This time we came prepared! Extra layers, more friends....and Neil even wore running tights! Flyer drops will never be the same and they will always be compared to this one!

Abi brought along some lovely friends to help us turbo through the flyer drop and they were brilliant! It was great to meet Caroline, Phoebe, Ryan and Kelvin and also nice to see Maria again. We really hope you guys come back again!

It was also great to have Lee come and join in on his first group run, and he really held his own. Although he is more of a cyclist he also found out he was a great runner too! Great effort! Hope to see you next week!

We ran to Boscombe taking over the promenade and enjoyed the sounds of the waves and catching up with those we hadn't seen recently. Getting to Bournemouth pier was only part of the challenge as when we got there we had to still make it up the steep climb to where we were starting the drop....it was a great push and everyone managed to do it without walking. Very impressive!

We split into two groups and tackled the roads and met up at the end of each and regrouped to another area. It was perfectly synchronised and it really helped that there wasn't a horrible chilly wind tonight....and I'm not sure if it was just me but there were a lot less letter boxes with those difficult draught protectors! Yessssss!!

We managed to drop over 500 flyers and when we ran out of them we decided to head back to our start point and on our way back we did a big Indian file to push ourselves a little.

The team were great and we really hope Abi's great drawing event is a huge success and the children in the area have a great time.

Well done everyone....next week's run lands on Valentines day! Make sure you come along as we'll be indoors and back for 8pm!

Last night we were lucky to help spread the word about a great event that Abi was organising for local children to express themselves through their creative side. The Big Draw takes place 15-16th of February at the Sovereign Shopping Centre. check it out

We were also delighted to welcome Millie to her first group run, she found us through all the recent Facebook promotions that GoodGym has been doing. Excellent! Millie has only been in town for 3 months, having moved here from Hamburg. she did really well on the run and was lovely to chat to, we super hope you come again next week!

Maria also joined us again after some time off, coming along to help her friend Abi! We love kind people at GoodGym!!

Our task took us to Boscombe to residential streets that we hoped were filled with families rather than students. After running past a police car taking a rather upset lady away...we came to our starting spot and after a discussion on the best way to do the drop we set off!

We ran, jogged and walked to try and keep warm but it was so cold outside that our hands were frozen! We discovered that about 90% of the letterboxes had those draft protectors....not ideal when you are trying to slide through a thin flyer with frozen fingers! But as always the group stayed positive and energetic and we all came up with different techniques! We also had the full moon guiding our way!

We managed to hit a lot of houses and after our time was up we headed back to warm up with some Indian food....food was great and so was the company....the heating however.......

Next week we are doing another flyer drop. This time in a different area so come along and help promote a great cause!

Well done everyone!

8 sweaty GoodGymers ran 7k and walked another 3k to deliver 700 leaflets to promote physical activities for Westminsters over 50's!

A great day to burn some energy off with 28 degrees on the thermometer and 1000 leaflets in the bag we got straight into action to knock out more than our minimum step count in 90 minutes of perpetual motion and conversation!!

Rocking 3.5k out to the North West of the borough we split into two groups and attacked up a seemingly endless road with so many residences per house it was hard to keep count. Getting into a great leap froging rhythm to maximum efficiency delivering we smashed out over half the leaflets delivering 2 at a time. The first was for Tai Chi at Paddington recreation centre and the other for the amazing Walking Football.

With time against us we turned and headed back South delivering at super speed back down a parallel road. Stuffing the letter boxes on the run until we run out of time and picked up the running pace on the 3.5k run back to the New Balance store.

Great work this evening and lovely to have you all along, be great to see you next week when we head to ** One Big Family** homeless charity to help make their food offering for the weekly homeless food run.

Have a great week

Smooth Running

Joel

10 sizzling Westminster GoodGymers ran 5k to the Oasis growers garden to rehydrate some very thirsty herbs, vegetables and plants.

On a scorching Wednesday in Central London we met at the perfectly air conditioned New Balance store. After a few DBS checks and a briefing we headed off in totally the wrong direction seeking the clearest possible run to the Oasis leisure centre. A strong and sweaty 2.5k run got us to the centre in good time where we were met by a sea of sunbathers in the garden. Undeterred we unleashed the watering cans and brooms to get stuck in. Some very thirsty growing beds required a huge number of watering trips. Working hard carrying the 8kg full watering cans up and down stairs and carefully distributing the water all over the garden.

