How I came to be involved....In October last year, I bumped into a friend in the school car park who was holding an application form for the Playtex Moonwalk the following May. I'd seen the odd news item in the past - women in decorated bras at night - but I didn't really know much about it. In fact, it is a marathon power walk - some 26.2 miles - through the streets of London at night time in aid of 'Walk the Walk' - a grant making charity that raises funds in the fight against breast cancer.
1 in 8 women will be affected ....
The moonwalk has become an iconic event - perhaps because so many people's lives have been touched by this dreadful disease. My friend had lost her own mum to breast cancer may years ago. She and a small group of others from school were applying to enter as a team and she asked, perhaps almost as an afterthought, whether I might be interested in doing it at all?
To walk or not to walk...
I am not particularly sporty, but I had a good long think about it. I have the sort of body that lends itself to walking well. But 26.2 miles is a long way. A very long way. I knew that, at a push, I could do 13 miles with no training at all - my family had walked around Bewl Water recently - so we knew that distance. After a week or so, I made the decision to enter the event. I got a printed application form from my local running shop (I have one) and sent it off to the 'Walk the Walk' head office in Woking.
December: confirmations start to arrive...
Weeks later (was it December?) the confirmations started to arrive through the post. I received mine: I was in! But my friend and the 4 others who applied to be part of the school team had not secured a place. This was a real disappointment.
A Problem....
Even though my friend's application must have arrived at Head Office some full 2 weeks before my own, I was allocated a place and she was not. For any future potential moonwalkers out there, I think the way it works is like this. Each method of entry has an allocation of places and once they are used up, they are used up.
Many ways to enter: does each way have a separate allocation of numbers?
There are many ways to enter the moonwalk - you can sign up to receive an email when the event opens for entrants - and presumably do an online application. You can download a form (for a short while) and then send it off. You can get a pre-allocated form from a variety of sports and bra shops. You can be part of the Telegraph entry which secures a separate 1000 places for some of its lucky readers. My friend and the rest of the mums/teachers from school had downloaded a form, I think. They sent it off promptly - ie with a few days. I, on the other hand, had waited about 10 days to get my in-store entry form, and had taken another week to send it off. I got a place; my friends did not. I could be wrong on my analysis of how the application system works, but it's the only explanation I can think of.
Very upsetting - but time to get on with it.....
It sounds like a small thing, but at the time it was very upsetting. I was upset for my friend because I knew she wanted to do the walk so much. The Moonwalk team do not allow you to 'gift' or swap your place to someone else legitimately - there must be very good reasons for this. But I would have gladly given my place away to my friend. I think we all felt that the mechanics of the application process could have been better explained but, at the end of the day, it was time to put it behind us. Walk the Walk is an extremely worthwhile charity and it was now time to get on with the training.
Walking alone....
Walking alone....
It was at about this point in the process that I realised I would probably be walking on my own on the night - which was very different to what I had first envisaged.
The London Marathon Store....
My lovely husband took me up to Covent Garden to the London Marathon Store: a small, very-well-stocked shop that specialises in every little thing you might need if you're going to walk or run long distance events. They sold me a pair of Kayano-Gel running shoes - top of the range - about £110.00 (a shocking sum) which were about 2 whole sizes larger than my normal shoe size (men's shoes too). They felt like clown's shoes: large and ridiculous. The Moonwalk team support New Balance trainers - designed for walking - and with bright pink laces - they are cheaper to buy and about £2 from every shoe goes to support the charity. Unfortunately, they didn't come in my size.
Miracle Shoes Cured My Back Problem.....
We took the advice of the staff in the shop (who run themselves) and I can confidently say that those shoes were the best thing I ever bought. They needed to be that big and they have been superbly comfortable all thru training. They also, incidently, seem to have resolved a niggling long term back problem which reared its head intermittently or whenever we had long car journeys. Put simply, the podiatry inserts that are an inherent part of this shoe have completely realigned my feet and also, therefore, my knees, hips and back. I don't have a back problem any more: amazing.
The Moonwalk Training Schedule.....
