With just six weeks to go until the 2007 Playtex Moonwalk, Carrie-Ann Skinner deals with raising sponsorship and the dreaded costumes!

There’s no doubt that training is a lot easier in the better weather. The sunshine we’ve been experiencing lately means I’m happier to pound the street when it’s dark and wet outside. Training is going really well. I’ve hit a personal best of 20 miles in five hours and nine minutes. Now I’ve reached the 20 mile mark, I don’t feel as daunted as I had done previously.

Natalie is also doing really well. Last weekend we hit 10 miles. Together we’ll probably only walk another mile, taking us to a total of 11 miles, otherwise the actual event won’t be much of a challenge! It helps that I am so busy at work lately too. I’m so tired from work and training that I hardly get to see my friends, so Natalie and I use the walking time to catch up on each other's lives as well as have a good gossip!

One of the topics we’ve been gossiping about is of course sponsorship. We both need to raise a minimum of £100 to enter the event. I know in the grand scheme of things that isn’t a lot to raise but it is hard. There’s something very embarrassing about waving your sponsor form and a pen in front of somebody’s face and pleading for their signature. Of course, it’s not easy sponsoring someone either. There’s always the decision about how much to sponsor. Too much and you look like a flash git, too little and you look tight!

Last year, to gain sponsorship for the Half Moon, I gate crashed my best friend Annette’s birthday meal and passed the sponsor form round the table, after we’d done a few bottles of wine. Before I knew it I’d gone over and above my target. However, I didn’t think I could get away with that again this year, so I was thrilled when a friend told me about www.justgiving.com. The website allows you to set up your own sponsorship page for free. You can post an image on your page and also write a letter to your friends explaining what event you are taking part in and for what charity.

Then it’s simple, just email the link to everyone in your address book and wait for your sponsorship to roll in. Your friends can make their donation using a credit or debit card and Justgiving.com also ensures the payments are sent straight to your chosen charity, so you don’t have to worry about collecting money after the event. I only sent the link to my page www.justgiving.com/carrieskinner out last week but I’ve already managed to raise over 50% of my target. A massive thank you to everyone that has sponsored me, it’s greatly appreciated.

Another topic of debate that comes up frequently between Natalie and me on our walks is our costume or theme. The Moonwalk relies on its participants to decorate their bras and some even dress up. Last year, Mum and I decorated our bras very last minute and to be fair it wasn’t our best effort. In fact, when we arrived at Hyde Park, we were completely put to shame. There were all sorts of weird and wacky costumes. So this year Natalie and I are putting some serious thought into our costumes. However, all our discussions end up with us in fits of laughter at the silly ideas we have created. However, with the walk just six weeks away, we’ve really got to put our thinking caps on…

Find out more about the Moonwalk at www.walkthewalk.org. Carrie-Ann Skinner is a freelance journalist and PR executive specialising in fashion, music and property. She can be contacted at carrieannskinner@hotmail.com.