Saturday
**D-Day**
The alarm was set for 03:45 to give me enough time to shower, dress and have some breakfast. As it was, I couldn't face anything to eat at such an early hour so I packed a roll to eat on the coach. We drove to Bournemouth, parked the car and walked the 10-15 minutes to Bournemouth Coach Station. We had never travelled by National Express before, so this would be an eye-opener. We still weren't sure whether we had made the right decision....after all, sitting on a coach for 13 hours before walking all through the night, didn't seem very sensible. But it was far more sensible than driving up ourselves - I was amazed at how many good friends had text me to say how relieved they were to hear we were taking the coach, rather than driving. I'm a bit "Howard Hughes" when it comes to sharing spaces with lots of people....I don't really like crowds and I dislike buses because everyone seems to be either coughing, sneezing or forcing their private lives onto me (ie. having to listen to their music, their headphones or worse, their mobile phone conversations).
The coach was punctual and arrived at 05:30. We changed at Victoria, London and headed across the road to Departures and Gate 14 where we were to catch the 09:00 to Edinburgh. We spent an hour or so sitting by Gate 14, people watching, buying a few snacks for the journey and having our last wee until Scotland - 30 PENCE EACH!!! Although the coaches have a loo, it really is a place for emergency wee breaks....I really wouldn't recommend using them. This meant that I had to limit what I ate and drank.....we had no control over where we stopped and my biggest fear was needing the toilet and being hours from being able to pull into a services stop. *shudder*. So I didn't eat much apart from my breakfast roll and four or five hours later, a cheese roll. I knew I would be eating our pre-prepared pasta when we got to the Moonwalk itself, so would be able to take on the necessary carbs then.
We stopped off at five locations on the way up and finally arrived in Edinburgh Coach Station at 18:35. It was a heavy drizzle and the hotel where we were meeting up with Ellie and Ray (our team mates) was about 2.5 miles away. Normally, we would have walked. But a cab seemed more sensible!
Another friend of ours, Alison and her two daughters had driven over to see us and they were already in the bar when we got there. I was grateful for the Lime & Soda - I remembered then, that I had hardly drank anything throughout the journey today.
Soon it was time to get ready. Ellie, with the help of her mum and aunty, had made the most awesome outfits for us to wear. The Edinburgh Moonwalk's theme for this year was "Moulin Rouge" and our bras and tutus were stunning in red, black, gemstones, sequins and the best bit of all.......flashing fairy lights sewn just beneath a layer of opaque gold fabric. We were all really excited to try them on.
Now......we've known Ellie and Ray for a while and have had the pleasure of staying with them on quite a few occasions now. But nothing could beat us all getting undressed in front of each other and showing off our bras, playing with the fairy light sequences and taking lots of pictures :-) Fantastic!
I quickly wondered whether I should try going to the loo before heading off to Inverleith Park....but the clock was ticking and it was time we needed to head off. I can't 'perform' if I know there's a deadline!
We arrived in good time....the huge tent was already very busy and the first couple of hours were spent finding the PR photographer for official shots of us and then having a most amazing back and neck massage....a huge team of masseurs were providing the services and it was such a good idea. I was told I had loads of knots in my shoulders and neck from the coach trip, so he kneaded them all out and I felt a lot easier afterwards.
Lots of people were tucking into the pre-prepared pasta or rice dishes that were being served up. Perhaps it was a mixture of nerves and excitement, but to me, that just didn't look or smell appetising, so I refrained from having any - as did my team mates. Ian and I had brought along a dish of tomato based wheatfree pasta, but I was then wondering whether eating an hour before the Moonwalk would play up my digestive system, so I didn't bother eating. This was probably the biggest mistake I could have made. More of this below...
We had been standing in the tent for the best part of 3 hours....the final half hour was exercising to get our limbs warmed up and listening to speeches about the reason we were all there doing it. A very worthy cause. We were then asked to be silent and to link hands with the person to our left and to have a minutes' silence. You could feel the silent excitement buzzing throughout the tent. By this time, there were 18,000 of us packed inside (and overflowing outside) and we were all just really wanting to get going. It was now about 11pm.
Ian and Ray decided to pop off to use the loo and when they came back to find us, they suggested we stood outside whilst waiting for the "Off". It was a very good idea. It got us used to the colder air temperature (it had got very hot inside the tent) and it was a real shock to the system. We were then herded to the start line. The 18,000 go off in three sections: the Yellows went first - the walkers who were going to finish in sub 6 hours. Then the Oranges - our team - who had predicted 6-7 hours to finish and finally the Pinks - 8+ hours.
Miles 1 to 3 went almost without noticing. I couldn't believe the pace we had set off with. At first, I worried as I tend to train at my best when I start off relatively slowly, but gaining speed as I go on and finally being able to finish fairly strongly. This speed meant that I could only concentrate on where I was putting my feet and to watch out for the cobble stones. I barely had chance to look around me!