The moonwalk team provide you with a training schedule which you can download from their website. I spent November thru Feb getting generally fit thru walking longer distances (up to 8 miles) and from about Feb, I started to follow their 12 week plan. I was pretty diligent about it: doing what they suggested, when they suggested it.
Worked Brilliantly....
I have to say that this plan worked brilliantly for me. I came to realise that the days off are just as important as the training days. I didn't exercise too much too soon and neither did I omit to do the longer runs. I just did what they said and it worked. Fabulously.
A real high after those long runs...
I was particularly thrilled with being able to achieve those longer training walks - the 16 miles and the 20 miles - I ached dreadfully afterwards - but it was a good 'dreadful'. I felt really good even when I was aching. I really felt as though I had achieved something that previously I thought I could never do.
Pretty grimy business....The longer training walks got pretty grimy: here are some pics after
the 16 and 20 mile walks along the Downs Link bridleway (I started off in pristine condition by the way!):
the 16 and 20 mile walks along the Downs Link bridleway (I started off in pristine condition by the way!):
Recovery periods got shorter....
I noticed as well that the recovery periods seemed to be getting shorter - even though the walks themselves were extending beyond what I thought I could ever do. In short, I never felt really bad after a training run, on the contrary - I felt on a high.
Meeting Denise.... 
When you start the serious training - you start to see lots of moonwalkers everywhere - its a radar thing and you come to recognise them and, after a while, talking to complete strangers becomes normal. It's like belonging to a lovely local club. Except you know that ladies all over the country are out there training for this huge event. Sometimes it's the pink laces, or the fact they are out on the very same days you are, looking equally exhausted, or some other thing. This is particularly true after the London Marathon is finished - the streets are empty from those trainers and what's left generally tends to be the moonwalkers.
When you start the serious training - you start to see lots of moonwalkers everywhere - its a radar thing and you come to recognise them and, after a while, talking to complete strangers becomes normal. It's like belonging to a lovely local club. Except you know that ladies all over the country are out there training for this huge event. Sometimes it's the pink laces, or the fact they are out on the very same days you are, looking equally exhausted, or some other thing. This is particularly true after the London Marathon is finished - the streets are empty from those trainers and what's left generally tends to be the moonwalkers. I met Denise by accident really in my local M&S where she works - she was doing the Moonwalk too and had gotten a place via the Telegraph entry. We quickly discovered that we walked at very different speeds so although we didn't walk together much, we kept each other company with regular emails and phone calls and the odd coffee together. It was really lovely to have the company, to swap notes and ideas and problems. The day before the Moonwalk we had a celebration lunch (it felt like a real achievement to have gotten that far) and on the day we went up early together and kept each other company before the start and by phone during the walk. When I met Denise I had the strongest sense that she would finish this thing - even though she had done nothing like it before - she was quietly committed and determined about it.
More Unexpected Nice Things.....
The training schedule is a real chunk out of family time - especially at the weekends and particularly during the last month - you can't just fit it in in a hour or so. One of the really lovely things to come out of this experience is how much I enjoyed walking with my son who is 12. Spending 1, 2 or 3 hours out with the purpose of walking is a lovely thing to do - conversations flowed easily and I can thoroughly recommend it! Later, when the distance became really too much, my lovely husband rigged up various cycling kits which let the whole family (daughter 8, son 12 and husband) keep me company. They were so supportive - particularly Richard.
Estimated Completion Time....
When you complete your application form way back in October, one of the things they ask is what your estimated completion time will be. Hmmm.....I hadn't a clue. I didn't want to write the wrong thing. I didn't think it would matter particularly and, as I recall, there was no particular explanation on the form as to why they wanted that info. I think there were 4 categories - something like under 6 hours, 6-7 hours, 7-8 hours and 8+ hours. I debated for a second or two, but given it had taken the family 5 hours to walk around the reservoir at Bewl Water (13 miles), I thought I had better be safe and put down 8+ hours. In reality I had no idea what my normal walking speed would be, nor how I would respond to training.
Pink Walker Number Arrives....
