h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As I sit here my legs are aching and my longest toe on my left foot is rather sore, but this seems a small price to pay for such an amazing experience.

I spent yesterday resting, taking the boys to mum's and having a nap in the afternoon in preparation. I had a big pasta dinner, then a shower and got into my outfit, putting my Walk the Walk t-shirt on over my decorated bra (breaking off a butterfly wing in the process - ooops).

At 19.20 I got on the train, noticing several groups of women in the t-shirts and hats as I found a seat. Everyone seemed excited and ready to go and relieved that there was no rain forecast, although it was due to be very cold - I haven't been able to find out the actual temperature yet but I'd say that Battersea at about 3am felt pretty close to freezing.

We arrived at Paddington and the ladies I had been chatting to invited me to join them in the journey to Hyde park but they were going on the bus and I wanted to walk as it was less than half a mile so wished them good luck and set off. Got to the big pink tent and then had to walk another half a mile to get to the end of the queue to get in but once inside the atmosphere was great. Pink and feathers and sequins everywhere. There was a talk from the founder of the charity and some words from breast cancer survivors about the work of the charity. We all stood - 15,000 of us, for a few moments to think about those we knew who were affected by breast cancer and I thought of Lady Chattingly, and of my friend's mum who is part way through chemo now, and of another friend whose mum died of breast cancer a few years ago. Keep checking for lumps ladies (and gents) - this disease can be beaten if caught early enough.

At about 11.20 my group's warm up started, I was in the third of four starts, and then down to the start line with jackets off and bras proudly on display - a big countdown and we were off. The clock showed 42 mins as I went under it. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I wished I had been in the second or even first starting group as I had overtaken the other greens by 4 miles and caught the orange group by 6 miles. By 13 I was making inroads to the yellows but it was really difficult getting round people and having to slow down and speed up constantly - if I'd have been in the first group I could have just found my rhythm and gone with it.

Highlights were going under Big Ben as it chimed one o'clock on the way out and then as it chimed 6 on the way back in. The drunks were (mostly) funny "F*£%&*^ hell, whose hen night is *this*?!", and the feeling of camaraderie as we motored on through kensington and chelsea. Huge thanks to the volunteers who stood on windswept corners and cheered solidly for eight hours - they must have been frozen but they didn't stop. The low point for me was after my first and only loo stop at 17 miles, and until 20 I was really suffering. Then I remembered that in the junk in my bumbag was a bag of jelly babies - hooray! By mile 21 I was picking up speed again, the sun was warming us all up and I really powered through the last 5 miles. Once we were past Buckinham Palace with hyde park in sight we all got a real boost and the sight of the big pink tent for about a mile out was really encouraging. J caught up with me just before 25 miles and took the camera off me so he could take some pics but I shooed him away before I hit the 26 mile mark - you don't get to walk the last bit if you haven't done the previous 25 miles!

I shed a few tears as I crossed the line, with the timer reading 7.59 (so I did it in 7 hours 17 minutes), it was very overwhelming. I felt so proud of myself for achieveing this. I was handed my finishers medal (which I am still wearing) and made my way to J who took me to the car and offered me tea and (I took the tea!) and took me home.

I ache, I'm tired, but I did it

Well done!

We're very proud of you.

B

Well done! You make me want to have a go, I'd rather walk a marathon than run one.

Well done indeed!

Well done you. It's a fantastic achievement!

Wow, Kelli, that's a fantastic achievement and in such a good cause too.

And thanks too, for writing it up. Are you going to send it in to The Post?

I told Tom, when he got up this morning, that I knew someone who was just finishing a marathon when he went to bed last night. He was duly impressed

Brilliant you! And and and! J was there

Well done!

Congratulations, kelli!
A day not soon to be forgotten. Treasure the memory and stay active for the cause. Share the knowledge with all you come into contact.

I'm certain hubby and t'boys are all proud of your accomplishment, though it might be a bit of growing up before the young'uns truly understand why you did it. All of us in the Atelier are surely proud of you.

