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I have just signed up for the challenge,

which means I will be cycling from Scarborough to Blackpool – 176 miles – on

9th- 10th July, with a stop-over in Bradford.

This was a late decision and I didn't start preparing for the event until the
end of May, so as I think you know the ride through Yorkshire and Lancashire
is going to involve a certain amount of discomfort (or, more likely, pain). (I
hadn't ridden on the road since last August and the furthest I've ridden so
far is 75kms to the Club Open 10 (sounds better than 47 miles when you've
got stages of 90 and 86 miles to cover...) so even in optimist mode it's hard
to see this as a gentle leisure ride. (Unless my rather fitter colleagues decide
to push me round, and I'm no seeing much likelihood of that - I think they
subscribe to Nietschzian philosophy - though a few have indicated they'll wait
for me to catch up when I'm dropped - sound familiar?...)

Carrying 30kg over my youthful 60kg racing weight, and on my heavy training
bike (about 13kg, loaded) I think gravity will exact a price going uphill that I
will have to offset on the descents.
.
To make it worth getting really sore legs (hopefully only the legs!), my
colleagues and I will be fundraising for the ‘Hour of Need’ campaign for Marie
Curie. I am personally aiming to raise £200, which will fund 10 hours of nursing
care for a terminally-ill person. This will enable them to spend their final days
in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by the people they love.
If you would like to sponsor me and contribute to this great cause, please
go to my Justgiving page:

http://www.justgiving.com/nigel-scales/

Any donations – big or small – are welcome!
Thanks & regards,
Nigel

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