A few weeks before the event, my pink walker number arrived together with a generous pack of goodies. I had underestimated what my bra size would be, so unfortunately I couldn't use the one they sent to me but I was able to give it to Denise (they didn't send hers thru - an admin problem) - so at least the one I did get got some use. About 10 days before the event I received my final pack which showed the route and various other bits of key info.
Colour Groups = Speed Groups = Staggered Start Times.....
A further final pack came thru about 10 days before the event itself. What I hadn't realised until this final pack came thru was that the runners had been put into colour groups: pink, yellow, green and orange - all starting at different times. Because I had selected the 8+ estimated time category on my application form all those months ago, I had been allocated to the 'pink' group - the slowest group - which was also the last to start and which would automatically be behind 12,000 other walkers. My training plan had gone really well. Really really well. I had completed my 20 mile walk (actually some 20.5 miles) in 4 hours 55 minutes. I was really upset to find out I had been placed in the pink group.
Natural Walking Rhythm.....
It's not at all a competitive thing, nor about wishing to complete the event in a certain time: it's about your natural walking pace. All my training had been premised upon the belief that I could walk at whatever was my natural pace. As it turned out, this was just quicker than 4 miles an hour and something I could sustain without damage and with relative ease.
It's really hard to describe for anyone who hasn't done this sort of thing, and perhaps it doesn't matter to most people, but for me, certainly, it does matter. I have a rhythm and I need to stick to it. I think your body gets used to walking in a certain way - an economy of movement; the use of energy; using your muscles and soft tissue in a certain way etc. etc.
It's really hard to describe for anyone who hasn't done this sort of thing, and perhaps it doesn't matter to most people, but for me, certainly, it does matter. I have a rhythm and I need to stick to it. I think your body gets used to walking in a certain way - an economy of movement; the use of energy; using your muscles and soft tissue in a certain way etc. etc.
Pavement Walk....
When I found out about the groupings, just 10 days before the event, I was really upset that just because I made an inaccurate guess on the application form some 6 months before, I would now be stuck behind 12,000 other walkers many of whom would be walking a good deal more slowly than me. Because the Moonwalk is a pavement walk, there is really no way to get around that number of walkers nor to have the space to walk at your normal speed amongst them.
Rules ....
I explained the situation to Walk the Walk and asked if they would change my grouping. They were very sympathetic, but refused to change the group. I decided to just calm down about the whole thing and try to start at the front of the pink group. It was what it was and the main purpose of the evening was for charity and not for me, so I had to get on with it.
By now, I was really looking forward to the event.
2 weeks to go: I got 'flu......
I have come to realise that completing the moonwalk (particularly the full marathon) is dependent on so many things - mainly staying well - not just near the event, but for most of the months of training before the event too. On Monday 7th May I came down with a really yukky viral bug. Just 2 days after my 20 mile training success and I felt truly dreadful.
I have come to realise that completing the moonwalk (particularly the full marathon) is dependent on so many things - mainly staying well - not just near the event, but for most of the months of training before the event too. On Monday 7th May I came down with a really yukky viral bug. Just 2 days after my 20 mile training success and I felt truly dreadful.
Hot and cold sweats....
After all that hard work over months and months and months, I was in danger of not being able to do this whole thing just because of a stupid bug. Every time I thought I was feeling better, I would drop like a stone the next day. Hot and cold sweats, desperate headaches, ear aches, the lot. I spent most of my time in bed; my lovely husband did everything that I couldn't - including taking days off work to try to let me rest and get well and have the best chance of being able to walk on the 19th.
3 Days to Go......
Just 3 days before the event, on Wednesday 16th May, after a day of feeling well, I woke up to yet another awful headache and felt dire again. Got dosed up on paracetamol and tried to rest. This was the first time it genuinely crossed my mind that, after all this preparation, I may not be able to do the moonwalk.
On Thursday 17th I felt 100 times better and on Friday 18th somewhat better again. Good enough to have a well-earned lunch with Denise. I had not been able to do any of the prep for the moonwalk that is scheduled for the last 2 weeks before the event, but I felt well enough to go along, to start and to see what might happen. I am sensible enough to have pulled out if I felt really unwell or in danger.