B4youtakethenextlongwalk4agoodcause

Thank you all - t'Boy is very proud of his mummy, has taken my medal to nursery to show everyone and keeps saying how mummy walked a marathon in the night time in her bra!

Let me know if you can't see these, I am hoping I have made the album public so everyone can see it:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=209035&id=533777462&l=7e636168cc

I forgot to say a few things:
As we were in Hyde Park on the way out there was a group of blokes, all drunk, all singing and waving to everyone. I have since found out these were the "Crazy Dutch Guys" as they called themselves. The apparently were a group of students who had hitched to london. According to crew on the night they spotted the first walkers and started to sing. Crew told them what we were doing and they stayed there until all the walkers had left, forming an arch for the last people to parade under.

The oldest participant was a 92 year old who did it in less than 6.5 hours - her 6th moonwalk. A woman completed the full moon at 37 weeks pregnant. I remember as we were passing 22 miles we saw a woman on crutches going past the 15 mile marker on the other side of the road. I don't know if she finished. I hope so but if not it was a brave effort.

There is more I was going to say but have temporarily forgotten it. I have no blisters at all - 1000 mile socks rock! My knees are still a bit sore but today I am basically fine and thinking about what I might do differently next year...

Well done Kelli, what an achievement!

Very proud of you Kelli.

Kelli, thanks for doing this. It's a cause close to my heart, as you know. I'm glad it was a positive experience for you. Your report of the 92 year old woman walking it is making me consider giving it a try myself. Dedicate the walk to Lady C. I mean, sheesh, 92. And it would give me an excuse to go to London. So, want some company next year?

Those socks sounds quite fab (says the outdoor gear nerd) - can't see a physical outlet over here... Will think.

Z, I'm blowing smoke. I'd never be able to walk a marathon. But I think I'll look around for a 10K breast cancer walk a bit closer to home. That's a lot more practical. The training for any walk should improve my health.

10k - you could organise that size walk yourself - perhaps get a few people together who knew Lady C?

Is there a local landmark / lake or something that would be about 6 miles to walk around?

So far I have one guilble fool for my 3 peaks challenge, but we're both doctors, so at least we've got medical cover sorted.

Hyp, there is a contingent that does the New York marathon every year, but I guess New York doesn't have the pull for you that London does I wonder if they need volunteers to cheer the walkers if you don't fancy trying to do the distance?

Z's idea about setting up your own bra-clad midnight walk locally is a good one but it would take some organising. I am in awe of your organisational skills but would you have time to sort it out? Might be worth emailing walk the walk and asking them if they can help.

Sho, do you think the post would be interested? Deke and his wife were volunteering on the night, I bet they have some stories to tell too if we could persuade them to write about it.

*looks around hoping there's no one here to be offended*

Kelli, I'd rather walk through the Sahara than through NYC. Sometimes we have irrational dislikes. We know they are irrational, but the bad feelings remain. I will be perfectly content never to set foot in NYC again.

Seriously, I'd love to think I could get into good enough shape to do the moonwalk. And you all know I love London. But the idea is very scary. Maybe I can plan on being in London at that time. If I think I can pull it off, I'll walk. If I don't -- which is far more likely -- I'll be Kelli's biggest cheerleader.

As to organizing something similar here on a smaller scale, I don't know if it would ever work or not. This is such a conservative area. Even though there is nothing sexual about it, I can't imagine getting away with it. People here are overly prudish. You should have heard the reaction when I showed "Frida" at the library. Whore of Babylon strikes again. *sighs*

I bought a treadmill. And I've mapped out a portion of a nearby hiking trail that is 3.5 miles long. That particular section starts only 2 blocks from my house. And I'm looking for double layer socks.

It would be such a totally awesome thing to do and then to have that memory and sense of accomplishment. And I can hear Lady c cheering me on. But I'm really afraid to commit to it.