So I was just reading BostonDevil's thread (go BD! 26.2!!) and realized that I signed up for a charity bike ride last week and this would be a good forum for advice.

I am cycling 64 miles on July 13, and am starting from an embarrassing fitness level. I ran the London Marathon three years ago, but haven't done any exercise in the last 18 months. My first tentative bike ride was this weekend - and it was hard. A trip that was a good warm-up two years ago knocked me over. I have never biked more than 15 or so miles in a trip, so I am a little bit concerned about the distance.

Any advice from the board? Training regimen, hardware options (I currently have a 10 year-old Mountain Bike), tactics for the day of, fund raising schemes? - any help would be great.

Exiled