Saturday 19th May - THE BIG DAY ARRIVES.....
The day had arrived. I felt very well but poor Richard had started to come down with my flu bug and asked if I minded very much if he didn't come up to London on Sunday to see me finish. I was very disappointed - I wanted the children to see, but I also knew exactly how dreadful he felt so I could hardly complain.
Picked up Denise and travelled to London....
Richard was kind enough (but probably not well enough) drive Denise and I to Gatwick Airport train station so we could travel to London. He had previously booked a hotel near to Hyde Park where we could chill out in the hours before the event, relax, use the pool. We had also thought he could come up later use the hotel with the kids before coming to see me finish - but now the plans had changed as he was unwell. Lots of hugs and good lucks and good byes and we got our bags and travelled up on the Gatwick Express to Victoria and then got in a black cab to the Hotel.
Playtex City....
It was really exciting to finally be on our way - after all that training - all those months and months. Although I still had a bit of a chesty cough, I felt reams better than the previous 2 weeks and I was so glad of that. Denise and I spent lots of time talking on the train and looking at the Moonwalk Route Map - trying to work out key landmarks: Big Ben at 4 miles, the Globe at 8, Saying Goodbye to the Half-Marathoners near Westminster, Harrods at around 17. We knew we could do 17 - and quite comfortably too: we had done it more than 3 times already. The taxi took us by Hyde Park where we got our first glimpse of the amazing 'Playtex City'. Walk the Walk had a completely sectioned off area in Hyde Park that only volunteers and moonwalkers were allowed into. Inside of that there was a giant pink tent - Wow! This picture doesn't really do it justice: it's huge - capable of housing 16,000 people comfortably. Denise and I spent a couple of hours chilling at the hotel before getting kitted up and walking down thru Hyde Park - milling amongst the many thousands of people making their way to Playtex City for about 7:30 pm.
Good People Gathered to do Good Things....It's really hard to describe the atmosphere as we arrived: expectant, perfect weather, steel drums, silly outfits, but just so overwhelmingly positive. Thousands and thousands of people: mostly women, but some dedicated men.
It was almost like a mini carnival or party. Normally with those sorts of numbers there's some tension - people aggravated in queues or cross about some thing or other. I have to say there was absolutely none of that.
Playtex City was just stuffed full of good people gathered to do good things and the atmosphere was utterly amazing. Happy, excited, silly, forgiving, helpful, pleasant. Shortly after arriving Denise decided to go to the loo and walked straight in - none of the expected queues! After coming out we both realised that actually there had been a huge queue which she had unknowingly walked straight by. No one was cross. It was just a mistake.
Best Costumes......
There were some amazing sights inside Playtex City. 2 stand out in my memory - sadly I don't have photos. A group of about 5 boys aged 13. All wearing padded bras, decorated and silly. They were so young they looked like girls. What was so great about them was their confidence. I doubt I could persuade my nearly-13 year old into such an outfit. But this superb group of boys were entirely happy and confident - not silly, not embarrassed, not over exuberant - just there to walk the 1/2 marathon, there to do a job and perfectly happy and confident to stand around in silly decorated bras - well done you lot - you were absolutely brilliant.
The most outstanding bras I saw were two ladies who had 2 mini-silver-tinsel-christmas trees stuck to each boob. Pointing out horizontally complete with white fairy lights. Lovely. Just lovely.
Hot food, massage, bag store, fake Elvis' everywhere and some one from DIY SOS.....
I have to say that, inside Playtex City, the whole event was organised superbly well. The volunteers were amazing. Imagine preparing 15,500 hot meals for all those walkers - they did it and those meals were absolutely fine. There were plenty of loos - you really didn't have to queue a great deal, a place to store your bag, free space blankets & weather protectors, bands, comedians....Denise and I decided to get a free massage shortly before the warm up began at about 10.30pm. There was a short queue. The lady who gave me a lovely neck and shoulder massage had been going for about 6 hours - I must have been one of her last walkers - she must have been exhausted - but she was still cheery and lovely and supportive.
