22 fantastic GoodGym runners met up at Vivo Sports club to tackle the scourge of Himalayan Balsam in Ashton Court. It had been raining all day and was unpleasantly windy - would it be clear for our run? YES! OF COURSE!!!

We bounded off from Vivo with a spring in our step - the rain had stopped and we knew that it would be a lovely flat run most of the way. The pace was fantastic and because of our route we managed to run almost all of the way without stopping - hurrah for cycle paths.

The group slowed down as we hit the hill in to Ashton Court, but we regrouped at the top and found our balsam bashing site. With only 15 minutes to eradicate as much of this invasive species as possible, the pace was frantic and people were flinging themselves in to nettles, brambles and rhododendron to find the tallest, most intimidating patches of weeds. In the process, natures wealth was revealed - sweet raspberries, blackberries not quite ready for picking, and a confused baby bunny were all uncovered.

After a check for ticks and the returning of gloves, we headed back down in to Bristol, again enjoying a longer steady run, but not before attempting a group jump. Would we get 22 people jumping all at the same time with Bristol in the background? NO. After a few attempts we gave up, it just didn't work with that many people eager to jump.

Almost to the second it turned 8pm, the heavens opened, and rain began to fall but by then we were mostly sheltered under the glorious green canopy of the trees around Queens Square, so we could stretch with impunity! And any drops that got through were actually very refreshing on what ended up quite a hot and humid run.

Back at Vivo (almost wrote the Folk House there!) there were a few reminders - After next week's run we're going to have a chat about the GoodGym Taskforce (dum dum duuuum!); a way that runners can get a little bit more involved with the group.

There's also going to be a social on Thursday 6th August as we need to celebrate all our black t-shirt runners and those who are really really really close to getting one! This run was Caroline Wilson's 50th, so heaps of congratulations to her. Such is her dedication that she's come running with her little boy in a pushchair!

Thanks lads and lassies!