What I first thought was a massive cloud turned out to be Arthur's Seat looming ahead of us. We came through a lightly wooded area and Ellie suggested that I needed a wee, now was the time to use a tree....the loos so far all had huge queues. We each turned off our sparkling, fairy lit bras so that we couldn't be seen in the dark (!) and stood/crouched to do what needed to be done. We each giggled as each of us appeared from behind a tree and turned on our fairy lights again...
Arthur's Seat wasn't lit up for the Moonwalkers although there were sporadic Arc Lamps which did help. So the main worry wasn't so much the incline, but rather looking out for steps, bumps, unexpected grass verges, drains and of course, puddles! As we reached the summit, we were greeted with the most amazing sight of Edinburgh at night......twinkling almost as brightly as our bras :-)
We headed on towards the City. I remember at Mile 6 or 7 a poor walker several yards behind me slipping on the wet cobbles and falling down with a sickeningly loud thud. We couldn't stop otherwise there would have been a bottleneck and we knew we had just passed a marshal, so she would be taken care of. The sheer number of marshals was awesome. They were everywhere - dressed in bright yellow T shirts and I have to say that every single one of them greeted us with a "Come on, you're doing GREAT!" and "What amazing bras - fantastic!" and "Good Morning" - which I think was the best one of all when I first heard it. Although I knew that by starting off at midnight, it had technically been the morning from the word go, we didn't hear anyone say it until about 2pm'sh and for me, it made me think that we were nearing the end (2pm? We were so NOT near the end!!).
I had put on my plastic cover over my bra as it was such a chilly and damp night, but not long afterwards, I realised this was a mistake. My body warmth was beginning to heat up the plastic and I was very soon aware that this felt more unpleasant than feeling chilly. So I took it off, folded it up and tucked it behind me in case I needed it further along. And besides.....when you've got such an amazing sparkling, fairy-lit bra - you've just GOT to show it off, haven't you?!
There was amazing support from people still out in the pubs, clubs and restaurants within the City itself. They all cheered us on and were clapping us through. Considering it was a chilly night, we were very grateful for such awesome support.
I took along Lucozade glucose tablets. I hadn't used these before but I knew I wouldn't fancy runner's gels as these are somehow only acceptable whilst running as they taste so blimmin' awful. The Lucozade tablets worked like a dream, giving me an immediate boost of energy when I needed it.
We had soon past Mile 11 and were now heading towards the Estuary. It was a downward slope and the view was stunning. Coming away from the City, we kept noticing an odd shaped glowing cloud in the sky. As we headed towards the water we could clearly see a refinery on the opposite side with a huge ball of flame. Ah.....so that was the cause of the odd cloud. It was in reality, a plume of smoke. Even though it was an oil refinery, it did look beautiful.
I checked my watch to see that we were coming up to 3am and I couldn't work out whether the sky was lighter because of floodlights or whether dawn was happening. It's amazing to see dawn so early.........by 3.30am it was getting clearly lighter (and chillier!) and that fact alone spurred me on.
Mile 12 and I was beginning to realise I hadn't eaten or drunk much fluid....because it was so cold/damp, I wasn't feeling thirsty and due to it being the middle of the night, my digestive system simply wasn't telling me to eat. I wasn't tired at all at this point and was silently rejoicing every single mile as my knees were holding up (both were strapped with heavy duty supports) and my left hip was behaving itself impeccably. How lucky was I?
As we headed towards the coastline, there was the sound of some great fast music playing and nearby, there were also two ambulances on stand by. I remarked to Ellie that for a split second, I could have sworn they were ice cream vans! We soon reached Mile 13 and I remarked to Ian that a "Glass Half Empty" person would be saying "Arghh....only half way" and a "Glass Half Full" person would be saying "Only another 13 miles to go!". I then told him I was definitely the latter. I was now counting down the miles and still feeling fine, if a little bit tired. We saw a sign that clearly told the Half Mooners to keep on whilst the Full Mooners (ie. us) to turn left. There were a few seconds there that I thought....ooooh, if I had joined the half marathon, I'd be finished by now). But I wouldn't let that thought invade my brain for too long......
Miles 14 and 15 passed unremarkably. There were by now, quite a few walkers who were having problems with their trainers, blisters, cramps and worse.......I was noticing quite a few "Jackson Pollock" creations on the pavements....I'm guessing from walkers who had gulped their pasta meal too quickly or who had taken on board too many glucose drinks or tablets. How dreadful for them. It put me off from eating mine......I have to admit that after a while, they do become quite sickly.
Miles 16 to 19 were becoming hard, although I was still pain-free in my joints and knees - I was just needing an energy boost from real food.......the thought of something sickly sweet like the jelly babies we had brought along or another glucose tablet just wasn't acceptable.
As we were approaching Mile 20, that's when I think we hit a wall. Throughout the previous 20 miles, either and I were in front or Ellie and Ray were. At this point, we were ahead and I was beginning to realise that I was needing the toilet. I knew there would be huge queues and so I started to look for areas that I could perhaps crouch behind in relative privacy (if that were possible, given that at any time, there was a line of walkers as far as the eye could see).
