5 runners ran 2k to a local community managed garden, dug and shovelled to accelerate composting , then ran back

A compact and hardy group of GoodGym runners met me in the Aquatics centre (what happened to the double digit participation of February? Come on guys!) , true to the name - 'April Showers' - were in full effect yesterday. The unpredictable nature of the weather beast, makes for quite an adventurous feel to any outing, though I was more concerned about my hair - you know how much I gave Toni & Guy to look like this?

We warmed up with a few drills, then intrepidly ran off into the distance, or more precisely, we headed South East to Abbey Gardens. Head Gardener, Aiste, had organised a few jobs for us to get involved with. This gorgeous patch of space, looked much more colourful than previous visits in the dark. Will be pretty rewarding when we head back there and see many more flowers in bloom, knowing that we played some part in their growth.

Yesterday's task was to turn over two compost bins, empty another and then fill it with less fertile composting material. Much core strength was required from team Newham, however, that didn't stop me from integrating a couple of plank exercises amidst the task. These muscles are hugely important in promoting good running form and equally just maintaining a good posture in day to day life - try them out at home.

The heavens did temporarily open on us, with a relatively heavy downpour, but we were all too immersed in our task to notice it. Also, due to the rain and and sunshine, a quite exquisite rainbow formed as a result (see pictures), a scenic backdrop to our work - better than an office I reckon.

We finished off and ran back. I put the guys through some plyometric circuits (explosive exerciseS, where muscle shortens and lengthens very quickly), although in future I will refer to it as 'jumping', in a bid to not confuse with a a mathematical formula. It was only 4 minutes of circuits...but a very intense 4 minutes nonetheless. Some gentle stretching please today guys!

See loads more of you next week!

B