Day 1 - 279 days to go

Hi,

Welcome to my blog, detailing all there is to know about my charity bike ride to Vietnam in November 2008.

This post will be quite long so I can tell you what I am doing and why. Future posts will be shorter. Feel free to add comments & suggestions for both fundraising and training - all help greatfully recieved.

I work in an office doing a job that I really enjoy, and I also do life coaching when I'm not at work. I don't really consider the coaching to be work as I really love helping people to discover their inner strengths, so it's a total pleasure to do.

I decided a few years ago that I really wanted to be able to

a) travel to unusual places, and
b) raise money to help others who faced difficulty in their lives

Like everyone, I've faced some challenges from time to time. Times when there hasn't been enough money to pay all the bills, or when I've had to compromise some of those things that many people consider normal such as a holiday or a new car. But, I've always had a roof over my head, clean clothes and enough food to eat for myself and my family. I am lucky to have a network of family and friends and we all help each other out from time to time.

So many people living in the community around us however don't even have those basic needs. Somewhere in their life they've been dealt a bad hand and have not found themselves able to get the support they need to pull themselves up and lead a happy life.

I simply cannot comprehend what it must be like to carry all your belongings with you each day from place to place, wondering if you'll find somewhere warm to sleep, or what you'll eat. Relying on charity from strangers, who to be fair are not always that charitable.

What I can understand though is how for some, drink or drugs is the only way to numb the pain and enable them to go on each day. Of course, then it's a vicious circle, and it becomes even more difficult to climb on out.

I am lucky to know a number of caring individuals who either voluntarily or through their work, are thrying to make a little difference to the lives of these people. They do it through their actions, maybe by actively searching for rough sleepers at night and taking food and sleeping bags to them, or by working for charities and community organisations to help those who decide that they want their lives to change.

One such organsation in Portsmouth is CENTRAL POINT. They are a registered charity and part of the larger mental health charity RETHINK (reg charity no 271028).

CENTRAL POINT provides many services for single homeless people in the Portsmouth area. In addition to daily hot meals, they can get a shower there, visit a GP, get advice and access to many services. For those that start to get back on their feet, they have a rent deposit scheme, and will also help out with food and toiletry packages for when they find their own accommodation. They are also the local distributor for the Big Issue.

Council funding for local services such as this is always one of those that gets cut back, and so I want to raise as much money as I can to make sure that their future is as secure as it can be.

So what am I planning to do?

I am embarking on the biggest challenge of my life to date, and for me the trip of a lifetime. It's the first of my list of 100 things to do before I die, so I expect to be very busy for the next 50 years or so.

I am gong to cycle 700km through North Vietnam for 10 straight days. This is a beautiful part of the country, very green and hilly. I can't wait to meet the people and experience the unique culture of Vietnam.

I am a keen cyclist, although I confess that the furthest I have ever cycled before is 96km (60 miles) and I thought I was going to die when I did that. The longest day on the Vietnam trip is 121 km (75 miles) - I'm relying on the awsome scenery to take my mind off the distance. Also I've never cycled any distance for more than one day before. My average summer rides at home are around 65km (40 miles) on a good day, and they are flat. I think I've got to do a lot of training over the next few months.

Hopefully along the way I've lose a dress size too. I love food, hate dieting, so this would be a fantastic bonus for me.

I think you've had to read enough now.

Wish me luck and dig deep and sponser me.

Marcia x