WOW, WOW, and WOW. What a brilliant evening at Goodgym Bexley last night. Not only were all distance running records broken it was possibly the most unusual task we have done to date. As deadline for arriving at Crooklog arrived, 13 Bexley Goodgymers were on the start line. Some looking a little nervous, some ready to get out there and conquer. By conquer i mean we had a mountain to climb to get to our task. That mountain being Shooters Hill!!! Big hi 5 to Ashley for joining us for the first time. We hope you had a blast. Let me tell you, there's nothing quite the feeling of belonging as you head out in our group weaving in and out of the commuters and shoppers all eager to get to our task at the Oxleas Apiary That belonging became really important when we reached the bottom of Shooters Hill as we coached and encouraged everyone that needed it to the summit.

That belonging became really important when we reached the bottom of Shooters Hill as we coached and encouraged everyone that needed it to the summit.

On arrival we were greeted with massive smiles from John and friends and shown to the Apiary and the big task at hand. After a quick drink it was down to work. We were all offered bee suits but everyone declined. I'm not sure if that was due to not wanting to put people out, or just bravery on everyones part but we started working suitless. It wasn't till around 4 minutes in when Neil took a sting that everyones bravery subsided and it was suits on, hahaha.......... I would just like to say that this wasn't just a brilliant task, it was an education lesson. John couldn't of been a better host as he filled everyone with knowledge about the bee world. It is really so fascinating and we left the task with a massive new insight into the world of bees. Thank you. Well just as we were finishing the heavens decided to open up and after getting 16 people into a shed (another task conquered :-) ) to try and keep a little dry it was decided it was time to brave our run home in the rain. Before i sign out bee fact Bees have around 3 to 5 days of life left when you see them flying around. When you see them exhausted on the floor they are coming to the end of their life. Giving them sugar water etc will not make them better or live any longer. Well thats was it. We all made it back in one happy peace. All very chuffed we had run up and back down Shooters Hill. Well done Bexley Goodgymers, you rocked!! Tonights Heroes........ JANINE, NEIL, LIZ, LUCY, PETER, TANYA, SHARINE, SARAH, SUSAN, ASHLEY, FIONA, ROSE and ME.......

9 GG Brent fitties were fast and furious as they pushed down pavements and paraded their way through tonights leaflet task for Brent's good causes. YAY!!

Now all I can say to start this run report tonight is - What Debs wants Debs gets and when our bride to be requested a track session, how could I refuse!! So armed with our source of good-deeding info sharing leaflets for - The NHS, Granville community food kitchen and some home grown repping for us GG BRENT as well, we got to stepping and paper chased our way through the ends, all the way to Willesden Sports Centre. BOOM!

Oh and thank you mother nature for blessing us with a rain free evening. Really and truly, this will be the first track attack session in a while that hasn't been a wash out! phewwwwww!!!!

So after our community spree which included face to face, library drops and postal passion, we arrived at our home for the eve & let me tell you, these guys were raring to go. Seriously energised and ready for some fabulous fitness fun and games in the form of drills, skills and a lot a lot of HIIT training - THATS High intensity interval training to you and me ;) POW POW!

After some mobilising and skills work, in the form of walking lunges , crab walks and various hop, skip and jumps (No that wasn't into the sandpit although Tabitha would have loved that!!) it was set to work on running 200m sprints, timed and repeated to track pace!

Can I just say at this point, OMG what a set of times, for each and every one!! All achieved even in the midst of some worried faces and moments of self doubt, particularly ironic was the cries from Jo But I'm not a sprinter hummmm really?? As she smashed in under 40 seconds each time!!! Bolt eat your heart out please!

Everyone gave it their all and worked their socks off for the whole session. Huffing, puffing, panting, recovering then going again and again. Special shouts go to Pushpa aka 'mum' who shaved 15 seconds off her first time in round three, living up to her name as she "Pushpa'd" to the max!! Think she was holding out on us and is a cheeky lil speedster at heart!!

