10 awesome runners ran 7km to lend a hand at the ALD Life charity shop in Peckham!

Something a bit different was on the cards for the lovely runners of For Goodness Shakes this Thursday lunchtime! Luckily we had managed to just dodge the rain so no jackets required, woohoo!! Instead a lovely sea of blue!

I picked everyone up from the office and we headed on our journey down to Peckham! 25 minutes later and we had arrived at ALD Life charity shop on Peckham High Street.

ALD Life is a patient support group and registered charity for patients and families with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) which is a deadly genetic disease that affects 1 in 18 000 people. This brain disorder destroys the protective sheath that surrounds the brain's neurons, the nerve cells that allow us to think and to control our muscles.

You can have a read of Alex's story here who was the inspiration and the reason for setting up the charity in the first place.

We were greeted by the lovely Annette who explained all the tasks that needed doing. The shop was just absolutely bursting with stock! Which is amazing as it clearly has such great support from the locals donating so much stuff but also means there is lots to be done to ensure everything is kept tidy and put out on the shop floor!

Everyone got stuck in! We had people sorting and tidying books, CDs, DVDs, games and the bric-a-brac section too. And downstairs there was piles and piles of clothes to be sorted, tagged, hung and steamed.

The place was looking SO much tidier but after 40 minutes it was sadly time to go. They really struggle to get enough volunteers to keep on top of all the work that needs doing but 10 people lending a hand for just 40 minutes would have really helped them out so well done!!!!

We had a lovely photo outside the shop and then headed back the way we came, stopping off for a fitness session on the way. 3 rounds of step ups and single leg squats on the benches to work on getting those glutes stronger and some tricep dips to finish off. As I said, runners tend to neglect their upper body but its so important as it helps you maintain a good posture while you're running and can improve your running form and arm swing!

After 3 rounds it was time to head back to the office. We arrived a smidge before 1, just in time for a little stretch and a post work out shake no doubt!

Well done everyone! Great running and awesome work getting so much done at the shop. The managers were so pleased, if only we could have stayed a bit longer! See you in two months time!