Lots of texts, cards and messages of support...
On the days leading up to the event and during the night itself it was really lovely to receive so many messages of support from friends.
Warm-up....
At about 10:40 pm we were all invited to join in the largest warm-up in the world for a Guiness Book of Records attempt. It was pretty difficult to see or have room - but it didn't matter too much.
Shortly afterwards, walkers with Orange Numbers were invited to the Start Line to join Nina Barough and a group of others, to gather ready to be the first group of about 3,500 to start their 'full moons' or 'half moon' walks.Richard Drives Up with the Kids....
At some point during the evening, Richard decided to drive all the way up to London with the kids - despite feeling really unwell - to book into that hotel at Hyde Park after all. Both children had been really upset that, after all the training, they weren't going to see me finish. It's a real credit to Richard that he just gritted his teeth and somehow got them up there. They hardly slept at all.
Waving Denise off...
The orange group started at 11pm, the green group started at 11.20 and at 11.40 I said good bye and good luck to Denise who was in the yellow group. Health and safety meant that each batch of runners needed to be separated by about 20 minutes.....
At the front of the pink group.....
The weather was perfect but by 11.40 I was a little cold. I think I had under dressed - I had my decorated bra, my sleeveless t-shirt and a thin Ron Hill walker's jacket, but I was starting to feel cold. I decided it would be a good idea to start at the front of the pink group so I stayed outside after I said goodbye to Denise. Nina was in a raised box at the start line giving out last minute advice and helping to entertain the group together with 2 Elvis', a comedienne, a singer and that chap from DIY SOS. Several thousand walkers arrived into the final 'pen' before we were allowed out at midnight. I was in about the 3rd row from the front. I must admit by that stage I was cold and just wanted to start. I was in a good position and when I looked behind me I couldn't believe the swarms of people - thousands - I was so glad to be at the front.
Waiting that final 20 minutes......
I just wanted to go, but so did everyone. The entertainers at the microphone did their best to keep everyone entertained in the time that we were obliged (probably by the police) to wait before we were allowed to start. Lots of singing. Lots of pictures. Good spirits despite the fact everyone was more than ready to go. We all got mildly impatient and did a 25 second countdown instead of a 10 second one...finally we were off..
A couple of miles thru the parks......
A cyclist led us walkers at the front. I'd say there was a group of about 15-20 walkers at the front, perhaps staggered over about 50 yards, all walking following that cyclist. It seems my fears had been unfounded: there was plenty of space to move and walk. The pace was a little fast for me, esp. given my recent flu, but I was determined to keep up and not be swamped or cramped.
Mile Markers, Volunteers, Bands, Route....
Denise and I had a mild panic in the evening: how would we know where to go? Actually it's easy - follow the walkers - or, if you're at the front, there are volunteers at every single point where you need to cross a road or take a turning. There are also huge boards marking the route and huge boards to indicate every mile marker. This part of the moonwalk is incredibly well organised.
Walking in the dark....
It's an obvious thing to say but we were walking in the pitch black. Some parts of the early walk were completely safe - the parks are wide and flat. Some parts of the pavement are well lit. But many are not. In many, many places the excellent WTW organisation had key volunteers standing in such a way as to shield and warn us of potential hazards - uneven pavements, road works, steps etc..
But despite that, there were many hours where it was actually quite difficult to see exactly where your feet were going - you really had to concentrate hard - there were many obstacles or potential hazards that could have caused dreadful injuries or accidents. I hadn't really anticipated what walking in the dark would entail. The concentration needed was sometimes exhausting and it was not easy to see and look out for every hazard.
A sudden halt, then it was like doing a marathon amongst the Christmas Shoppers in Oxford Street....all the way....
After a few miles (really not very many - perhaps less than 1 hour); after we had moved off the luxurious and spacious park paths and had been squished onto the very small pavements we suddenly hit a stop. There were thousands of people immediately behind and thousands immediately in front. There was no where to go.