After the main event, we finished off the session and the last of the legs with step jumps x 10 for three rounds and with that all jelly legged and understandably exhausted, we jogged the cool down back to base.

Another great evening doing good in Brent, with a HIIT-Fit focus for our resident badass athletes, that really packed a punch!

See you next time fit fam!!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE

Amazing GG Brent tonight!! 2 tasks, 2 teams and 2 run reports!! POW POW

Part one - Elle Energy talks shaking asses with the masses and chopping the grasses

OMG Could it be... A number sixteen, who came out to clean, chop and shift and pick up sticks across the borough, it could be none other.... Than the Brent GG, hurrah and Yippppeee!!

So there I was on this sunshine filled glorious evening with tasks coming out of my.... heavily branded Elle Energy leggings clad bottom!! Not one but two of our community friends requested support tonight and so as not to let anyone down, my glorious crew showed up in masses, to shake their asses down to Harlesden Community gardens... and.... our old pal Col, at the Police Station for a last min help request to make the building a safer environment by clearing some crazy debris!

So with a 9/7 split we head down Walm Lane in our two teams, red tees glistening in the sun and making people stop and stare at all the laughter and good vibeing fun.

At the turning up to St Peters Av, we said our goodbyes and departed, with me leading the 4mile gang to the gardens and Mouse and Sadhana leading on to the Police station. And can I just say it was absolutely wonderful to welcome back so many beloved old faces - Nisha, Dimple, Roshni and Isabelle and...... the incredible Karen back from her half marathon charity run in Kenya!! But as Karen was used to running next to Giraffes in her last big jaunt, she may have been disappointed by the lesser impressive wildlife on offer in Harlesden so chose instead to hit up the Police station for some much needed grounding. With our jungle runner specialist lost to the coppers, it was left to me and crew 2, to Get down, get down and jungle boogie with Gabriel at the gardens and tackle the massive branches for some serious tree surgery!

Along with the jungle bashing affair with our resident dare devil and head for heights honey Liz leading the way, the gardens played host to all manner of other nature filled fun - Watering the plants although Debs mistook my ass for grass at one point, soaking me entirely!! Thank you cheeky monkey!!, clearing litter from the grass with help from some extremely cute local kids, stomping down compost and breaking up branches and with only 30mins to do our best, we wasted no time and threw ourselves in to the tasks with motivation and grit!!

In no time at all, it seemed, the time was up and wishing farewell we turned on our heels once more! Fast pace and gunning for a race, there were a few points where the gang were smashing pace below 7min miles AMAZING aghhh but wait.... was it because they heard from team one that if we swung by the cop shop on route back, we could enjoy some of Colin's home made banana and date smoothies..?!???!!! No monkeying around, because these chasing chimps couldn't be stopped from getting to those bananas!!

After the jungle-juice pit stop we had less than a mile to trot back to base and rejoin our lovely gang once more! So as we reconvened, we shared our stories of the wet and wild adventures on both sides and how maybe one day if we were lucky, we could be selected to join Colin's special boat party VIP's!! Dunno how my land loving jungle Janes and Joe our resident (not so good with heights) Tarzan would do on water..... guess we'll have to see when the invitations arrive!!

Ok here goes - Part 2. Second half of the run report, from the marvellous Mouse

Colin’s milkshake brings all the girls to the yard…

Seven super strong GG Brent ladies (Dimple, Roshni, Nisha, Isabelle, Karen, Sadhana and Mouse) smashed the short distance down to Willesden Green's old police station to assist Colin in his cop shop clearout.

And imagine our delight to be welcomed with by a lovely pear….of juices (clear and cloudy) and homemade banana and date milkshake. Fruity!

After a quick refreshment break we set to work in clearing a variety of items (tents, musical instruments, boxes of ladies shoes that Colin offered to us but alas - despite lots of interest from Karen, Roshni and Nisha - no-one was Cinderella and the shoes did not fit) out and up into the gallows. We didn't hang around… and before Colin knew it we'd lifted and shifted everything bar a bit of tinsel that made a bid for freedom. He was almost lost for words… almost.