35 minutes of watering, sweeping, rubbish clearing had the community garden looking in top prefer and gave us a strong workout!!

Heading off avoiding the temptation of a dip in the outside pool or the sadistic sauna we headed up to the Squared circle of Bedford square where we hammered out a combo circuit!! Alternating a 300m running lap with 90 seconds of strength exercises we pushed the fitness adaptations before a calm 2k jog back to base where we stretched out.

Great work everyone this evening! Lovely to have you along! Hope to see you all next week when we run to St Andrews Youth Club the oldest youth club in the world to help them with a physical task up keeping the super busy building!

Have a great week

Smooth Running

Joel

30 runners hit the streets of London from New Balance's flagship store to run 5km and help clear some workshops for young people in central London.

In the bright lights of our new location a crowd of runners emerged from the throngs of Oxford street shoppers.
We had a massive crew of first timers and a good gang of Westminster regulars.

"amazing opportunity for young people"

Our task for tonight was to help Makerversity clear out their cupboard to make way for more making space for young creative businesses. The dark vaults of Somerset House now vacted by HMRC are home to a thriving community of designers and makers. Every 3 months they support two new young creative people to get their first studio and workshop space free of charge - it's an amazing opportunity for young people to get started in Central London.

"7pm cutoff"

Our gang split in two: one lead by Barnet run leader Damien - taking a longer, posher, faster route down Bond Street and passed he Ritz, while Ivo's group went as the crow flies - through London's busiest streets including the very monica for busy-ness - Piccadilly Circus.

We battled through the crowds (and waited fro many a green man) and made it to the location just before our security-enforced 7pm cutoff. Both groups arriving within minutes of 7pm.

We got to work quickly - one trip for each person was enough to fill a skip with the designated unneeded materials. In no more than 6.5 minutes the job was done.

"planks, squats and dead bugs"

A quick task meant more time for exercising under-exercised muscles. The steps from the Mall to Pall Mall were the back drop for planks, squats and dead bugs. Everyone completed 2 sprints and all three exercises.

The groups made it back at 7.45pm. A rapid, efficient and speedy start to our runs from our new home on Oxford street.

See you next time.

Massive thanks to Damian, Nina, Gillian and Millie for their help guiding us around town tonight and wishing a speedy recovery to Joel - our new trainer for Westminster.

Until next week, safe running.

Meanwhile in BestMinster...

12 GoodGym runners ran 6k to help at St Andrews Gym.

On a mild Wednesday night 12 GoodGym runners hit to the streets of Westminster for a 6k run to help out at St Andrews Gym and also bid farewell to our trainer Cory.

We welcomed 4 runners on their second run: Hermoine, Hannah, Felicity and Catherine. Hope to see you again next week?

We headed out down a busy Oxford street, with some dynamic sidestepping we beat the sale shoppers and sprinted down the hill to say “Hi” to the royals at Buckingham Palace. Nina was hoping for a secret spot of Prince Harry - no luck.

Swooning over the Prince complete, we then split into two groups - with the super keen runners opting for a leg round St James park, and a quick wave a the park keeper house. Whilst the sensible folk opted for the run through the park.

All back together, and it was time for some fun, or at least that is what Cory told us. We hit the curb for some step ups, and star jumps, finished off by a quick sprint to our location, St Andrews Gym.

Inside St Andrew’s Gym, we had time for a quick hydration stop, and it was straight back to work. 12 minutes on the clock, it was time to get this place cleaned up. Spray at the ready and we were off, treadmills (our least favourite thing), benches, weights - all spic and spam. With time still left on the clock it was time for a mini HIIT workout. 5 minutes Cory said, it will be easy he said.. Into the Yoga room we went, and along came the exercise ball - all on the floor and the mission was to pass the exercise ball round the circle whilst lying on the floor. A very secret AB workout complete and it was back the running.

A couple of straight kilometers back to our location, and we had some very happy runners who were glad it was on to the stretching.

One final thing - the farewell speech from Cory. We are sad to say goodbye to our lovely trainer Cory who has been helping us do good in Westminster for the last 2 years. Cory has helped lots of runner beat the fitness blues and do some great things every Wednesday, whether it is helping handout food to rough sleepers, clearing local church gardens, or helping out down at St Andrews. Good Luck Cory, we hope to see you running with us again sometime in the future.