Wall of honour

• Pat on the back to Dom for back marking the group there and back.
• High-Fives to Emma and Tom for joining us on their first group run!
• Three Cheers to JC for touristing over from Greenwich

Let's have a recap

Last night 25 runners ran 10km overall to Tabard Garden Allotmentsmaking it our highest ever average attendance in January, and our biggest group this year!! On the way to the task split into 2 groups to vary the pace, thanks to Sam and Girija for keeping the 2 groups together. After being held up by a few traffic lights, we made our way to the garden where Peter and Annawere waiting to instruct us with the tasks for the evening. We quickly split into 2 teams, the first group led by Stefan, Nate & Tom took wheelbarrows containing bags of manure (direct from our work at Surrey Docks Farm) and transported it to 'Beautiful Balin', garden another nearby community space looked after by the Tabard Growers. The second team armed with spades and forks got to work shoveling stubborn soil and roots into wheelbarrows, continuing the work we started before Christmas, to make a new planting bed ready for spring. Despite two wheelbarrows having broken wheels, the two Sams took care of the heavy lifting along with Paulin and Ben. Kim was the most keen to get her hands dirty, and Nelly summed up the evening with tonight's pun! In 30mins so much soil was cleared the bags were almost empty, ready for us to finish the job in a few weeks time!

FACT OF THE DAY Toponymy - is the study of place names, their origins, meanings, use and typology.

We made it back in good time, with some added sprints along the Surrey Canal, and lots of discussion about what was for dinner! Finishing of with a quick stretch and cool down.

Next week we'll be running 4km overall to the BRAND NEW Crisis store opening in Peckham! It is the day before they are due to open, so we will have exclusive access to help them get everthing ready! Followed by some fitness drills around Peckham Rye.

See you there team!

Wall of Honor

Big Shout to Sally for back marking and keeping the group together High-Five to Kim, Baljit & Coral who completed their first GoodGym run with us!

Let's have a recap

Last night 22 runners ran 8km in total to the Crisis store in Elephant and Castle.

The good news was that storm Brendan had passed, but it was still a chilly evening so we swiftly made our way up to Wallworth Road via Burgess Park. Once we arrived we met Emelia & Daniella who welcomed us into the store and showed us our tasks for the evening. We had one team meticulously rearranging the clothes rails getting everything into size order. A second team set up a production line organising stacks of CDs and DVDs, checking the products were in the right boxes, then making and sticking on labels. And a third group had the task of separating and re-organising all the single lone shoes from a jumbled pile, into categories of male, female, smart, casual and healed!

FACT OF THE DAY High heeled shoes were originally worn by men! As early as the 10th century, many horseback riding cultures wore heels on their boots and shoes to help stay in stirrups. When the Persian cavalry wore inch high heels, they became associated with the upper class, since they showed the wearer owned and maintained horses.

Everyone attacked each task enthusiastically with an eye for detail, as well as a bargain! And in only 30 minutes we got through so much stock, Emelia & Daniella were delighted and ready to have us back again!

Next week we will be running 7km to support the Salvation Army in Camberwell. It will also be GoodGym Southwarks 4th Birthday!! So we will celebrating with a drink or two next door!

See you there Team!

Wall of Honour

• Big Shout to Sam for back marking and keeping the group together, making sure Allie didn't get lost!
• Pat on the back to Anna for completing 4 Good Deeds since Saturday already!

Let’s have a Recap

Last night 17 runners braved the rain and ran 10km in total to Tabard Garden Allotments. After discussing choices of leg wear and admiring Dom's new tights we set off for a quick warm up and headcount, with Abbie making her way by bike. Our route took us up the Surrey Canal Path and along the streets of the Q1 cycle route, what started off as light rain soon turned into wet clothes! After we had sped past the entrance, we managed we locate Peter a member of the Tabard Growers who directed us to tonights task - digging!

FACT OF THE DAY The Tabard was a historic inn established in Southwark in 1307. It stood on the ancient throroughfare that led from London Bridge to Canterbury, and is mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales.

We split into 2 teams taking gloves, spades, and pick axes to remove weeds from the herb spiral and digging up soil emptying old builder sacks. The soil was soon scooped up into wheelbarrows and moved to another corner to create a new planting bed. After working solidly for 20 minutes the weeds were cleared and the diggers were delighted to get to the bottom of the soil bag, which had been sitting there for 10 years. Peter thanked us for our efforts which would have taken him 2 weeks!

Heading back we took our time, throwing in some extra squats, whilst making sure that no one got left behind - just a pair of black gloves, now in my lost & found box Anybody?