With another 6.2 miles to go, I became single-minded as the only way of getting through this....I had to keep going because if I stopped for just a second or two, I could feel my legs seizing up and my digestive system kicking in. There was no way I was going to allow myself to get into serious difficulties with my stomach making frighteningly awful gurgles, so I could only respond by going into a place in my mind that would just get me to the end.
However, it was at this exact moment that Ellie got into problems too. Ian realised that they had fallen back behind so told me stop whilst he went back to find them. I told Ian that I was in a few problems and didn't dare stop, so he told me to carry on whilst he went back to check what had happened. He eventually found them and pointed out a much-needed toilet for poor Ellie and then told them he would set off at speed to go and find me.
By this time, I had passed Mile 21 and 22 and having major problems. Ian had a runner's rucksack, so he was carrying our water supplies. All I had with me, were Extra Strong mints and the Lucozade tablets. I was now completely depleted of energy reserves and was also feeling very thirsty...to the point of asking someone if they would kindly share their water with me. I chose a lovely lady who had a full (or almost full bottle) and she was only too pleased to help. I carried on, but at a deliberately slower pace, so that my team mates could catch up.
Now it was a case of mental attitude. My knees and feet were still fine, but I was wavering all over the place and had to take Ian's hand so that I could at least walk in a straight line. I knew I needed fluid, but just didn't feel thirsty and I was also desperate for something savoury to eat. We had brought along a couple of Ribena Light drink boxes and I found this really helped.
Now, it was just a case of keeping going and telling myself (and my team mates) that I was "fine". I couldn't allow negative thoughts into my mind at this point - even to the point that I denied having to 'dig deep' because at that point, in my own silly mind, somehow the term 'digging deep' appeared to be admitting defeat and failure. Ray.....I would just like to say that I was indeed digging extremely deep and that I'm sorry for snapping back at you.
You learn a lot about yourself on such events. I've learned that because I tend to train mostly on a solitary basis, I have learned to cope on a solitary basis....not quite the best tactic when you're doing something as a team. I'm somehow stronger when I'm on my own - because I HAVE to cope. I HAVE to get back and to work it out.
Mile 25 was especially difficult, as I could hear walkers behind me who knew the route (or the area) and were remarking how mad it was, that the course now included a steep incline. We lost Ellie and Ray here who were now in front, because we kept being asked to stop at traffic lights by the Marshals. I know at that point, I would gladly of just stepped out in front of car, knowing it would HAVE to stop! Waiting for the lights to go green, I could still hear my stomach gurgling and warning me of impending doom...and to carry on no matter what...
Mile 26 and we could see the entrance to Inverleith Park and the tent in the distance. There were now lots of people cheering us on and congratulating us.
As we neared the finish line, the four of us linked hands and walked through together. We had done it. 7 hours, 35 minutes. We had been hoping for sub 7 hours, but hey......in the grand scheme of things, I'm still very pleased with 7.35.
A few tears and time to get our thoughts together before heading back out of the park and to hopefully find a cab to take us the mile or so back to the hotel. There was no way any of us were going to walk back.
We got back to the hotel by 8'sh and I headed straight for the loo by the bar. The hotel is a beautiful one. I had the loo to myself and it was fully equipped with marble walls, flint tiles and Molton Brown goodies. Could I go? Could I heck. I sat there trying all the tricks of the trade. But no. How annoying was that?!!
knowing our coach was leaving Edinburgh at 09.45am, we barely had chance to get dressed and have a coffee before knowing we had to leave.
We were on the coach on time and sat at the front, which gave us a little bit more leg room - the back seats would have been a good idea, but I never like sitting right next to the toilet.....
We reached Berwick Upon Tweed and the driver then told us there were problems with the braking system, so we had to stop whilst he called into Head Office to download the diagnostics. The 'boss' and the driver agreed the problem showing on the dashboard (ABS fault with rear tyres) was an electrical one and after going out into the rain and checking the tyres for a burning smell (there wasn't), it was agreed that we could carry on until we got to London. Phew.
The traffic was dreadful all the way back. It was raining throughout the entire journey and we were held up in Milton Keynes and London. We were due in London at 19:30 in good time to catch our 20:30 connection to Bournemouth. We were still heading towards Victoria at 20:15!
We reached the departure gate at 20:20. There was a queue onto the coach and I realised I had time to dash to the loo (30 PENCE!!!) before boarding. Arghhhhh - stairs....and lots of them!!! With Ian in the queue, I was all but shouting at everyone to get out of my way before running back to the departure gate.
We finally pulled into Bournemouth station at 22:50. Now, it was just a 10 minute dash to the car park, a quick stop to KFC (our first hot meal since Thursday evening....so I didn't care what it was!), a shower and then bed.
What an amazing trip.
