We met in our usual tree-house at Anglia Ruskin University Sports Hall. 9 runners made entries to our register and I introduced myself as the new Goodgym Trainer for Chelmsford from January 2019.

We spoke about Saturdays parkrun and Goodgym runners giving their illustrious time by volunteering as some of them are running the Chelmsford 10k on Sunday, have a great run.

We lumbered off to one of our mainstream and favourite tasks at Broomfield hospital.

This run is one of our longest at 4.5k there so it is important to treat the warm up properly so your limbs and muscles are ready to engage the treatment they will get on a long run.

We started off by toe walking to stretch the calves and engage the ankles, then some walking lunges, knee raises and then a few sprints between lamp posts on the pedestrian path out of the Uni.

We jogged on at a pace with Joel leading and streaking ahead with Rachel tail running, along the main streets heading to Broomfield. Heading through the church grounds there was a tapestry of leaves on the ground as there were in the forestry area next to the hospital, quite damp and slippery and certainly not as sultry as the summer.

We were met by David and after the pleasantries he explained that the treat of a task was tree planting. Trees are very important and intriguing in so many ways being terrestrial organisms they absorb and block noise and reduce glare. They create an ecosystem to provide habitat and foods for birds and other animals. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from industry and potentially harmful gasses, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide from the air and they release oxygen back out, a fantastic chemistry. We should treasure trees and all they can do for us and the countryside around us.

We paired off and set to digging holes big enough to place the potted saplings, Joseph and Paul, Laurie and Rachel (I helped to make a trio), Adam and Joel and finally James and Jennifer all planted a tree each in full symmetry. Four trees planted, world saved!

Time to run back, on the run back there was lots of food chatter between Laurie and Rachel tail running, about pastry, entr'ees and cooking. Yummy!

Luckily the *4.5km back *is mostly downhill so the pace picked up quite well, to give those quads a full work out we stopped to do wall squats.

Back outside the sports hall the important stretches were undertook and after digging it is important not to neglect your trunk and ensure you give that a stretch as well.

So, how many “trees” and “tree” references can you find?

Oh, did I forget to mention that Rich has entered a full Ironman in Copenhagen next year? I am sure he will mention sometime!!

Happy running and tree hugging to you all.