched by cancer.

The Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust is a small charity set up in tribute to and memory of Jeremy Willson, it has four main objectives; to help young athletes in developing coutnries realise their ambitions; help young geologists and others to carry out independent ground-breaking expeditions and research; support projects for conserving and improving access to mountain and ocean environments in the UK and overseas; help young people or groups with disabilities to participate in sporting and/or adventurous activities in the UK and overseas.

If you would prefer to donate to Cancer Rerearch UK then please go to my other Just Giving page set up for Cancer Research UK - http://www.justgiving.com/timothygrimble 

We will be staying with friends along the way up to Edinburgh (even though some of them don't know it yet!) and financing the cost of the trip ourselves, so all your money will be going to charity. Thank you for helping raise money for two very sound charities, every little bit will help ease the aching muscles on the ride up and the wee run around town on the last day.

Thanks all, Tim