2 people ran between 5- 8k to help at a community garden and a womens theatre-based education and training centre for ex-offenders

Camden GoodGym was lovely this week. We ran together to two great tasks, the weather was mild for November and we were heckled a record 3 and a half times. Outstanding.

Clean Break Kentish Town

A ladies only group headed up to Clean Break. They we provide high-quality theatre-based courses, qualifications, training opportunities and specialist support which are critical for the rehabilitation of women offenders in prisons and the community. They wanted a hand sprucing up a small garden space so the users of the centre can start using it.

Here's a Tweet from Beth (@2ndbase);

• 8 of us made a Clean Break up to Kentish Town, where we were given an eclectic bunch of tools, including a snow shovel! we had the task of cleaning up the courtyard, the sound of our trowels scraping across the ground was strangely soothing and even helped get a baby to sleep*....(you'll have to ask Beth about that one!)

...and one from Faye @energyfaye;

Clearing moss and weeds from the courtyard, the slugs and a rogue sweeping brush proved a little troublesome. Great project!

Castlehaven Community Centre

The other group headed to Castlehaven in the heart of Camden. We had been the previous week but needed to finish our 'fun with leaves' task (ie collecting fallen leaves from the communal space to make lovely mulch), and to create a path around the newly planted fruit trees with a big sack of woodchip.

Unconventional woodchip spreading

After spending 15mins shifting the wheelbarrows back and forth we decided to do things 'the GoodGym way'....(fast, slightly dangerously and with a fair bit of elbow grease) . We decided to lug the half a tonne sack onto a trolley and push it to the gardens directly. A perfect high intensity workout- and it meant we finished the job in no time! Another group collected leaves- pulling together around 15 heavy sacks of leaves and Camden detritus, and lugging them back to the centre. Hopefully everyone got a good upper body workout this week!

Lack of imagination on the heckling front

On our way home we headed along Camden High Street and were subjected to 3 of the most boring heckles we have had for a long time. Sorry people- "Run Forest", "Go on Girls" and "I'm going to throw tomato ketchup at you" are all incredibly lame. Incidentally my all time favourites are- "Keep your fitness up" from a toddler and "You've got some thread hanging out of your shorts! No, wait- its your legs"...lovely. Feel free to add any classics to the comments below.

We split up on the way home- with some people running a slightly longer route along the canal while a small group ran a few 'lamp posts' on a shorter run back. 'Lamp posts' are great- using them as markers you try and vary your speed- interspersing hard sprints with easy jogs all the way home. Magic.