GoodGym Cardiff’s run to the Samye Foundation, Mindfulness and Well being centre… We invite you to keep reading and join us on this journey. Try and see if you can work out the riddles and take a look at the photos too (Post answers to riddles in the comment box below the report)

You wake up on Tuesday morning and check the date and time. It’s 7am on Tuesday 29th August 2017. The sun is glistening through your window and you know you plan to run with GoodGym this evening. And with this plan ahead you feel great. It’s a feeling of awesomeness that is unshakable… you are going to be running to a task that benefits the community, using your fitness to do good, its you vs. the world and you are going to win every time. With this in mind you are feeling completely positive about the day ahead… and nothing can stop you feeling this good! Even if your manager gives you extra work… you are signed up to a GoodGym run and any problems don't phase you, just like water off a ducks back.

As Tuesday evening approaches that excited-ness you’ve been feeling is growing, you may also feel slightly nervous… this is understandable and it’s okay! It will be your first time running with GoodGym Cardiff and you might be wondering what it is going to be like… Is Ben a nice trainer? Will he make me do 100 burpees? A burpee… what’s a burpee? Am I going to look silly?… All of these thoughts may well come to your mind, and that’s okay! In reality, Ben will help you get fit but not break you in the process, Ben is a nice trainer (self-acclaimed!) and the other GoodGym runners are all friendly and welcoming... providing you remember to put clothes on before you leave the house, you'll be okay :)

So Tuesday evening arrives and you’ve just entered Yr Hen Lyfrgell. You witness Fliss make an epic entrance, having rushed from her dental appointment with a big smile on her face but unable to feel her face. You see Lucy entering in at speed having come straight from her work to make it in time for GoodGym! – You witness heroic efforts made by almost all runners to attend the evening’s run (Tom will be sprinting as he arrives to join in the warm up). You’ll also have GoodGym runners chatting to you. Maybe it will be Su, maybe Nathan, Martin, Samina or someone else… They will all make you feel welcome!

You’re not alone as you meet other GoodGym first timers too. Two runners called Tom and Adam (Welcome guys!) are also new to GoodGym. You’ll hear Ben talk his thoughts and share his jokes, comedy gold! … “I wonder if you’ve seen us on TV or heard us on the radio? Yes that’s right, GoodGym was on TV on Friday last week and on BBC Radio Wales in the morning and in the evening! Our beautiful faces on TV helping them get their viewing numbers up – Another good deed!”

You soon feel settled in and before we even do the warm up you feel like a GoodGym Runner. The clock strikes 6.30pm and all runners head downstairs for the warm-up. Ben’s exciting warm up routine involves physical imaginary exercises, opening gates, ushering sheep into pens and then closing the gates afterwards – Ben gets everyone’s imaginations working! Ben then explains how he used to be a fencing instructor – You as well as everyone else will be wondering where this is going… – curiosity soon demystifies when Ben gets everyone into pairs and he leads a fencing warm-up game. First to 3, and to gain a point you must tag your partner’s knee without them tagging you first. If you lost against your partner you had to do 8 burpees! (Needless to say… GAME ON!) You’re already getting stuck in, enjoying yourself and meeting people (A game with a purpose...it gets your legs warmed up and reduces the risk of injury).

Then Ben leads another game; ‘In the river, on the shore’. Ben marks out the shoreline and the river on the ground. When he calls “in the river” everyone has to jump in the river, and when he calls “on the shore” everyone has to jump onto the shore. The person who gets it wrong has to jog on the spot and help Ben spot the next person to be out. Everyone then puts in respectable and unquestionable impressive levels of effort, and the person who last the longest wins… It is Lexi who wins and is crowned champion this week! (Well Done Lexi, Great Footwork!)

With Ben leading and Samina backmarking runners are in safe hands… we’re on our way

You are feeling positive. You are heading to the Samye Foundation mindfulness and well-being centre with 13 other runners! At points on route Ben calls everyone to regroup and you’re encouraged to plank, squat and display elegant calf raises – It’s a beautiful sight! You do hear the most interesting groans and moans though... hmmm... anyway After running 1.3 miles you and the other runners make it to the task!

Welcome to the Samye Foundation

Lorraine, Jon and Yin are there to greet everyone on arrival. You receive a warm welcome and without further ado, knowing how much GoodGym runners love to dive in, they explain the tasks/challenges they need you and the other runners to complete.

4 runners are allocated to paint the front room white, 4 runners are allocated to paint the room next to that yellow, 4 runners are allocated to paint the outside walls white, and last but not least, Nathan, a frequent runner with GoodGym, is allocated to take on the role of clearing rubble from the back garden and taking it to the front skip. Whilst getting stuck into painting and chatting to other runnners you hear Ben’s voice beckon from the corridors…saying something along the lines of;

Without further ado, here is a riddle or two for you I am Lighter than what I'm made of. Stronger than ships. More of me is hidden than is seen. What am I?

Lettuce reveal you the answer at next weeks run.

The maker doesnt want it, the man who bought doesnt need it and the man who uses it isn’t aware of it. What is it?

(Comment below with your answers)

1 Minute remaining…. 30 seconds… 10 seconds… Time is up!

To the sound of Chariotts of Fire which Ben plays on full volume, time is up. Challenge Set and Challenge met… The spaces that need to be painted white are all painted white, the spaces that needed to be painted yellow are painted yellow and Nathan, who was wheelbarrowing rubble and using a spade to shift it into the skip… Well his arms must have been burning by the end of the task! Everyone, including yourself, definitely all had a good workout. Lexi, Tom, Su were all covered in paint... and Ben even managed to get some on his hands! It was a paint riot! You then find out there are 3 more tasks before the run home. 1.) Water to Hydrate 2.) Mcvitties Biscuits 3.) A 5 minute mindfulness practice with Lorraine. All of which are awesome!

You have water, eat a biscuit or two and then join in the mindfulness practice… Notice your breath… Allow thoughts to come and go… Bring your attention to the contact your body makes with the ground… If your mind wanders acknowledge this as normal and direct your attention back to your breath.

DINGGGG

Lorraine rings the bell and thanks you for your hard efforts and for joining in the mindfulness practice. After the mindfulness practice your heart rate is probably at the lowest it has been throughout the whole day… however this is not for much longer. Ben soon gets your heart rate back up and leads you on the run back. On the way back Ben stops everyone in front of Cardiff Castle to do a 50m sprint. Your mind wonders if you’ll survive this!...You do! Feeling confident, Ben then leads interval sprints for the remainder of the run and you feel like you are definitely getting a workout.

As you finish your run you think how awesome it has been. You’ve got fit, done good for your community and made friends in the process. You’re on top of the world!

RunPunStiltskin Award

Well done to Samina who came up with the pun for this week’s run! You creative genius! Relish in the achievement of winning such a prestigious award, but do make sure you return it before next Tuesday!

Next week there will be TWO GoodGym Group runs. Take advantage of this in order to up your millage. The Cardiff half marathon is getting closer and these runs will help.

Click here to see next Tuesday’s group run.

Click here to see next Thursday’s group run. Please read closely as start location is different