This week we tried out a new format for our Group run. We stayed put at East Oxford Community Centre and did the task first then went for a run; controversial!

Loitering with intent outside the Community Centre, we welcomed Miriam to her first GoodGym session - nagging your friends too come along works folks ;-) - before awarding not 1, but 2 Garlands of Joy to Rachael and Rachel for reaching 10 Good Deeds. We have quite a few people reaching this milestone now, which is awesome!

Nipping round the corner into the courtyard, Tim Wiseman was ready and waiting with our task for the evening. Two unloved benches had been donated by Oxford Direct Services, but they were looking a bit shabby, so our job was to get them restored to their former glory.

Bringing our best elbow grease we set to work cleaning down the slats and ends with white spirit, scrapping off old chewing gum (bleurgh) , and then sanding off the old paint.

Between chitter chatter, hard work, and admiring the Tai Chi sharing the courtyard space, 45 minutes flew by and it was time to pack up. We carefully stashed the bench components out of the way, ready for our 2nd evening working on them next month. Step 2 will be getting the new paint on them.

Then, not forgetting that we are a running club, we set off for a run. We are really fortunate to be allowed access to run on the Roger Bannister Running Track, and this week we headed straight there for an intervals session. Using the half mile jog to Iffley Road as our warm up we jumped straight into the workout when we arrived. This week's challenge was 400m fast running, 30 seconds rest, 200m fast running, 100m walk, 100m jog, and repeat x3. Having previously run on the track in the summer holidays, when we've had it pretty much to ourselves, it was quite a change to have lots of company this week. What a difference term time makes! Sprinters, packs of speedsters, there was lots going on to keep us motivated.

Blood pumping, lungs burning everyone completed the run in fine style.

The beauty of running on the track is that everyone can work at exactly the pace they want that day, and the springy surface is just a joy to run on.

Chatting our way back to base, the stretches at the end of the run elicited lots of groans this week. Tight legs?! Don't forget those yoga videos I sent last week. They're miracle workers.

Great work as always gang!