Excellent turnout last night, as 18 intrepid Goodgymmers for our two-task combo!

Our team featured the ever-present Steve Coman, one of our busiest Task Force members and a familiar face at our Islington group runs and community missions. Steve celebrated his 400th Good Deed last night, which we can all agree is absolutely amazing! Well done!

Before setting off to our task, we talked about for last few group runs before we finish up for Christmas (16th December is our last run), and about our plans to go carol singing around Islington for our final task (Sign up for Carol Singing Fun here!). For our count-off, I asked the runners what their favourite Christmas Song was. The results were as follows:

• Silent Night
• Good King Wenceslas
• Frosty the Snowman
• Fairytale of New York
• Christmas Wrapping (rapping?)
• O Come All Ye Faithful

(No Mariah, as you can see...)

Group 1- Market Road Gardens and Lumpy Hill Adventure Park

James Gilbert contributed this summary of our activities at Market Road Gardens (a follow on from last week, and a smashing task)

"After a short run from GG Islington headquarters via some amazing Christmas lights, we arrived at Market Road Gardens. Fran and the team put us to work straight away loading wheelbarrows with concrete dusty soily stuff, which we ferried to various paths around the garden. Over the course of the evening we made the big pile of concrete dust disappear just like magic.

We also helped spread and compact the concrete material on the paths. After a quick photo we said goodbye to Fran and took a slightly longer run back to meet the rest of our group back at base. Where we had biscuits and special mini-mince pies to celebrate Steve's 400th good deed."

Group 2- Thornhill Square Gardens

Trainer Simon lead the other half to our team to Thornhill Square Gardens in Barnsbury, organised by local resident gardening volunteer, Anna. We are always invited here, but we need to bring good lights and head torches to make the most of our session during the winter months.

Our team were separated into smaller groups to work on different sections of the community gardens. One group set about weeding the main flower bed near the entrance of the park, another group took to digging up some troublesome roots and snipping rose bushes. Jack was a solo leaf raking machine, and pretty much cleared the whole garden single handedly!

We ran back together up and down the various slopes between Barnsbury and Holloway, and enjoyed Oreos, Caramel Digestives and Mince Pies (along with some stretching) upon our return.

Wonderful stuff. Thank you everyone!

NEWS!

Official Goodgym Christmas Party

On Friday 6th December, there will be a huge Christmas Party for all of Goodgym, hosted at Stephen's House (a bar, not the house of a poor guy called Stephen) in Finchley. Drinks, dancing and celebrations- Fancy dress contest included.

It will be a blast, so sign up here!

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Mini Mermaids Running Club x Goodgym - Highbury Fields parkrun Takeover

Mini Mermaids Running Club is an amazing charity set-up to encourage girls under the age 11 to engage in phyiscal activity and exercise in fun and engaging ways. Goodgym have been invited to help the Mini Mermaids to complete their 5km challenge (each of the girls have worked towards this over 8 weeks) at Highbury Fields parkrun on Saturday 7th December.

We are looking for:

parkrun Volunteers- Goodgymmers willing to marshal, cheer, support and help with the general running of parkrun from the sidelines. Or to come and run and represent Goodgym!

Sign up here for more details.

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GG Race Team: Met League Cross Country- Uxbridge

The Met League XC seson continues this weekend with a notoriously fun and muddy race in Uxbridge! If you are signed up as part of the GG Race Team, and have never tried Cross Country before- I fully recommend it. Brilliant racing fun with friends, and open for runners of all abilities.

Saturday 7th December, in the afternoon (1.15pm onwards) Sign up here for more details.

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Goodgym Islington Christmas Pizza and Drinks

Book this in your diary!

After our task on 9th December, we will be going straight to Zia Lucia on Holloway Road for a meal and good times before we part ways before our Christmas Break. Chosen by popular demand, Zia Lucia does some of the best pizza in Islington (Goodgym Guarantee!).

Sign up to confirm your place here!