Next week we are helping out with TRAID in Peckham to get through their end of season sale stock. It will be a 5km run overall with some added fitness exercises thrown in to keep us warm!

See you next week Team! Stay Dry!

Wall of Honour

• Thanks to Girija for back marking, sporting her new 100 t-shirt!
• Big Shout to Imogen, Molly, Raj and Phoebe for completing their first run with us!
• Pat on the back to Emma & Kathy for completing the Oxford Half Marathon in the pouring rain with fantastic support from Emily & Civ.

Let’s have a Recap

Last night 23 runners ran 4km in total to the Salvation Army Springfield Lodge supported housing in East Dulwich. A centre that provides youth accommodation and support in all other aspects of their lives.

We took a quick warm up dusting off some balletic leg swings confirming our names and ability to count to 23! Then we set off along a sleepy residential route climbing a long steady hill on the way, with a brief pause to lean (wall-sit) against a wall. The task owner this week was our very own GoodGym runner Rosanna (not in running gear and very smartly dressed!) who explained the plans for the task ahead. With lots of items needing to be moved to other parts of the building, she had thankfully prepared sticky labels to tell us where to go!

The first team began outside weeding, clearing and sweeping the pavement and filling up the bins with any rubbish. A second group started removing and cleaning various items of furniture before transporting the chairs back into the main building. Sam & Mike impressively carried a wardrobe returning it to a room on the ground floor, thankfully with no stairs! And a final group arranged the remaining items that needed to be loaded onto shelves in the limited space of the garden shed. In 25 minutes and many hands our work was fully done prompting some lovely feedback from the staff 'what lovely guys and girls' 'can't believe the strength of some of them!'.

FACT OF THE DAY the Salvation Army was founded in 1865 in the East End of London, now with branches in over 75 countries. There is a Heritage Centre Museum in Southwark which also houses the reference library and archives!

After a quick round of Squat roulette and Press up dominoes we headed downhill with Abbie & Ineke leading the way back. And a closely fought ultra-competitive Lamppost relay gave everyone a final sweat before we rolled into the bar next door.

Next week we will be running 4km overall to the nearby Cossall Estate Residents association community garden to help clear up any weeds and leave the area looking nice heading into winter. Sign up here

See you next week Team. Wrap up!

Southwark News

• Looking for plans THIS Sunday? Join us for a Gardening Workshop from 2-4pm at Surrey Docks Farm! Grab the last spaces here

Wall of Honour

• High Five to Tara for completing her first run with us!
• Big Shout to Allie for running tonights session with a 15kg backpack! Ready for her Rhino suited Half Marathon next week!!
• Show it off! This weeks Champions are Sam for completing his first Half Marathon in under 2 hours! and Helena & Ed who ran the WINE drinking Marathon Du Medoc last month! Thirsty work!

Let’s have a Recap

Last night 15 runners ran 6km in total to the beautiful Bell House Gardens, home to a magnificent Grade II Listed building, and charity offering educational needs such as dyslexia support.

It was a dry night (after 2 heavy days of rain!) but with a slight temperature drop, conversations once again debated how many and which layers to wear for the evening!? We jumped through a brisk warm up passing the first test of names and numbers (always a tricky one!) and headed on a straightforward route up Barry Road and through the peacefully dark Dulwich Park. Managing to not get locked in and with Helena back-marking we arrived to meet Graham in the Bell House tool shed.

The daylight was well gone, but fear not we came prepared! With head torches and garden lamps we got to work on our first task - moving over 20 large bags of manure! Despite the smells and varying weights a chain was formed to deposit the bags into the compost heap at the back of the garden, with thankfully few mishaps!

Reece & Richard gave some man power to a tired lawn mower and helped move the heavy machine from the bottom of the garden back into the shed! And although we faced a challenge in the dark, we were able to illuminate the back of the garden so that the final task could be completed in true GoodGym style, turning over soil and digging out weeds working in an organised team being careful not get a stab in the dark! Much to Graham's surprise ALL 3 tasks were completed within 25 minutes, so we bid goodbye to the garden until Spring!

Leading the way home Richard navigated us along Woodwarde Road, sharing a few jokes along the way! And back up the hill towards the library. After adding in some loops backs and extra sprints for the front runners we all arrived together for a final stretch and appreciation for Allie's Rhin-ormous effort!

FACT OF THE DAY A Black Rhino’s skin can be up to 5cm thick! - No wonder those costumes are so heavy!

Next week we will be running 6km overall to our friends at Salvation Army in Camberwell. There will be plenty to get stuck into helping clear up after their recent building work! Sign up here

Dom T will be taking the ropes next week. Any queries, please get in touch at dom@goodgym.org

See you soon! Chin Up!