Another big crew...

A whopping 34 runners gathered in the Hollybush Estate's Rocky Garden this afternoon to help Michael and Margaret, probably our longest standing task owners, with some big winter tasks.

...for some heavy duty work

Having all met successfully eventually (postcode/Google satellites seemed to be a hit & miss combo) at the garden, Margaret proceeded to run through our 4 huge tasks:

• One team was heading to neighbouring street to shift a vast amount of stone cobbles, forming the most impressive human chain
• Another team was tasked with planting the big delivery of young tree whips, with a splinter task then digging over some neighbouring ground
• Two teams headed to the back of the gardens to move compost, with another splinter task then shifting multiple bags of compost

An hour of heavy lifting, digging, running (for some), turning, carrying and planting later saw every last bit of work completed, and two absolutely delighted task owners.

Having expressed heartfelt thanks to our big team of runners, and a very appreciative thanks in particular to our many new runners, Margaret and Michael bid us farewell as we trundled off to neighbouring Middleton Green's basketball court where Chi had carefully laid out some cones in preparation for this afternoon's fitness session.

And an INTENSE fitness session...

The team brilliantly sped through an intense running, core, stretching and tough body weight-move session, finishing the watchful eye of Chi, for the second time this week. Way to go, crew.

What a vast, vast difference you made on a grey January afternoon. You just kickstarted 2020 and then some.

And we have some big thank you's for today's session...

• Thank you to Chris, for stepping in so quickly and efficiently, to greet all runners, especially our new runners, and lead them around to Rocky Park.
• Thanks to Chris and Si for leaving the fitness session, to help Michael complete the cobblestone task.
• Thanks to Isabelle, Leo, Chi and Liz for some brilliant pics.
• Thank you to Chi for co-hosting the fitness session.

And the biggest of thank you's to our wonderful, wonderful first time runners, Laura, Sohere, Charlotte, Sarah, Ailsa, Mia, Jeremy, Millie, Evie, Amy, Niamh, Keara, Rebecca, Krisztina, Sunny, Richard, Anna.

You achieved a staggering amount this afternoon, and the only question remaining to be asked is, when are you coming back?

We're running again on MONDAY!

Talking of which, we're back on Monday - yes,just 48 hours away, for a whopping THREE-TASK EVENING!

Followed by some more life-enhancing fitness in beautiful Meath Gardens, so I'd get yourself booked in now, if you want to start your week with a bang.

In the meantime, have a lovely, lovely weekend everyone.

29 Happy Hackney GoodGymers ran 3k to help Wilton Estate Community garden in a mega weeding expedition!!

Amazing to see so many fancy to kick off 2020!! Loving the bumper GoodGym first timer crew, hope the session is the first of many with both Hackney and GoodGym!!

Remember we run the same time and from same starting location for the next 49 straight weeks so make it a habit and join us as regularly as you can for some community minded running fun!!

The task!! One of Hackney’s longest running tasks with GoodDeeds having been collected here for the last 6 or so years it was great to have Wilton Estate Community garden there to start off the year!

After a indirect 2.5km run to the gardens with everyone catching up and meeting up after our Christmas break! Thanks to Toyin for backmarking!! We arrived at Wilton ready for action, meeting task owners Gilly and Ulus who guided us through the tasks. We split up Into 3 groups and got straight on it! We had the mulchers who were finishing off the last of the huge mulch pile we decimated just before Christmas. This time shovelling, barrowing, tipping and raking the smaller garden that we previously cleared.

A high quality mini group got stuck into a smaller flower bed with a few prickly tangles to contend with to rid the over grown bed of the big bad weeds ready for planting!

Then a major task of the evening, the massive jungle like bed that we tackled in the rain 2 years ago got it’s just deserts. With a monumental clearing effort from 16 grafting GoodGymers!! In 50 minutes turning the Jungle into a clear flower bed ready for some Spring time bloom!!

Completing and exceeding the tasks we filled a massive 8 tonne bags of garden waste and dragged them to be collected in the morning. With 8 minutes to play with Chi asked if he could start the year with a little most conditioning and got everyone’s heart rate up and core muscles working with a short bit very effective fitness blast!!

With time short we zipped back to base in the nick of time before we stretched out and disappeared into the night with a smile on our faces and a big impact for a great community garden!

Next week it is a 3k run each way to Abney Park Cemetery where we will be dominating another great physical task!! Sign up and see you there!! If you have a head torch it’s a good one to bring it along for.

Joel

p.s Thanks to Chi for the extra pictures and Liz for the WhatsApp group Admin!!