GoodGym Camden runners covered two tasks this week. One involved a lung busting 10k run to the Anna Freud Centre to assemble some raised gardening beds, and the other a slightly shorter run of around 5k to St Pancras church to scarifying the lawn.....that is a real word.

10k to Freud Centre

In pretty perfect running conditions, the group heading to the Anna Freud Centre went on a great 5k run to Swiss Cottage, skirting the outside of Regents Park and Primrose Hill. The Anna Freud Centre, who support children and young people with mental health problems, are starting up a Gardening Project for a local school. They needed our help assembling some raised beds, and though we gave it our best shot the tools we were given didn't quite fit the task (I think Alex was left screwing in 6 inch screws with a swiss army knife). It was a lovely garden though and we’ll definitely come back to finish the job if we’re offered a bowl of fresh fruit again!

"Joe showed us a clean pair of heels on the ‘King of the Mountains’ challenge"

On the way back Joe showed us a clean pair of heels on the ‘King of the Mountains’ challenge- sprinting to the summit of Primrose Hill at the head of the pack. Disappointed there was no Rocky style celebration though Joe! With Natalie pushing the pace we made good time on the way back- smashing the time it took to get there.

On the shorter run to St Pancras Church Audrey had really thought long and hard about the activity she was going to set- showing us a great raking exercise that really worked the abs!

Church Ab work out:

Mairi writes:

After being warned about the dangers of swinging rakes around our heads, a small but perfectly formed group of runners headed out to smarten up (an already very smart) St Pancreas’ Church garden. Audrey the gardener give us some tips on how to shed the extra pounds around our middles by using the rakes in certain ways. So we set to work and all felt the burn in our arms and increased our core strength with every piece on moss we pulled from the ground.

"we set to work and all felt the burn in our arms and increased our core strength with every piece on moss we pulled from the ground"

Audrey sent us on our way asking us to admire her beautiful gardening work in a garden further up Euston road, we did a swift circuit of this and then carried on our way up to Regents Park. Pretty Tulips Audrey! Keeping upright, our arms at right angles and a steady pace we sprinted between bins, benches and our very own pink marker! After a short spurt of interval training we headed back to base for a well-earned stretch!

A great first GoodGym experience, many more to come I hope!