25 excellent runners plus new Leicester trainer Dave smash two gardening tasks and help make Lambeth a greener place!

Whilst some people were resting ahead of team trip to Riga, a lovely group gave new Leicester trainer Dave a big welcome. It was also nice as Imogen came back to visit us after a trip to New Zealand and a move to North London. After leading a warm up including the dancing star jump, half the group took off up Brixton Hill to visit Gerry at the Nature Gardens and the rest of us went over to Ruskin Park to visit the community garden there.

On arrival at Ruskin community garden, we were quick to work doing some hoeing, serious weeding and digging up compost and spreading it out onto the old soil. Paula told us we might find some old potatoes as we did our weeding, then Victoria found an old potato!!!

I found an old potato! Said Victoria

Jim and John also neatened up some edges around the growing areas. Paula was amazed and happy with our work and we all left feeling happy too.

Then Dave took us to do a hill session. yikes! We ran up and had a nice recovery down for 5 laps. Then he really put the cat amongst the pidgeons by getting us to recover ON THE WAY UP before speeding down the hill. It was fun!

Up at Palace Road Nature Gardens, John H reports: We split into teams: team "drag stuff out of the lake with rakes", team "hack the bark off a tree and paint it purple", team "brush the path like a chain gang" and team "chop at nettles with a sickle and scythe". James B also formed solo team "pick up litter with a grabber". The best part was the tree - Gerry gave Judy a machete and Rose a pen knife, they stripped it back then painted it for protection.

And the paint was Farrow and Ball purple

And with that, we all whizzed back to base for some stretches led by Dave and that was that. Good luck in Leicester Dave!