Our first week of isolation runs dates back further than a week, as we began sharing our run pictures at the excellent request of Annie, when we got the news that all GoodGym activity was being paused.

I’m sure we all take in lots of views as we rack up miles...

This also came on the week of the first anniversary of our friends at GoodGym Solihull. The suggestion was met with an instantly positive response to the disappointment of not being able to mark this anniversary or get together as a group. As you will be able to see from the photos shared, we have taken in a lot of good views as we have kept fit during isolation and social distancing. There were also plenty of tantalising hints of our group run venues, with our city centre dwellers finding our meeting point of 1000 Trades, as well as the spots where we do hill reps and time trials.

The first set of photos are really touching to look back on, especially as they tended to be shared with a ‘here you go, Annie’ comment. Through this we’ve also learned what a streak is, how good some photography skills are in the group and as time went on the photos became a ‘where am I’ quiz. They have already had a life beyond the group as Morwenna has done a great job of sharing them on the GG Birmingham Twitter page. At this point it was clear that the first photo of the day inspired others to get out and we were really appreciating the nature around us as we ran to stay fit.

Not all heroes wear (Lands)capes

We’ve seen how we have been able to keep each other motivated and encouraged during the hugely changeable early days of this crisis. The photos really do paint a picture of the changing landscape around us as we learn to keep healthy and safe for everyone.

It’s clear we will continue to be there for each other, through more of these sessions (hopefully not for too long) and through our support in the WhatsApp group. If you’re not in the group and want to be added, get in touch with me at johnhayes@goodgym.org and you will find a lot to keep you going.