It eventually became apparent that the stop was for a large road crossing. The police and volunteers were superb on the night - they really took care of us. But we had crossed roads before. Why so many people? Then I looked down and realised the problem. We had, already, bumped into the tail of the yellow group who had left some 20 minutes before us.
From that moment on, I can only describe the whole event as attempting to walk a marathon amongst the Christmas shoppers in Oxford street. It was bloody hard.
With hindsight: I had a bad race....
With the benefit of hindsight, I now know that I had a bad walk. Really, really bad. Miles 13 thru 21 were the hardest miiles I have ever walked. Miles 22 to 26 were pretty bad aswell. I can normally walk anything up to 16 miles, and even 20 without difficulty: it's a stretch, but I would normally feel really good about it. The moonwalk wasn't like that.
Why so bad?
I don't know why. It could be that I was recovering from 'flu. It could be that I was walking all through the night. It could be that squishing 15,500 walkers on to the London pavements doesn't work particularly well - I will never really know. Most likely - it is a combination of all those things.
At about 12 miles...
At the time, when we crossed (was it the?) Albert Bridge (mile 12?) to get on the north side of the river, I was feeling unusually tired - and I had allowed myself to become cold - a BIG mistake. I didn't really understand quite what a state I was in until after the event - but it was very low. By about mile 17 I think I was aware that things weren't going well. I was fairly overwhelmed by emotion and felt very tearful indeed. The general ambience of walkers around me was tired and much quieter than at the start, but most people seemed more resilient than I felt.
My fingers felt the cold strongly.....
Once again I hadn't realised how cold I had become. The birds started singing at about 4:10 am and it was daylight by about 4:50. There were very small queues for the loos - so I needn't have worried about that in advance! At some point before mile 18 I think we rejoined the river side again and I was feeling pretty desperate. The odd person around me had stopped - taken off shoes and were attending to blisters. They looked fairly defeated and I wondered whether they would ever finish.
WTW Estate Cars picking up those who couldn't go on.....
I was aware of the WTW estate cars touring the route (emblazoned with the bra logo) and stopping to pick up those who wished to drop out or could carry on no more to take them back to the park. It didn't really occur to me to give up. Whatever thoughts passed thru my mind, the idea of giving up wasn't pressing on me as an option at all.
Giving up not an option...
This is not because I possessed a stoiical wish to finish, no matter what. It just wasn't part of my thought processes. I remember working towards the 20 mile marker because, psychologically, I knew that I could do that because I had in my training. At about 18 miles, I realised slowly that this was nothing like any of my training runs and that I was unlikely to feel better.
This is not because I possessed a stoiical wish to finish, no matter what. It just wasn't part of my thought processes. I remember working towards the 20 mile marker because, psychologically, I knew that I could do that because I had in my training. At about 18 miles, I realised slowly that this was nothing like any of my training runs and that I was unlikely to feel better.
To finish or not to finish: does it matter?
If I had an overriding thought during those difficult hours, it was that there was absolutely no difference between finishing and not finishing. That if, in the future, someone had told me that they'd started the moonwalk marathon and gotten to 17 miles or 21 miles or some other figure before giving up, I would still think the same of them: ie what they had achieved was absolutely marvellous. I still think that.
When you have finished and return to civilisation - the key thing people ask is whether you finished/made it/did it. For simplicity's sake, I am glad that I can answer 'Yes', but that is all. It is helpful not to have to spend the rest of my life saying 'I nearly completed a marathon, but....'. But that's it - helpful, simpler, but no more than that.
I honestly think that, in particular with the moonwalk - which is very hard, - anyone who goes out there and walks more than 13 miles has done a fantastic thing. On the night I was overwhelmed with how silly the idea of whether or not I got to this arbitary figure of 26.2 miles was.
A silly idea keeps me walking...
OK - so I was unusually tired, very emotional and full of philosophical ideas to debate for the future about the nonsensical nature of marathon distances - but I figured out that I needed something to keep me walking. My feet hurt: once again this was very unusual.
