tyredbiker – I think your best bet is to start a new thread ‘recommend some long distance rides’
say what your long term goal is and give an indication of how many days ridign you want to do in a few events leadign up to it.
personally, I’d start with a long 1 day ride, then a 2 dayer with an overnight stop and so on to build up a bit. Maybe a weeks touring break somewhere with some hills as well.
It’s going to be down to how much time/budget you have really but start slowly and build up is likely to yield the best results for you.
keep a blog (or just diary, if you’re a private person) of your progress too – will help raise funds if people get involved (see bullheart thread for inspiration) and you *may* find that writing about things helps you come to terms with where you are.
keep posting on here too – there’s lots of people who will help.