Riley's Round (and round, and round...)

When news arrives that shakes you up and makes you sit down and shake your head to try and get a clear thought it changes your world view. The barber who has trimmed Rupert and Louis' curls and cut my hair for years has stage 4 stomach cancer. He's 28. We've chatted many a time about cycling, training and endurance events while my choice of cut ranged from grade one to growing it and back again. And again.

I know him only through my haircuts, although can you 'only' know someone? Our interactions daily have an impact and ripple out, I only know anyone through something. To me he's the man who makes my children feel comfortable cutting their hair, he chats just the right amount for me and is interested in similar things. He rides his bike and enters endurance events. He's a nice lad. Normal. Genuine.

Stage 4 does not have a great prognosis, something he has blogged about himself in My Cancer Journey. He doesn't want to have palliative chemotherapy he wants to get better. There are options, some not available to him in this country, and he is determined to find a way through. This will have associated costs.

I want to help him.

So I've entered this event - a 24 hour track race. Except it's on the day the clocks go back so it's actually a 25 hour track race. And really it's a 100 mile race but I've asked the organiser if I can carry on should I reach 100 miles before 24 hours is up. And he's said yes. Cockbain Events Track 100

I'd like you to sponsor me, of course, but I'd also like you to join me (virtually) on the day for a metre, a mile, an hour or as much as you can spare and share the race far and wide. There will be tracking of sorts, I will update during the race and it will be one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm expecting my updates to decrease in quality as the day goes on! There's nowhere to hide on a track. It's 400 metres around, and around and around. I've never done a track 24 hour race before so this is new ground for me and I'll be giving it my all.

Riley's Round (and round, and round...) will take place on October 24th, starting at 10am. If lockdown conditions prevent me from travelling or racing then I'll find somewhere to run it on my own.

I'd really appreciate you giving what you can and/or sharing as wide as possible to make a real difference to a real person's life.