Earlier this year I decided to follow my wife Inga out to Thailand. This was her 2nd trip volunteering with WVS and the 1st time I was able to come along and actually have a proper volunteering role. 

Volunteering at a dog shelter was something I had never imagined myself doing and the biggest surprise to me was how rewarding it was. I fitted right into the role and formed some great relationships with the dogs, the Thai staff and also the other volunteers. 

I vowed there and then that I'd be back and hopefully next time I could so more to raise funds and awareness for the charity. 

Anyone who knows me knows full well I don't do things by half measures and since my marathon legs were starting to fail me, I thought I would turn my hand to cycling. 

So who needs a plane, a bus or a train to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? Not me! 

Challenges are not meant to be easy but I know I will have a couple oh hundred happy dogs smiling back at me when I arrive in Hang Dong on the 9th January. Once the cycle is completed, I'll be staying on for 3 weeks to volunteer at the shelter again.