Saturday 28th July 2018
Find out about GoodGym TaskForce
Report written by Bristol runner
I went on my first community mission to see what they are like, and where GoodGym is heading in the future.
Firstly I drove across to Southwick Country park for the parkrun, to get my 39th different area and the south of my parkrun compass badge. It was a nice run on an undulating gravel track with two and half laps, and nice cafe which employs adults with learning difficulties, which provides a nice mug of coffee and cake (chocolate beetroot cake). mmmm
On the way back I had until 12:30, as community missions does not have a 'Get Fit' element. So I parked up on the outskirts of Bath and went for a run to check the route for the Bath Beat, I went along the Bath Skyline route and then dropped down to Batheaston and ran along the Bath summer festival route over to Browns Folly wood, where I usually get hopelessly lost but this time I think I have learnt the way, I then started the decent down to the Dundas Aqueduct, and then cut back along the canal path to Warleigh Weir. A lovely 9 mile run ahead of my Peak Skyline next weekend, to both enable me to recover from my last ultra and get ready for the next one.
When I arrived at Warleigh Weir, it was defiantly different as I was the only GoodGym member there and I joined a wider group doing a number of tasks, including litter picking and Himalayan Balsam bashing, and collecting some rocks to make a stone circle and to try and offer different places for visitors to go and visit. I then stated to light a fire and work on cooking Dahl for the other volunteers and I had a look in a Tentsile tent which was quite exciting.
As the food was cooking I went for a swim in the river and then hopped into the hot tub, I think this is the first GoodGym run that has featured a hot tub? Then the wind picked up but eventually we sat down and had a meal with all of the volunteers and chatted about the future of Warleigh weir and told cheese jokes. Finally with some storm clouds rolling in I made a dash back to my car and drove home, pondering my thoughts on community missions.
Overall, although I did have an great day; it's clear any GoodGym Bath run without Steph is just not the same, and especially today as an individual as part of a wider volunteering group it did feel a long way away from the GoodGym I know, so it truly is a shame that GoodGym Bath is closing down and as such the opportunities to Do Good in Bath will be different in the future.
Sun 29th Jul 2018 at 4:38pm
Thanks Matt for taking the time to attend and go above and beyond for the run report.. Kudos
Bath
Removing burden of de-christmasing from the residents