Throughout our task last night we got several perplexed comments from passers by wondering why we were digging in the dark, in subzero temperatures on a Wednesday evening. Fair comments! We're pretty much used to them now, but it is just a reminder to feel proud of yourself, GoodGym, for doing what nobody else is prepared to do to make your local area a better place to live. So well done you, GoodGym.

• Here comes the News*

Please give a big GoodGym welcome to Matt and to Eloise who joined us for their very first group run last night - great to meet you both!

A big shout out to all those joining is from other GG areas too - we love seeing you in Hounslow!

Although the deadline has officially closed, I hear on the ggrapevine that there are still some spots available - GoodGym has some £10 community entry places for the Big Half happening in London on Sunday 10th March. If you're interested please email bighalf@goodgym.org today. Names will be drawn at random from those who want a place. It's a great race, and very well organised, so if you're after a good half marathon, whether it be your first or if you're chasing that PB, then why not give it a go.

The January challenge officially comes to an end today, and although we didn't quite make our targets, we did clock up 73 good deeds and 735 kms in January - which is think is pretty ace. So well done to each and everyone of you that helped make it happen.

• Snow holding us back*

After a quick run down of the news and a huge cheer for Luis who reached that excellent 50 good deeds milestone (fantastic work Luis, well done!) we headed outside to warm up and to find out everybody's favourite sweeties. Because this is very important.

In a change to our advertised task, we had been asked last minute to help create a piazza opposite Turnham Green station by Abundance London - a local community project based in Hounslow, run by volunteers on a not-for-profit basis. They run environmental, and educational projects, tackle the wastage of fresh fruit and guerilla garden abandoned patches and flower beds in the borough.

So after a quick run down there we found a pile of shovels, forks and bin bags, and two big jobs to do. The first was to clear the area near the bike stands of litter, grass and weeds before digging it over ready for planting. The second was a massive task digging over the lawn to that it could be transformed into a beautiful flower bed. There were several different techniques deployed in this particular job, and one very expert turf artist, but either way, after 40 minutes of hard graft, the area was at least half down and ready for the next step. The turf was perfectly preserved, and the area will no doubt be a blooming vista of floral loveliness before long!

We opted for Turnham Green back common for our fitness session, which has been helpfully marked out ready for our paarlauf. This drill involves pairing up and seeing how many half circuits each pair can do in a set amount of time. The idea was to do as many circuits as possible, but I was so blown away by the fantastic sprinting that I forgot to ask at the end! Oops. You're all winners, anyway. There was just time for a little conditioning before a run back to base, stretch, an for some, pub. A fantastic and productive Wednesday evening, gang. Sign up for more next week here - and a new task!

Well that's all the group runs wrapped up for 2018, and what a year it's been! Along with a huge 1109 good deeds under our belt, we have done races together, supported and encouraged each other from the sidelines and beyond, and had a lot of laughs along the way. Here's to you, team Hounslow, and to everything we'll achieve together in 2019!

Our first run of the year is on the 9th January, so hope to see you there to start 2019 right!

We got quizzical

It was a slightly different run last night to celebrate the final festive run, but first on the agenda was to welcome Rachael for her first ever group run. Give her a cheer!

After a quick warm up where we incorporated the (patent pending) rudolph signature move, along with the jumping snowflake and Santa fast feet, we divided up into two teams ready for the inaugural 'Chiswick Christmas Challenge'!

Under starter's orders, the teams scrambled to find themselves a place to think up a team name - on your marks Elves Bells and Simply Having a Runderful Christmas Time - and set up a whatsapp group. Once the group invittaion had been received, the teams got the first clue:

What is the sum total of:

Andy's age at his next birthday, the number of good deeds completed by Hounslow so far, the current marathon record in seconds, the number of good deeds completed by Michelle (not including tonight), the street number of the Old Packhorse Pub, the number of GoodGym areas currently operating, the atomic number of gold, the last two numbers of the GoodGym central phone number.

It was a tricky one, but after a couple of false starts, it was team SHARCT who received the location of the first task of the evening, with team EB not far behind. So after a quick run over to pick up trowels and spades, we met Rebecca from Friends of Turnham Green and got stuck into planting tulips and irises in the rockery ready for the community to enjoy next spring.

After an efficient 20 minutes of work, it was time to return the tools, and get the next clue. If you're interested and want to play along at home, the second message of the evening was: Take the first letter from each of the following answers. They will form an anagram. Solve this anamgram to find your next destination. A clue is available should you need it.

The borough in which the GoodGym central office sits The first name of the only runner (aside from the trainer) who came on a group run in Hounslow on the 30th November 2016 The 352nd day of the year Which GG area does James Poole lead? The current year in roman numerals Olivia Parker Scott leads this GoodGym area The first name of Father Christmas' wife The name of Ana's running club GoodGym trainer Ian Duggan leads this area The school where we dug up box hedges The first letter of Chiswick Town Hall's postcode The university town where the newest GG group will be starting in January The name of the pastor at Ealing road church First word in the song 'All I Want for Christmas is You' Second word of the most famous Christmas film starring Macauley Culkin GoodGym trainer Katie Welford leads this area A famous flavoured rapper's biggest song The French word for 'present' The surname of the current marathon record holder

This one proved a bit of a challenge, but again it was team SHARCT who guessed the answer and powered over to the next location to pick up a litter bag and gloves. The Elves were not far behind, and with both teams competing to collect 30 pieces of rubbish each, the heat was on!

It's Fiiiitmas!

Second task of the night completed, it was time for the fitness element, which included; holding a plank while singing the whole of We Wish You A Merry Christmas, doing one burpee for each for the 12 days of Christmas, shouting 'happy holidays' after each one, doing plank high fives with a partner while naming all 9 reindeer, doing star jumps until everybody in the group has said their New Year's resolution, and creating a bit of Christmas themed Strava art - check out the creations in the pics! There was a very impressive Christmas tree and a slightly avant-garde string of fairy lights.

Finally it was time for the last message, which instructed the group to make up their Strava for the night to 3k, before racing back to the Town Hall - first team back won the prize. It was a close call but team SHARCT was first through the door, earning themselves a box of chocolates and some GGingerbread men. Of course, there were prizes for the team that came in second, because Christmas.

All that was left of our last run of the year was to stretch it out, cheer both teams and then head to the pub for our final social of 2019. Have a wonderful break GoodGym, see you next year for more getting fit and doing good in Hounslow.