21 sun drenched GoodGymers ran 5k to Help Hackney Parks by trimming 200 metres of overgrown hedging.

With the sun out it was get payback for the sub zero winter sessions by making the most of a great evening!!

This week we welcomed some amazing GoodGym first timers for their maiden voyage as well as GoodGym International on Tour!

Expertly leading the 2k charge to Hackney Downs was Mirelle. Where we met up with the Parks team and tooled up!

Being a little light on tools we split the group in two and with the first group snipping away cutting the super long hedge row back off the pavement but also down to a perfect spurt levelled night the rest of the crew headed over to the East side of the Park.

For in inaugural running if the Anna Km we decided on 2 permanent start and finish points from the expert course measuring by Anna during the day. We then burst into action like lightening bolts around the park! Digging deep in this test of speed and endurance we powered through the line in a range of very impressive times and awesome running efforts!! If you recorded the time trial on Strava tag it in the description with #GGOlympics2018 check out the categories and Strava settings info here.

A quick switcharoo and the Time trailers had some Shear delight as they tackled the hedge trimming while Time trial 2 got underway blazing a trial around Hackney Downs!!

Just enough time for an GoodGym Cardiff Tour picture with the holly flag and bagging up all the foliage into big bags before we were expertly guided back to base with the tag team of Alex and Emily.

Thank you all so much for coming along and hope to see you again next week!!

If anyone fancies coming along for the GoodGym Olympics on Saturday afternoon here is all the information.

Smooth Running

Joel

28 Hackney GoodGymers ran 6k to Hackney Wick Community Garden.

Amazing to be back with the squad this week and a huge thank you to Katie for blazing a trail of navigational glory to and back from the task!!

3k very warm kilometres of running had us warmed up for task action and with loads of jobs to do we got right down to business!!

A forest of wood to break down into twigs, big twigs big bagged up and transported in brown Bins across the estate, virtually draining the river of water will the amount of watering that was required for a very thirsty garden (all done by buckets), ingenious work creating not only a hose pipe mini irritation system but also a nailless wood store!

40 minutes of graft rewarded by an amazing fresh fruit spread and water to fuel us up for the strong run back to base!!

Than you all for coming and best of to Deb and Paul for their amazing GoodGym tour!!

See you next week for a Hackney Downes adventure!

Smooth Running

Joel

25 Hackneyites ran 5km and helped St Luke's Church with some gardening

With Joel recovering with his new knee it was my pleasure to cover for him. Welcome along to Valentina, Carolina, Claire, Aimee and Brenna - lovely to have you along!

In the news this week:

1. This month's long run is on Sunday 24th June with either 11km or 16km options - all details here
2. Danny is organising volunteering for the British 10km, with a GG team taking over an aid/water station - in return you'll get a free entry for a Virgin Event. See full details here

After a quick dynamic warm up we headed 2km to St Luke's Church, this is a regular task for GoodGym, the team making a big impact over the years.

Upon arrival we split into two teams tackling weeds, leaves and overgrowth. A team of 3 delicately picked weeds from a beautiful flower bed while the rest of the team cleared as much as possible from the churchyard gardens.

24 GGers + 30 minutes = 12 hours of work!

Over 30 minutes we made a huge impact, filling 12 bags of rubbish and weeds - nice! After a group picture we headed to the local park for a fitness session - getting into pairs one person sprinted while the other did a conditioning exercise - including press ups, squats, balancing, plank & squat jumps!

Sign up for next week here when Joel is back and you are off to help the Hackney Wick Community Garden Team!

PB out.

26 slick GoodGymers ran 6k to cut back the hedging at the Hollybush Nature Reserve.

An awesome evening in Hackney welcomed some new GoodGym faces to the gold for the first time!

With a late change to the task we had unusual adventure of heading a little South of the Hackney boarder to the multi award winning Hollybush community Gardens. A little over 2k to the gardens to meet the irrepressible Margaret.

Arming ourselves with a variety of hedge type cuters we spread out around the parameter of the nature reserve and gave the overgrown hedging a sharpe short back and sides. With some very precise cutting and done uber efficient scooping, wheelbarrowing and compost piling we made a slick unit! In 40 strong minutes of action we had totally completed the task! Always nice to compete and with a Spring in our step we said our goodbyes and zipped off!!

