With a chill in the air and a spring in our step, 27 terrific runners took on 5km of running, two tasks AND a time trial

Thank you this week to Lucy, for our sublime title pun, that somehow manages to encapsulate both of tonight's tasks, skills! Thanks also to Ollie, who has graced us with his pun-wizardry throughout this run report.

What's been happening? Well, Nykolette only went and shaved off all her hair! To raise hundreds of pounds for MacMillan, she 'Braved the Shave' and I think we're all agreed she looks just amazing! We've had some interesting challenges in the past, to raise awareness and funds for charity, but this has to be the most original. In addition to this, there was a general air of celebration this week, as we welcomed back Chris, who has been on the other side of the world for the past few months, what a treat to see him bouncing in this evening! We also welcomed new faces, with Will joining us for his first ever GoodGym group run and Maddie joining us from GoodGym York, Lewisham Love to you both.

The biggest celebration this week though, was Marta getting her wings, as she completed her 100th good deed! Marta has been with us since March 2017, but those good deeds have mounted up quickly because she visits GoodGym Greenwich too most weeks (I really did try to find some statistic that could tell me she has been to us more, so we can claim her as our own, but...). Just recently she has also started going on missions and sharing her goodness at the weekend too. Well done Marta, we're very proud of all you have achieved with us.

Tonight was a double-task week, with most of the group heading over to Beecroft Garden Primary School with me, with a smaller group joining Conroy at GRACE (thank you Conroy). Before we went our separate ways, we did a little warm-up, with jumping and bobbing, squatting and fact gathering (I thought it might be fun finding out where our friends come from, even if we have known them for ages and especially if we have only just met!). With Conroy and co heading towards Lee Green, with Bradley and Marta back-marking, I took my group up to Crofton Park, with Jacqueline keeping everyone together at the back.

At Beecroft Garden

Here we had a few tasks to complete, with one group stepping up the effort to dig hard and form the steps that will lead up and around the sensory garden. One challenge though, was the removal of a tree that was slap bang where the steps were due to go. We were loath to just kill the tree, so there was a treemendous effort to dig it out, roots intact - amazing work on the tree-conservation task team! Also in this area is a newly installed shed, that will become a space for relaxation, with lights and textures to enjoy away from the noise of the playground. Here we had top painting pros Helen, Vic and Jacqueline, giving a lick of paint in a nice relaxing shade of blue and feeling a great sensory of achievement. Around the front of the school were a crack team of weed smashers, tugging up dead plants, weeds and roots from the raised beds, making space to grow more plants over the coming months.

Over to Conroy for some words about...

Gracious Grace

It’s the turn of the season and our friends over at GRACE needed our help in changing their shop display. Ten runners ran to their help, we divided into two groups. Group one began to sort and hang the winter wear, while group two were busy taking the summer wear of the hangers and packing them away in bags. Usually our visits to GRACE would unearth a few treasured undergarments but not this visit. There were a few sexy summer dresses and a great big red jumpsuit, but time did not allow for us to get glammed up into the party numbers. We were on a mission to get those summer wear off the shelves/racks so that the winter wear would be out in time.

In true GoodGym professionals style, we all arrived back at Glass Mill at the same time, like a well-oiled machine of goodness. With a few minutes to spare and some energy to burn (yes, really), it was time for our not-really-monthly time trial. Some opted to take on one, some two, some three and some all four laps of Cornmill Gardens, to sit themselves firmly on the Strava segment leaderboard (which Kim is still topping...). After a stretch and a chat, we tucked in to some chocolate biscuits (I will bow my head in shame here and admit I bought them from M&S and didn't lovingly hand-craft them at home. Gasp).

• Good luck to all those taking on everyone's favourite local 10k trail race, complete with samosas (Petts Wood 10k) on Sunday, have LOTS of fun!

• Join us next week as we head off to a brand new task at St Peter's Church, Brockley

• Hang around after the run too, to enjoy some pizza at Mama Dough in Ladywell, to feed Kim after her longest ever run and to celebrate a few birthdays (please let me know if you're coming, so I can keep track of numbers).

See you soon, lovely people! x

Can you spot all of the Chase and Status tracks littered throughout this report?? Answers in the comments below!!

On genuinely the coldest night of the year, 11 brave Brent warriors hit the streets, to leaflet drop their way to the top of the pops, then lay down some tracks, Goodgym style.

With a chill in the air, we had nothing to do but run fast and hard down to the Track for our once a month fitness focused sesh. Fighting the shivers, we paper chased all the way down Willesden High Road and as usual the team were the ultimate charmers handing out our local messages along the way, always with a Goodgym smile :) Once the leaflets were all successfully handed out to our fellow Willesdenites, before we could say *Gangsta Boogie * we had arrived safely at our destination for the night, the track!

