Tonight twelve terrific GoodGymmers ran 4k to help out at Northway Gardens.

Meeting at the Phoenix, we were joined by Holly for her first ever GG run. Welcome! We heard Fay and Rob's report from the shindig over the weekend - it sounds brilliant - and discussed hot weather running. It was (and is!) super hot: we agreed taking it easy is a good start.

We set off with Fay backmarking. After a quick stop halfway for squats and a plank we arrived at Northway Gardens. Brian, the task owner, asked us to: edge the flower beds with clippers, edge the pathway along the top edge of the gardens, plant a few flowers, and finally water the pots. The team got to work, quickly speeding through all the jobs in 25 minutes. We also finished with a quick gardening lesson: planting the flowers and the use of moisture crystals to help the plants along. The garden is looking great and we were thanked by two groups of people who use the gardens for their evening dog walks. Might have even persuaded one or two of them to come running with us sometime...

After packing up, we ran back halfway while discussing 5ks - and how to go faster. One method is repeats of fast/race pace with rests between - so we decided to test it. Using a mini 'track' near our base, we did two sets of two laps with fast uphill and slow downhill. It was hot work but everyone smashed it. We celebrated with a slow run back to base followed by high fives, stretches and biscuits.

This week's Barnet biscuit: shortbread.