Hiya all.

Thanks everybody for coming yesterday and thanks for pitching in without Tom there. Please see below the run report from Andreana. See you all next week.

Will

With trainer Tom away, GoodGymmer Will bravely led 24 GoodGymmers to Haggerston Community Garden for an evening of pulling up stinging nettles.

" How can Stinging Nettles Still Sting You Through Lycra?"

Upon arrival we were split into two groups - those with long sleeves and long leggings, and those in t-shirt and shorts. The long sleeved group were issued with gloves and pitchforks, and set to work pulling up stinging nettles from thigh high grass (yes, the nettles were also thigh high), whilst the other group set to work weeding safer territory, and carrying the piles of uprooted nettles off to the compost heap. Nobody was really safe from nettle stings, though, and one topic of conversation was How Can Stinging Nettles Still Sting You Through Lycra. ? We still require a satisfactory answer to this question.

"natural froggy habitats

After an hour or so of stingy nettle removal, we had cleared a good section of nettles, and it was time to go. Of course, we regrouped for a team photo. During the task, a child had collected a bucketful of frogs, which I thought were delightful, even though they gave some of us the shivers. Before we left, we watched as the child gently released them back into the wild and they hopped off into their natural froggy habitats.

"third-slash-fourth bridge"

Back in our natural running habitats, we split into groups to run a sort of bridge-distance challenge, with three options. Option one: run to the first bridge, which is not really the first bridge but the second bridge (ignoring the first bridge because it's too close), turn around when you get there, and start running back along the canal again. Option two, run to the second bridge, which is actually the third bridge seeing as we are ignoring the first bridge, turn around, and start running back along the canal again. Option three, run to the third-slash-fourth bridge, turn around, and start running back along the canal again, all the way to the Lock at Victoria Park, where we regroup and run back to base together.

"I can't always promise you frogs."

Arriving safely back at base, with plenty of good running, good weeding, and good conversation had - and only a few stings between us - we had a stretch down and bid our goodbyes. Same time next week... but I can't always promise you frogs.