With my crew (like always) committing their Blind Faith to me, their watchful coach I was ready to begin. No worries here though, as they can Always count on me to get their pulses and legs racing.

So with my squad at the ready, I began to explain the fitness session of their lives, hoping that all goes right, instead of All goes wrong. We started with warm up drills of high knees and bum kicks, up and down the stairs of the spectators gallery. This was swiftly followed by our very own Uzman (Army Soldier in training) leading us through some drills of his own, squats, press-ups and sit ups, with military precision.

After warm ups were complete, it was about Time to get down to some real track attack! You'd think they couldn't Love me more until I asked of them......"400m sprints, times four please!!!"

Can I just say, this crew are just off the scale fit, I have to tell you! With an average speed ranging from sub 6 to sub 10 min miles and always with lap consistency, even into the forth!! If you don't know what that means, here it is in simple terms..... THEY SMASHED IT No problem!! Even when our lovely Joe, felt a tightening in their calf, he didn't stop! While the rest of the team burned rubber, Joe and I hit up some Ab-soultely awesome Core work, side by side on the track!

After the main body of the session was complete, the team came back together for one last pace back to base. Feeling more alive than ever, the endorphines were definitely flowing strong, which led us home on a high!
But before the end credits could roll, we huddles together for a cool down of stretch and breathing exercises, which ushered in the calm and welcomed the final close.

Now it's time for me to Let you go, what an evening, don't you know! To give back to the borough, our beloved Brent. With all the effort and fitness, an evening well spent!

See you next time familia. Next week it;s all about the Xmas themed tasking for Brent! WOO HOO

7 Goodgym runners met at our hub - The Queensbury pub - before we set off on a run that would test our lungs. But the group knew we could do it and oh howwww we did!

After a swift leg out the first 2.5 miles of the route, we arrived at the scene, by the Wembley waterways where there was a kind man named Jack, with all his equipment for us to clean and my gosh was he keen!. So we high vised our bods, wrapped up our hands and got ready for the start of our clearing the area of trash.

Whilst the gorgeous girls Eliza, Tabitha, Debs, Liz and Ellie worked hard on the grass and the paths gathering litter, the butch boys Uthman and er hemmm MEEEEE were busy picking prams and scooters out of the canal - Whilst of course wearing life-jackets as instructed by Jack.

After some time passed, we had almost cleared the entire place of litter! So we took off our gloves and handed over the masses of dustbin-bags we'd filled with all number of goodies, including a dubious pair of kegs that Debs had found in a bush!!!

After reviewing our spoils for the night, we said thanks to Jack for the opportunity to help, before setting off on our final push of the evening; The last long haul 2.5miles back making up our miles for the evening a whopping 5!! woo!! OH and a little bit of parquor on route when we got stuck on the canal bank too!

Fun times had by all, despite the dirty work, I think it's time these 'clean bandits' went home for a shower, don't you?

Tadaaaa - Hope you like it x

12 speed demons came and conquered a pucker paper-chase and terrific track attack!! That's GG Brent all over October! Pow Pow!

It was smiles all round at base camp Queensbury with 10 glorious Gyals and 2 gorge Guys making up the numbers this eve!

Bringing the fire was Girl Power Hour and flexing for the females was: Clairey-Bell, Mouse, Dimple, Liz, Coralie, Eliza, Beth and sister sledge tabs and debs!

Repping for the fellas and back for his second week running was Crossfit Kid Lucas in his newly adorned GG red tee. Which by the way was suitably spray on to flex off his Olympic lift traps! And Looking just as macho in his signature yellow threads was resident king pin, all the guys love him (okay well maybe just Colin) devilishly daring Dinesh!! Woo!

So with all our wonder women at the ready and gumption gushing from the guys, we sped out for the night, for leaflet paper chasing all the way to Willesden Track!

After successfully slamming the high road with all the goodgym vibes, we arrived at destination pain on the lanes, oh no wait I mean fun delightfully good times lanes..... To be fair, it was probably a bit of both depending on who you ask! But actually proof that so much fun was had was that only 3 photos were taken!!!

So once we'd mobilised and warmed up joints with a few drills and spills, it was down to big business and that was some laps!! 200m sprints to begin followed by 400m timed splits!! Now me being nice only asked the team for 2 sets of each, however Clairey-bell reminded me that in goodgym Brent days of old, there was a 12 lap session once upon a time!! I think I'll be bring that back some time soon!!

**Oh yes..... watch this space, get the stop watch ready for some time and punishment at the next sesh!

So after my team wiped the floor with my timer each one achieving feats of absolute glory, we bashed out 5mins of core blimey can you feel your abs yet, before setting off for a cool down jog back to base.

What an awesome night, where we all took flight, to task and good deed and thrash some speed!!

See you next time!!!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE!