Some people say you should never try to repeat a success – but GoodGym runners don’t know the meaning of the word ‘never’. So, having successfully smashed, dug and pulled up vast swathes of low grade concrete last week, this week we returned to Growing Communities’ new Patchwork Farm project in Stoke Newington to pick up (or should that be ‘pick axe’?) where we left off.

We were very pleased to see not one, not even two – but three new faces at GoodGym Hackney this week. Oh yes, it’s all happening in Hackney.

There’s a lot to be said for retracing the steps of a previous run: knowing the route in advance means not having to stop to check the map, which makes for a lovely, smooth, continuous run. And with the weather being considerably finer than last week – dry skies, no wind, and a generous display of evening sunshine – we set out at a steady but firm pace.

When we arrived at the project, we were given the warmest of welcomes – I think it’s fair to say our old friends were very pleased to have us back! Having set off bang on schedule and made good time on the run, we were able to dedicate a full 40 minutes to the task. It really is quite surprising how many rubble bags you can fill up in forty minutes…

we were able to dedicate a full 40 minutes to the task. It really is quite surprising how many rubble bags you can fill up in forty minutes…

Having said our farewells to the lovely (and very grateful) people at Growing Communities, we set off back under glorious sunshine. It really was a fantastic run, taking in several of Hackney’s wide and leafy avenues, with a home-stretch through the green, green grass of London Fields.

Ade rounded events off with a very necessary (some might add ‘brutal’) warm down. Did I really hear 3 or 4 people say they were planning to meet the next morning at 7.30am for Ivo’s Haggerston circuits? My muscles were already dreaming of bed…

Dan Woolley