Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Given that Christmas is going to be a very different entity this year and many will find it difficult, I’ve decided to try and make a difference to people’s lives and mental health, doing what I enjoy doing, and what has a positive affect on my mental health, riding my bike.

My plan is to ride 277 miles on Christmas Day in support of North Staffs Mind, who do amazing work across Staffordshire and who’s funding streams have, like many charities, been massively cut during this difficult year.

Everyone’s mental health has been affected in some way shape or form since lockdown first occurred back on the 23rd March, which is why I feel it important to do what I’m going to attempt, a mile for every day that’s passed from 23rd March to Christmas Day.

The Task: using the Zwift online cycling platform, the challenge will be undertaken on my turbo trainer. I’ve chosen a route on Zwift that I aim to average 20mph for distance, breaking the ride up into several sections. I’ll be looking to take short breaks for food and a change of kit, every 70/80 miles. I’m hoping I’ll complete the distance in around 14 hrs, aiming to keep my heart rate between 120/140bpm; my watts around 180/200 and cadence between 80/90. I’m expecting to burn in excess of 8000 calories, so I’m going to be ‘riding for my dinner’ in the literal sense.

If anyone is able to spare the price of a Christmas card and stamp or a Christmas beer to throw in the pot, it would make such a huge difference to many people’s lives, given that funding is not received from the central Mind charity, all monies have to be generated independently.

I appreciate it’s a massive ask for donations at this time of the year, and if it’s not possible I completely understand, there’s no pressure whatsoever.

Please share this page and any links far and wide so hopefully we might be able to raise awareness of support people can access (even if it’s through a different local Mind charity) and maybe some pennies.

Thanks for reading and I hope some of you might be able to join me for a few miles on Zwift, or in the planned zoom meetings/Facebook live sessions on the day. Keep an eye out on social media for links and updates. 

@BigMigWilloman on Twitter/Instagram/Strava.

Best wishes.

Ride on 🚴‍♂️💨.

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