And so we moved on to our second task of the evening… clearing out Claudia’s closet! Thankfully there were no skeletons to be found, just a huge variety of theatre costumes and props, which Sadhana created a one-woman show with... whilst pocket rocket Dimple scaled a ladder to heave everything up into the loft.

Jobs all done there was just time to check out the “medicinal herb” garden and the hives on the roof...the bees knees! before we bid farewell to Colin and his trusty sidekick Rob and ran back to base to regroup with the rest of the GG Brent team and swap stories.

And there you have it Fitness Familia. A lot of LOLs and always Good Vibes, I am in love with this fierless, happy and wonderfully weird Goodgym tribe

See you next time!!!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE

9 GG Brent Familia, hit up a couple of K, to; Break up old beds, manovoure matresses, lift chairs, move massive mounds of old furniture & whack some weeds. All For the community regeneration of the Old Police HQ in wonderful Willesden!!

Intrigued.... yes it was a weird and wacky one I can tell you!! Read on for the full report

Delighted to be back with my west London fam, the GG Brent brigade didn't disappoint, with a courageous crew of nine, ready to rock the roads and pound pavements for Willesden Town Team's Police Station regeneration project. POW POW!

Back in the mix for a second week in a row was the absolutely awesome Coralie, one of the GG Brent originals back from her travels, all gorgeous and brown. Joining Coralie was our gaggle of gals: Sisters Beattie and Rachel, Debs and Tabs, Clairey-bell and Awesome Amy. And holding down the fort for the Brent, brilliant blokes was always jubilant Joe!! YAY.

So wasting no time..... OKAY We did waste a bit with catch ups and banter We stepped out to run the short distance to our destination for the eve on Walm Lane! On route we heard some very exciting news indeed that our very own beautiful Debs, received a proposal at the weekend...!!!! Amazing and we were so delighted to hear her wonderful wedding news! x x x

The run was fairly short, so arriving on time was no problem at all! Meeting us a the door was our ever brilliant host Colin, who, like the stray cats he fostered lurking all around the yard, has had nine lives himself! Which we heard all about over the course of the evening The being swept out the sea escape being the most dramatic swerve of death story he told! WOWZER and there's you thinking cool-cats didn't like water!!

Wanting to maximise the time we decided to stay for the duration of 60mins as there was plenty to do!! Most notably the smashing up of old bed frames and mattress stacking as this old station used to be haven for a very large community of squatters and copious amounts of sleep aids were not needed for what was in store for this place's future! FYI - You couldn't stop the enthusiasm of Beattie and Tabitha as they launched straight into the bed-bashing and wielded their hammers until the final stopwatch chime! Girl Power Hour for real!!

Rachel, Amy, Coralie, Claire and I focussed on the chair stacking and heavy lifting of the debrit varieties from the shed to the yard, while Joe became Colin's right hand muscle man! And despite his looks of dismay and self doubt, turned out to be quite the handy-man, spending some of the night perched on top of a van!! LOL

Although it's fair to say this was definitely a physical task of the highest decree, in order to get in some legit fitness fun, I integrated some leg circuits into the mix, with break-out squads tackling: Split squats, sumos and jump lunges X10 Reps for 3 rounds and I'm hoping there's gonna be some well toned, aching muscles waking up in West London this morning as a result!!

Although it seemed like only a few moments passed, the time had unfortunately etched away and once more we had to bid farewell to our excellent host and worthy task. However, this one is one where there is much to be done and we will be back for a visit in the next coming weeks!

Fast feet took us back to base with speed demon Debs (as always) pushing pace at the front and giving me a sure-fire run for my money! Stretches to finish and with a genuinely pooped possey we called it a night! but we'll see you next time Brent brigade!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE!