I am cycling from Sheffield to Birmingham and back (approx total 160 miles) over two days in aid of the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Why the ****** would you want to do that? I hear you ask.

In an a nutshell, because my friend and colleague Aidan was diagnosed with this horrible disease in 2024 and died not long after. This is a cruel and aggressive cancer and is often not discovered until it's too late.

Screening and treatment for cancer is developing at pace; I hope the money raised by this event can help early diagnosis and give future cancer sufferers more time to enioy life and spend time with the people they love.

Aidan's legacy has been to challenge me to push myself further and go for longer. I'll never be in the same category as Aidan, who would do a full reservoir loop before starting work, but every time I check when the next rain shower is coming so I can work training around it, instead of looking out of the window and letting a wisp of cloud put me off, I feel I've risen to the challenge.

Consistent exercise and me had become strangers since I went back to full time in 2018 after the heady few years of working a 4 day week. Since taking on this challenge, I've pushed myself to stick to a training plan (thanks ChatGPT) and tackle gradients and distances that were previously unthinkable (Sir William Hill Road - eek).

It's taken a village - I've had lots of help from those on and off the ride, safety, trying out cleats, bike fit, pacing, nutrition, I've even been loaned a GPS (which is a wonderful thing). I've got Aidan's old pedals and cleats which feels fitting. Sure, I could have got them for practically the same price new but it's all money going to the Pancreatic Cancer Society's coffers.

The last couple of weeks I've had to take a little break from training due to my own mum's cancer op, which went very well, and I've got some lost time to make up, but I'm feeling *reasonably* confident I can make the full two days without needing to call on Alison, Aidan's widow, in the support car.

You can see my training on https://strava.app.link/Pb5ql9ZF2Tb

Please, if you feel able, donate what you can to help early diagnosis and screening.