Wanted to up our running game we went in search our a couple of Strava segments expertly found by Chi!! The first a test of our middle distance endurance was an 800m stretch along Queensbridge Road where we put our foot down and cruised our way to glory. A short rest and regroup got us prepared our speedy end to the session with a 500metre dash to Broadway Market! Peaking at some lightning quick speedy we climbed high in the Strava leaderboards!

A little warm down back to the Bakehouse, stretch out and the Sub Quiz Masters Rich/ Phil had us in number knots working out the Drizzy Drake was the first to a Billion plays on Spotify for a single track.

Next week the crew are off to St Luke’s and are in the very secure hands of Islington and Camden Trainer and all around GG legend Paul PB Bown!!

Hopefully see you in a couple of weeks!

Smooth Running

Joel

27 sunshine filled Hackney GoodGymers ran 6k to Abney Park Cemetery to shift a tonne of mulch to an enchanted secret path.

Welcoming a bumper summer turnout of energetic GoodGymers we had big celebrations this week!! With Anna reaching a perfectly paced Century of GoodDeeds! A massive congratulations to Anna for all her hard work, positively, and consistency!! A huge thank you to Clair for her expert and very tasty special Edition celebratory Cake.

On we went to Abney Park and a speedy pace this week to spread out the tribe on our way to Stokey to avoid too many bottle necks along the way. Meeting Tom we armed ourselves with tools a-plenty and delved into the overgrowth of Abney Park!

We a team of strong Shovellers and our endurance bunny team on the wheelbarrows we got into a nice rhythm filling and running the 400 metre loop to tip out the mulch.

Our team of precision rakers had the mulch under control to sculpt it into a perfect springy path way in the depths of the park!

With an seemingly ever growing mulch pile we had to really pick up the pace to complete the path in 40 Energised minutes of GG action!

With time tight we swept up the last of the mulch to leave it tidy for a film crew on Thursday and even a little chat with a UK Jazz legend before we dropped the running hammer dashing back to back in record time!!

Stenches out, 11 of the crew headed out to Tad Turkish restaurant to enjoy a celebration meal with Queen Anna!

See you next week

Smooth Running

Joel

p.s pretty please sign up for the session even if it is 1 minute before you arrive, makes my life much easier! but if you forget please still cone along!

20 Hackney GoodGymers ran 6k to take Mabley Green towards the converted Green Flag award.

Great to be back after missing you all last week!!

Awesome to welcome along our GG newbies and a huge welcome back to Patrick to his first Group Run of the year.

Big thank you to Rich for leading the squad to and from the task! My legs are massively thankful to you!

Slightly different this week wanted to recap what I said in the intro, a huge thank you to so many of you for coming out and supporting everyone on Sunday at the London Marathon!! Really meant so much hearing my name being called as I went by.

If watching or hearing about running London Marathon inspired you to run the ballot opens on the 30th of April for 5 days only! You have to be in it to win it so think why not enter! Click here for all the information on how to enter via Ballot, charity place or time qualification.

We need to get active organising ourselves for the GoodGym Olympics!! all the information on what it’s about and all things we need to prepare are here thought we could have a Saturday meet up maybe after Parkrun to prepare (let’s bounce some dates on WhatsApp group or next week).

With that all said we arrived at Mabley Green to meet the amazingly well Gardening topped up Park Ranger Bruce. Trying on conquer the most over grown, littered and untidy entrance to the Park we got going and super speed!! Bagging up 30 huge industrial sized big bags full of leaves, 3 bags full of rubbish and some random wood found in the undergrowth. Then our edging team got to work finding the path again making it a much more desirable place to visit. Hopefully bringing the Green Flag award a few steps closer!

40 minutes of quality action made a monumental difference to the area, great to get loads of positive comments from local residents about the work we were doing!

Just the not so small matter of the run back to base, great to have the light to run through Vicky Park to!!

A high quality refuelling post run with 12 of us (with Phil joining us in trousers, crazy!!) at Tad Turkish restaurant.

Off to Hackney Wick Community Garden next week!! See you there!!

Smooth Running

Joel

18 GoodGymers ran 6km and helped Mabley Green clear up!

Thanks for coming along guys, it appeared like Joel was on a rare holiday but he was actually leading a special GGxLondon Marathon Run. It was lovely to lead you guys, plus run and do good in Hackney!

