21 keen runners...

We had a good sized team of 21 heading out tonight.

Painting SOS

Task force member Sarah, and runners Nikki and Eimear, came to the rescue yesterday (thanks to you all for being such a fabulous bunch for always getting back to me and the task owners on a Sunday, btw) and formed a breakaway party who were heading back to The Glasshouse Community Centre at the Parkview Estate to help finish the painting we started in the office last week. Task owner Catherine was just over the moon we were able to send in the troops at the eleventh hour again, and was delighted with what you accomplished this evening.

Feelgood farmyard

The remaining 18 runners headed to Stepney City Farm where task owner Charlie had a great variety of tasks for us. One team was dispatched to the donkey stable to muck-out, while another crew emptied and shifted bins, and another larger posse assembled in the outside shop and café area to undertake a big leaf-clearing operation. For 50 minutes the runners worked unbelievably hard, wheeling hay to the compost area, sweeping their socks off and lugging oversized bins from one side of the farm to another. It really was a GoodGym special as they sped through the tasks.

It wasn’t long before Charlie was leading the donkey team out to the field to bring the donkeys back in, and the whole team assembled in the stable for a little bit of background on the beautiful beasts.

COREporal punishment

And then we were gathering in the classroom where Danny had prepared a totally brilliant core session, that involved partner exercises and a smashing bit of teamwork. The runners retained their good cheer, buoyed on by Dharmesh’s Pokemon socks, and the unbelievably impressive plank-off which left Dharmesh and Becky G battling it out. Impressive stuff folks.

And then we were gathering for our last pics and cheerio to Charlie, who saw us all off with his signature high-five (and some music tonight) and we sped back to base.

Thank you’s - and welcome!

Welcome to Lucy and Carol who joined us on their first GoodGym run. It was really fabulous to have you with us tonight, and we hope to see you very soon.

Thanks to Sarah for heading up the Parkview operation tonight – the day saved yet again by our wonderful task force – and to Nikki and Eimear for joining her, and to Becky G and Bryon who were so willing to go too.

Thanks to Danny for our fabulous fitness session, and for some fantastic backmarking tonight too.

And, you have Dave, and Si to thank for tonight’s splendid pun.

The rest of the week – and next week…

Right that’s nearly it for this week folks, apart from reminding you that this Saturday is the GoodGym Christmas party, at The Old Library in beautiful Burgess Park in South London from 7pm, and for which the fancy dress theme is the first letter(s) of your GoodGym area. Please, please sign up if you’re going. And don’t forget to pay your £4 too! All details are here.

Next week, we’re back with Nancy and the team at the Royal London - check out the details and sign up here.