Another big night at GoodGym York as 34 runners ran to tasks at opposite sides of the city!

We kicked off with a ski/snowsports-themed warm-up today since I was fresh back from a snowboarding holiday. Vivid imagination was definitely required as we pretended to ski in the car park of the Priory Street Centre. I'm sure new runners Tom and Chloe wondered what on earth was going on (give them a massive welcome cheer, by the way).

Whilst you're cheering, we need to all give a huge cheer to Becky Mo who had an absolute epic at the Hardmoors 50 on Saturday, what a hero!

Routes were picked to carefully avoid everywhere that is currently underwater, as Tim and Becky took a crew to St Nicks for a 'Jonathan surprise' and me and Leanne took a crew up to the Grange Lane Play Area for a Power Pick. Both teams were also challenged to make a number, 2 and 7, to represent GoodGym York being the 27th area to have started as we approach the launch of our 50th area.

Good work making litter picking sound sexy - Bec

We were trying to get the jump on the Great British Spring Clean, a nationwide initiative to encourage people to go out and help clean up their local areas. The team were very excited that we not only had litter pickers (pro ones, according to Max), but we also had hoops. It doesn't take much. Unfortunately the act of putting a bag onto a litter picking hoop flummoxed many a GG Yorkie and we were three minutes down before we sprung into action. With 30 minutes on the clock, the Power Pick began.

It didn't take long before some big items were located. Emma had managed to bag a traffic cone whilst Leanne and Simon found a whole load of scrap metal. Aidan was deep in the undergrowth and lobbed out a neatly packaged tent.

Not gona put that in my bag!

Shortly after, Leanne found a mallet.

Now we can put up the tent!

As we gradually moved deeper into the field, a sub-team went into a little space known as the Party Area because it's very obviously where all the parties happen. Someone appeared to have recently had an Irn Bru party.

This is the world's most rubbish party - Craig

Max was still waxing lyrical about the pro-pickers. He reckoned you could pick up anything with one of those bad boys. He proved his point by picking up a very flimsy bit of tape which was cemented into the ground. As we headed back to the top of the park, Aidan had managed to lob pretty much a whole porcelain toilet out of the undergrowth too. Max almost ignored it until Leanne challenged his "this can pick up anything" claim, and he did really try quite hard to drag a toilet with a litter picker, but we found the limit of their usefulness.

We finished with an attempt to make a '7' out of filled rubbish bags, and had to use Pete as the tallest person to get the best angle.

Team Tim set off at a grand old trot, all slightly in awe at the flooded Ouse! Becky '50 miles' Mo heroically brought up the rear across town to our old haunt St Nicks at the eco hub thingy [Eco-centre, Tim - Egg]!

The sparkling as ever Jonathan guided us to a corner of the reserve and set us to task removing the top soil and brambles so wild flowers could be planted. He even let Mel and Becky do some twilight scything as a special winter treat! We are all looking forward to a scythe-tastic summer this year!

It was a bit crowded to begin, but once the scythers and rakers cleared an area there was plenty to do.

There are only good quotes when people aren't working hard enough - Tim

We then raked the exposed topsoil, before attempting a soon-to-be worldwide hit. the "Mexican Sprinkle". [I feel I need to explain this. It's sowing seeds in the fashion of a Mexican wave, Egg] I promise you kids, it will be a sensation before you know it.

Please can you all do a Mexican sprinkle in front of me - Tim

Bada-bing Bada-boom [seriously Tim?], we convoyed the tools back to the hub and did a quick exercise where Tim did his best to scare off the lovely newbies Chloe and Tom with extra squats!

I enjoyed it, despite Tim's Mexican sprinkle - New Tom