MNHQ are doing the Moonwalk - please sponsor us

[RebeccaMumsnet]

Hi all,

Over the years here at HQ, we have seen many of you sadly impacted by cancer, either personally or that of a loved one and we wanted to do a little something to try and raise some money for a cancer charity.

We have chosen the MoonWalk in London on the 14th May.
11 of us from MNHQ will be doing the half moon (13.1 miles officially but actually about 15 miles) around London starting at midnight . If you are doing it too, please come and say hi, we'll be wearing MN t-shirts

If you can spare a few quid, we'd be really very grateful. You can DONATE HERE

We promise to post here as we walk and maybe a few pictures too.

Another Full moon gang checking in...started in wave 6, finished 9.10ish. 7 of us, raised over £2,500 and total still going up :)

It was bloody hard !!! Volunteers on course amazing.

We are all broken

Very well done though, standing.

Are there no bits of you unbroken?

@BalthazarImpresario

Well done everyone, I spotted you just before you went under the bridge after the oxo tower and yelled at you and told another couple that that Yanbu.

Brilliant job xxx

As B said, it really did lift our spirits but we couldn't come back and whoop properly. Sorry

UTTER respect for the 26 milers, I take my( white) hat off to you all
Huge thanks for all the support

I am not as adept as posting on mob and walking as RebeccaMN but here is my VERY dark and murky photographic contribution from the evening (probs should have used the flash, innit)

Peace AndLove ™ Pagoda in Battersea Park

Olivia

I wouldn't even have been able to make it to the Pagoda, let alone been able to raise a camera to photograph it. Well done.

You've raised loads, but It's disappointing to see that you haven't achieved your target - is the link right?

Give it a day or two, BIWI. If the page is staying open, there may well be people who meant to contribute/Mumsnet during the week who could add to that.

They've raised an amazing amount, don't think it matters if thru haven't reached their target. I only donated a fiver as I really cant spare that much.

Very proud of the MN team - we all made it over the line. Just.

Here's some more pics

[sore]

If you can spare a few quid - still time to donate www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Team-Mumsnet here .

Well done Team Mumsnet.

Hope you're not all too sore this week.

Which start were you guys in? I looked out but didn't have a hope of spotting you really!

@OohMrDarcy

Which start were you guys in? I looked out but didn't have a hope of spotting you really!

We were start 4 - left about 11.30. It was much colder than I thought it would be!

That's possibly not such a bad thing, though, if it was fairly dry. (Given how hot you can get just walking.) Imagine if it had been hot and humid from the start?

Same start as me then! Did you see the silly driver force his way through the swarm of ladies - with the Police Traffic Officer guy trying to stop him?!

Do you think the driver came to recognise the error of his ways?

I completed the full moon as part of a team of 6 raising over £2000. We had an amazing time, despite the odd injury etc along the way we all finished still smiling! The volunteers were all fab - but the hanging around for 3 hours before we could even start just before midnight and then all the delays and bottlenecks making our first 5 miles take 2.5 hours were very frustrating - and queuing for 40 minutes at one loo stop was frustrating. All the stopping and starting meant we got cold and I am sure made it much harder than our training suggested it would be. For anyone doing it in the future - the rules of wearing just a bra were ignored by at least 95% of participants and no one batted an eyelid. I wore a vest, thermal, the bra t-shirt with my decorated bra on top and then a fleece zipped up over the top - and gloves. I was still really chilly each time I had to stop! I would have frostbite if I had tried walking in just a bra! It is such an achievement and I am so glad I took part and even though last night I could hardly move I am back to normal today !!

Well done though, mice.

Despite the trials and troubles, were you pleased you did it?

Oh yes, wouldn't have missed it for the world! It was a true friendship bonding experience, we had one take a tumble (blood and everything!) at mile 1 and another with painful joints from mile 5 yet we laughed supported and chatted our way to that finish line and crossed hand in hand as a team and even firmer friends.

@OohMrDarcy

Same start as me then! Did you see the silly driver force his way through the swarm of ladies - with the Police Traffic Officer guy trying to stop him?!

YES! Fairly early on, was a 4x4 job...?

TeamMumsnet I would not have wanted you to come back to whoop at me, you had bigger things to deal with. I've done the full moon and keep going is always my advice. (I told off some lads who kept trying to stop ladies for selfies) I was meant to be walking my zone but we didn't have enough volunteers so the leaders had to stay in position. So next year any extra volunteers always welcome

Well done everyone treat yourselves kindly this week you have all done amazing things!

I think that encouraging volunteers for the next Walk could be a big thing for MN - to go with the Walking. The event wouldn't work without them.

Well done you and the other volunteers as well, Balthazar.

Um was early on - first couple of miles I think, but thought it was a saloon / possibly estate type car... real idiot driving it! I REALLY hope the police guy radio'd ahead to get someone to sort him, but at the time he was just trying to stop a batch of women get run over! We were just in front of the car when it happened and it scared us, can only imagine for the women stuck in its way!

Mice, I agree the waiting around and hold ups took its toll! All the actual walking was mostly at my training pace, I should have finished at least 1.5hrs before I did! But the worst for me was the paving was awful compared to where I've trained, my feet were so sore by half way! I was so exhausted by the end I was ready to burst into tears any minute, but I still loved it and would do it again next year! *

• with a few lessons learned of course!!!

Agree MrDarcy - we took at least 1.5hrs more than we expected too- I was so tired and dehydrated at the end (my fault because I didn't drink because I didn't want more hold ups after seeing the ridiculous lengths of queues at the toilets) that I promptly fainted within 15 mins of getting my medal - nothing sugar water and a lie down on Clapham Common didn't sort out! Also agree about the pavements - one of my friends tripped very early on cutting her chin and knees - but is an absolute trouper and got straight up and carried on completing the walk.
It would really help to have spoken to someone who had done it recently to get insider tips! Most of my team said never again - I am wavering - but only if I was in one of the earlier groups to start off as they seem to get much fewer hold ups!!

Maybe MN could host a support thread with advice and news for prospective Walkers nearer to the next event?

(It could tie in nicely with all Walking Teams and individuals and also raise the issue's profile even further.)