Cathy Faughey Fitness

Nottingham Personal Trainer

Rear of 3 - 5 Radcliffe Road

West Bridgford

Nottingham

NG2 5FF

07816 584 229

Edinburgh Moonwalk

20-21 June 2009

My team, congregated in Edinburgh in preparation for the Moonwalk, Tara S, Emma, Helen, Lucie, Liz, myself and the woman who got us into this, our Personal Trainer Cathy Faughey.  We’d gone for a military theme so donned combats, war paint and dog tags along with our military styled bras.  We’d been given the heads up that the food provided on the night wouldn’t be fantastic, so off we popped to a well known pasta and pizza parlour to stuff ourselves with carbs to see us through the night ahead.

On arriving at the huge pink tent at Inverleith Park (we could see it from the plane when we arrived).  There were bra decked women and a few men everywhere some in the most fantastic bra designs other more modest with tassels and frill covering up their wobbly bits, but all with the same thought in mind, to raise money for breast cancer research and support.  As the start drew close we were given a pep talks by Nina Baugh (sparkly bra) and Lorraine Kelly (tartan basque) and we all hold hands for a minutes silence before we were called to the starting line.  It was great to finally get started but the enormity of the task ahead hadn’t really sunk in.

We began at midnight at brisk pace.  As we walked through residential areas people were looking out of their windows and waving, one lady stood at the bottom of her garden with tray of cakes for anyone who wanted them, but our eyes were on the target ahead, it still didn’t seem that far!.  We hit the 1 mile marker, cheered and had a photo taken, only 25 more to go.

As we’re going though the city a chap falls out of a bar looking slightly the worst for wear and stands at the sidelines gyrating at the walkers.  One walker takes things into her own hands and squirts water at him a cheer goes up from both the walkers and a small crowd of drinkers that were stood outside the bar.  The damp drinker walked off sullenly.

Mile 2, take 15 minutes off our finish time for a quick loo stop, we’d not been able to go before because of the queues, but better go now rather than risk a longer queue later on.

At Mile 5 things started to get hard, a long hard hill up to Arthur’s seat, but we were still fresh and powered up overtaking people as we went.  Surely this isn’t going to be that bad.

It was around mile 9 when we seemed to tire a little and the distance between mile markers started to get further.

At Mile 11 down the half mooners begin to peel off and take the last 2 miles back to their finish.

Mile 13, the half way point, things are looking up, half way there, no point turning back.  As the sun began to rise over the Forth we walked down hill towards a disco bus, there to entertain us, we could hear it for miles.

At this point Cathy and Liz take a detour to the loo.  We won’t see them again for 6 miles.

So along the coast line as the sun rises.  We seem to be walking for a very long time without any mile markers.  We consider there may not have been anything to fix them too and keep going.  My legs really begin to ache and a jog on the spot for a few steps to relieve the pressure from the walking muscles.  We seem to be walking for an age across this stretch of coast line I’m sure we must be coming up to the 18 mile marker.  In the distance we spot the water stop and just beyond, the marker.  I’m a little short sighted so have to walk a little further before I make out the 16.  My heart sinks, have we really still got 10 miles to go.

The next few miles are hard, we try and keep each other talking but sometimes nothing works are you become fixed in your own little world of pain.  My feet feel red raw, my lower back hurts and my calves are in constant pain.

We pass an older man being helped by one of the crew.  He doesn’t look well.  As we keep walking we hear an ambulance come to pick him up.  We continue along the coast, and spot some toilets with no queue.  A quick dash (ouch – shouldn’t have tried to run, it may use different muscles but I’m on the same feet, in an out – no time lost). And on we go.

Mile 19 Cathy and Liz finally catch up with us again but I’m beginning to think I won’t manage it.  I begin to feel sick. 

By mile 20 I was near my end.  I couldn’t eat, my body was racked with pain.  I was truly at my mental and physical end.  I tried to hide how teary I’d got by putting my sunglasses but the girls all see and quietly being to rally round even though they are all in their own personal hell.  It’s too late to turn back now and there is no way I’m letting my team down or those who’ve sponsored me.  I have no choice I have to keep going.  Tara S offers me a jellybean.

We begin to make our way back though the city.  A lady standing at the bottom of her drive in a silver dressing gown giving words of encouragement as we pass by. Each mile seems to take forever and we’re constantly being overtaken.  Mile 22, we pass just a few yards from our apartment.  This is torture.  Mile 24 the end is in sight, again we take photos at the mile maker and suddenly realise that when you stand still you get dizzy, we’ve been moving for that long it’s like being sea sick.

Mile 25, back through the residential streets, just waiting for the entrance into the park.  Finally it’s there.  And in the distance the 26 mile marker, time for a full team photo we grab the nearest person to take our photo then turn to the finish just yards away.

8 hours 6 minutes and 40 seconds (oh – and take of 15 minutes for that first loo stop).

That’s under 8 hours.

We make our way over to collect our medal and pose for our official finish line photo.

One thing I will remember, the lady sat on her steps at the front of her house, she’d decorated it in pink with ribbons and hats with a note saying thank you.  You only do that when you’ve been directly affected by breast cancer and it’s for people like her that we do this.

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me.  So far I’ve raised £575.01

So, would I do it again?

Never…

say never