In the beginning

So 6 months into my training I've decided to go on-line and record my thoughts and travails as I prepare for my cycle ride from one end of Great Britain to the other, that's Land's End to John O'Groats.

Being a thrill seeking mountain biker I was dismissive of the fun of road cycling until two bouts of major eye surgery limited my off road opportunities. A casual conversation with a friend in the car park of my local Tesco sowed the seeds that I could stay on a bike by crossing to the dark side however.

A world of lycra beckoned. I borrowed a bike over Christmas, laboured for a few miles but enjoyed it. Having obtained permission from she who must be obeyed off I trot to Evans cycles (http://www.evanscycles.com/) in the sales and return with a brand new Scott Speedster S20 .

A carbon fibre and aluminium dream which compared to my hefty old Marin(s) goes like a rocket. A gazelle to my hippos.

Anyhow I am now building up a collection of lycra and nobody can tell me that men look good in the stuff. But it does the business.

I'm doing the ride 4th through 15th September 2007 and I have decided to raise money for FSID in memory of my wife's son, who died of cot death in December 1997 and as a tribute to her fortitude in not only overcoming that, but also in bringing up a family and getting herself in to University to study for a nursing degree.

You can sponsor me here: (http://www.justgiving.com/craigmorrisfsid)

More details of my training will come. I've just hit the 1000 miles mark and finally bought a cycle computer. You can see some of my training routes on map my ride (http://www.mapmyride.com/) by searching for Warwick, UK.

Yesterday I rode 72km over the three biggest hills in Warwickshire (I think), Burton Dasset, Edge Hill & Loxley Hill and survived. My next benchmark is a 160km epic at the weekend. Watch this space! Thanks to everyone who has supported me. I am grateful.