Pre-Mission Stats

So with the mission literally now just hours away, its time for a final pre-mission assessment.

Over the last 12 weeks I have prepared for my mission by:

• Walking over 500 miles (516.5 to be exact - that's the distance from London to Edinburgh and half the way home to London again - WOW and it only took me three months!) That reminds me - I must add the Proclaimers to my Moonwalk special playlist.
• Completing 44 SuperChick Sessions including 2 weeks of Bootcamp
• Losing 18 lbs of excess weight - not quite the 26 lbs I was aiming for but not too shabby either - WELL DONE ME!
• Completing 3 days of cycling totalling 53 miles and only severing a leg on the last day (slight exaggeration but its still not healed)
• Hiking up 2444ft - (I couldn't leave this off after all)
• Losing 2.5 inches off my waist
• Getting through 3 pairs of Training Shoes
• Sewing a GAZILLION sequins onto my Moonwalk costume!
• Successfully bringing a banana to work that doesn't end up a bruised squished mess- NEVER

(p.s. On that note, does anyone knows where I can get one of those latex (?) banana protector covers? I swear I've seen them somewhere just can't remember where and I would most probably get thrown out of John Lewis for suspected "banana kinkiness" if I asked.)

In my Mission Bumbag, I will be carrying:

• 500ml of Water - learnt THAT valuable lesson a while ago
• Packets of Tissues - for the tears of joy/ desperation and impromptu loo stops!
• 3 Mini Mars Bars - I just know the Hare will get peckish
• 1 Digital Camera - a 25th birthday pressie from the Hare
• 1 Phone - to call as appropriate either the Hare (as she WILL most probably be running late), the emergency services, a taxi or the coast guard - you never know?!
• Some cash and my Bank Card - o fantastic plastic where would I be without you?
• 1st Class Train Ticket Home
• 1 Marker Pen - want to snag some autographs for my cape - if the occassion arises
• Selection of Blister plasters - just in case.
• My Ipod Shuffle - for when the feet are in need of a pick me up.

As you know - packing for missions is NOT my forte - so I have done a little reconnaissance work and checked my list against the recommended Moonwalk list of things to carry - I've not done too badly however I will not be bringing the following recommended items:

• Sunscreen - it will be dark for most of the walk surely? Plus this is Scotland after all - galoshes and swimming goggles would be more useful
• Vaseline -the Hare (aka my personal donkey) goes nowhere without her's so will nick her Vaseline if I run out of things to munch on.
• A Paper and Pencil - What do I possibly need this for? To write a suicide note if it all gets too much? In that eventuality, I will just use my marker to pen a few words on my costume if it comes to that.
• Inflatable cushion - now they're just pulling my leg- surely?

However their random list of paraphanelia has reminded me that I would like to take some handcream - as my hands always get really dry when I'm out walking just for a couple of hours. I know, really - you can't take a Girl anywhere!

During Mission Night on the 19th June 2010:

• 12,000 women will be Moonwalking round Edinburgh- each woman represents one of the 12,000 women who will die from Breast Cancer this year. This is a staggering and shocking stat.
• Hare and I will be kicking off at 12.30am with race numbers 10,183 and 10,260 and walking 26.2 miles around Edinburgh.
• We will be walking approx 50,000 steps each
• This means walking approx 7,000 steps per hour for at least 7 hours straight, that's 100 steps/minute - no mean feat!
• We will be burning off roughly 2,600 kcals which by my calculations means I can legitimately refuel with 100 Mars Bars - Yay (then again don't take my work for it - Maths, along with packing, was never my forte!)

But the most important and impressive stat of all is that 31 AMAZING friends, colleagues, family and strangers have helped me to raise an amazing £335 for Breast Cancer Charities and lots more have promised to spoonsor me on my valiant return - WOOHOO. Raising sponsorship was one of the nerve-racking part of my mission as I am hopeless at it, so I literally cannot thank you all enough.

p.s. check back in a couple of days for all the gory Mission photos and Moonwalk gossip. x