Welcome along to Justyna, Chris, Karina and Nom whose first time it was last night - lovely to have you along :)

In the news this week:

1. To celebrate GG Hackney's 5th birthday, there'll be social next Tuesday after the group run - come along!
2. This Sunday is the London Marathon and GoodGym has various cheering squads out and about - have a look here. Joel, myself and 20+ of GoodGymers are running - come along and cheer us on

After a quick intro we did some dynamic warm up exercises before heading east to Mabley Green. For those who are doing Hackney Half Marathon in May we covered some of the route you'll be taking, including passing Mabley Greeen itself.

Once we'd ran 2.5km to the task we met Bruce, Hackney Council's Parks Development Officer, at the back end of Mabley Green where there is lots of work to do! The tasks were to continue to remove the grass and soil which is on top of the hard standing area, tackling both sides of the underpass. There was also a bit of litter picking and raking up tons of leaves.

Not every GoodGym run you find a toilet!

Hackney wants to put Mabley Green forward for the Green Flag Award so all the work we can do to help them is massively valuable. We got into teams and over 30 minutes collected up 15 bags of debris and leaves, removed rolls & rolls of grass and bagged up lots of litter.

On the way home we played the meet and retreat game twice - lots of fun sprinting around the football field in the sunset.

Sign up for next week here, you are going back to Mabley Green and Joel is back!

PB out.

22 Hackney GoodGymers ran 5k to Gascoyne Estate communty garden to shift 2.5 tonnes of compost in 40 minutes of heavy lifting action.

After welcoming the squad for the evening we set off on our 2.5k run down to Gascoyne Estate. A little running stare down with the Victoria Park harriers on the edge of Well Street Common. Meeting up with Derek who has any number of barrows, pots, bins and wheeliebins ready to be filled. Whipping off the cover on the remaining 3 tonnes of soil and manure. We got stuck right in loading and piling at a furious rate! Working a lighting speed with loads of techniques to transport the soil we manoeuvred 3.5 tonnes to free up most of the pavement, car park and keeping the landlords happy.

A swift tidy up and grabbing some refreshments before we powered back to base throwing in the magnificent 1k lamppost fartlek to take us back to base with perfect timing!

Great effort last night, hopefully Spring will show up next week for our task with Hackney Parks!!

Have a great week

Smooth Running

Joel

thanks to Mireille for the Pun!!

27 Hackney GoodGymers ran 6k to Abney Park Cemetery to get it Spring ready with Bulb planting, ivy chopping, path mulching and Lion cleaning.

Great to see the Bakehouse bursting with energy ready for our run!! Nice to nearly be running in the embers of day light to, not to mention the double digit Spring warmth creeping through.

After a brain teasing Question of the day from Quiz Master Ros which we didn’t get around to answering. Or no one really understood the question??

We were off on our well trodden path to Abney Park lead expertly by Katie. 3k of pretty speedy running up to Stoke Newington to me Park Manager Tom at the enchanting Abney Park Cemetery.

After we were locked into the cemetery to got to work, marching the tools down deep into the Park. Splitting up into 4 groups to get the most out of our energetic endeavours. We had Ivy clearing from grave stones to allow the 2 year grace mapping project to keep going at full steam. Wild flower bulb planting along the main paths edge to look pretty and to encourage park users to stick to the paths which helps to keep the park growing in the right places. After the snow the first path we mulched in January was looking worse for wear so we had a 100 metre sprint to re mulch it with half a tonne of Hackney’s finest mulch. And finally the historically listed Lion from a very famous and some would say unforgettable local hero’s grave. Needed to be gently cleaned to restore Larry the Lion to is shimmering glory.

This was an all action no stop furious 40 minutes of portable light action!! We had snipping, pitch forking, wheelbarrowing, roping, planting, scrubbing and of course a lot of singing to Larry!!

We really used every possible second to get as much work down even requiring a super Bolt like sprint finish to get the mulched path complete with expert mulch manoeuvring from Patrick!!

With the task complete and time slipping away we said our good byes to Tom and zipped back to base at Pace!! Katie spearheading the charge to finish off the task perfectly(ish) on time!!

Great session everyone!!

Next week we have the second half of Soil mountain to contend with and we need all hands on deck to complete the task! Be great if you could come along for more fun on the Run Hackney style!!

Have a great week

Smooth Running

Joel

P.S not sure who to credit but thank you fir the Pun!!