30 Runners ran 3-4k (with barrows!) to help out at Camley Street Natural Park and Kings Cross Community Orchard

Here's this week's report from Alex

Spring is a time of renewal, where things can seem the same but are indeed oh so fresher. Last night’s run perfectly captured this. A return to the lovely Camley Street in the early evening sunshine, a return to being covered in compost, late getting back again but in time for a telling off from Bob (we’ve been early recently so I think he’s missed the chance to be grumpy) and a rejuvenated Shaun orchestrating events like a wild-haired ringmaster channelling the spirit of Crystal Maze’s Richard O’Brien.

Fact-tastic

After a short run to Camley Street Natural Park (interesting Shaun fact – it’s a natural park), all 28 (or was it 29, 30 or 31?) of us got gloved or wheel-barrowed up and trekked to a nearby industrial estate where there were two tasks – one to move an awful lot of compost down the road to some raised planting beds, and the other to plant some trees in a local burgeoning orchard.

Pick Axe wielding and Barrow slaloming

To misquote the film title we soon realised “There Will be Sweat” as we all got to work shovelling, ferrying and in the case of the tree-planters pick-axing(???). I’m sure they knew what they were doing….

Here's quote from pick axe champion Anthony

"We dug as deep as we could in order to plant some apple and pear (stairs) trees. May the few worms we chopped rest in peace :)"

A lucky escape

As dusk settled, and so did our weary muscles we were of course all devastated to hear there wouldn’t be time for Shaun’s planned interval training. However we did get a chance to run to Granary Square and go for a quick blast around the main building there to wring out any last stores of energy. By the time we got back, largely exhausted, there were lots of smiles and laughter, no doubt from knowing we’d all had a great workout and done some great work to boot!

To sum it all up here's a poem from Amadine, who came on the run last night;

if you want a run

get off your bum

breathe in the london air

and take a moment to stare

theres good work to be done

and with others its a lot more fun

there are so many rewards

like burning off your tum;

but don't forget,

the most important lesson

is the value of your efforts

building a brighter future

for communities who envision a greener culture!

You'd be a fool to miss next week!