From somewhere - who knows where - I had the idea to mentally recite my times tables. Starting from one. It should give you some idea of the mental state I was in - and so very cold - that I was aware I was making mistakes - even with my ones and twos. So I decided that every time I knew I was making a mistake, I would force myself to go back to the start. This simple activity, together with trying to clench fists to warm my hands, somehow, by some miracle, kept my feet walking to about mile 21.
Mars bar at mile 21....
My 8 year old daughter had stuffed a mini mars bar into my bum bag the day before. I wouldn't normally have that sort of thing, but at about mile 21 I managed to drag it out, stuff it in my mouth and put clear plastic weather protector over me. By about mile 22 we were back in the parks and my real low point was over.
Fantastic Volunteer Crew & Ladies Falling Hard off pavements.....
Volunteers were placed at regular strategic points along the route. They spent all night out in the cold helping us, cheering us, keeping up spirits, offering information and practical advice - sometimes physically shielding us from hazards, telling us where to turn or where to cross the road - even using themselves to block out the traffic. They were real heroes on the night.
On lady - who was perhaps in her late 50s - and quite small - physically intervened when a drunk became loud and agressive near a pub in the early hours. He launched in amongst us and she was so outraged on our behalf that - even though he was much taller - she just put out her arms to pen him in and somehow protected us and got him to calm down - later assisted by another male volunteer. That lady was absolutely amazing. All the volunteers did a tremendous job.
As the night drew on and morning rose many ladies had really sometimes quite hard slips and falls and tumbles off pavement curbs and onto the road. One tall lady fell particularly hard when caught out by a particularly steep curb in an island in the middle of the road. She stayed down for a long time. There was a collective gasp from the walkers but no one had the energy to stop and pick her up. I felt dreadful about that. We were some distance from the nearest volunteers.
Miles 22 to 26.2....
Miles 22 to 26.2 were still really hard, but we were back in the luxurious space of the parks and somehow those times tables had taken the edge of my emotions. The space in the parks was such a luxury.
Telephoned Richard at mile 17....
I had telephoned Richard in the hotel at about mile 17 - I didn't really know what I was doing by that point and he said that it was about 4:45 in the morning. I asked him to calculate (because I could not!) what time I would be back in Hyde Park and to meet me there with the kids. I called Richard at about mile 22 to let him know where I was. From then on in we were in regular phone contact.
Back in the parks: a boost....
Richard and the kids met me at about mile 25 and Harry took a few pictures and scratchy video snips on our little camera. The smiles are hysterical not happy. My feet hurt, but the weather protector had done its job and I was relatively warm. I had slowed to a painful pace - but somehow just being in the parks gave me a boost. I did not feel good at any point, but somehow the worst of that low, emotional feeling had gone. Richard and the kids walked and talked with me until I entered Playtex City at precisely 7:31. At one point I blurted out, very tearily 'I'm fine, it's just a long way'. Very embarrassing. 
Only walkers allowed back into Playtex City...
I said to Richard to wait on the right of the finish line and I would come to meet him after I had collected my medal and stowed bag. I nearly cried when I realised the only way out of Playtex City was at the back which meant I would have to walk all the way around the outside to join up with him again. In the confusion of meeting up I had given Richard my phone, which meant I couldn't phone him to arrange something else.
22 miles? In Hyde Park or St. James'...... 
The finish in sight...
Winners medal, utterly exhausted.....
Poor Denise's feet....
These pictures are just a few hours after the event. She suffered something like a burns injury. The blisters on her lower calf were just the start - more large blisters appeared over the next few days like the ones pictured but much larger. Denise finished her moonwalk at about 8:am. Fantastic! 
Why we do it.... When you enter the moonwalk, the organisers ask you to raise at least £100. So many kind people sponsored me that I was able to raise in excess of £600.00 - thank you so much to all those people. The event is set to raise about £6 million this year, which is an astonishing sum of money for a night's work! I am really proud to have been a part of that.
These funds will help to ensure that our daughters do not have to live in fear of this hideous disease.
