18 fleet of foot GoodGymers ran 5k to Gillett Square to flyer and poster to promote the amazing Rio in Dalston festival.

On a warm evening in Hackney we set off to work our energetic magic! It was lovely to have along a few GoodGym newbies!! Hope you enjoyed your evening and we see you for many more Hackney Fun Filled Group runs. We smashed out a top dynamic activation warm up on London fields followed by getting our skip on! This helped to hone our running techniques and condition our bodies for the ever important stretch shortening cycle. Fast feet, high skips saw as bound out of the park ready for action! Being slightly weighed down at the back of the pack a brilliant last minute lead running duo of Patrick and Peter guided the squad the 2k to Gillet Square where we met Marc from Hackney Roots who is the primary organiser of the festival.

While we were slightly mesmerised by the amazing world record holding hoola hoop action that was taking place in the square! Check out this page for the world record. After splitting up into teams we set off pestering the local area and flyering the local residential properties.

Flyering and postering techniques were on point and in no time we had delivered and put up over a hundred posters and 250 flyers!! Talking of timeing it maybe wasn't our strongest area of expertise this week!

We the first group of runners back we decided to split the run back to base into distances. So the first group lead brilliantly by Patrick ran a longer 4K loop back taking in a few extra of Hackney's sites. The direct running crew ran back and had a fortunate meeting with our wandering Coach Run Rep. Before the heavy bag duo brought the team home.

Next week we are off to Hackney Downs and the HUG garden to create some beautiful animal sculptures!! sign up here.

I am also running a great GoodGym running fitness session on Thursday evening in Islington for this that want to increase the fitness! sign up here.

Saturday sees a special Starter session in Gillett Square as we get ready for the children's obstacle race by setting up the course! If you fancy coming along and or bringing along a friend who fancies trying out GoodGym with a bit less running sign up here.

See you all very soon

Silky Smooth

Joel

16 melting GoodGymers ran 6k to paint the main meeting room of the Hackney Caribbean Eldery Organisation in Stoke Newington.

On the hottest day of the year we knew we were in for a treat when James the new trainer for GoodGym Redbridge joined us to help lead the crew on the evenings group run. A top introduction speak check and we were off! Lead my magnificent task force member Clare we weaved our way through the Hackney back streets to Stoke Newington on a 3k run. We were all happy to make it to the task before we melted in the 30 plus degree evening sun, we met Natasha who set us on or way to mixing a variety of magnolia paint to make the now patented GoodGym White. A big stir and a frenzy of masking taping we go cracking with cutting in and dominating with the wonky rollers! Being a few paint brushes down we were able to switch in and out of jobs filling holes and sanding walls. We were also rather good at spilling paint! James proved his handy skills by removing the paint from chairs and the carpet with the delicate application of white spirit. With a last minute paint brush and roller reinforcement we had a epic sprint finish to get all the walls a good first coat of paint before our return in 2 weeks.

James and Clare lead the first group back to base while the perfectionist crew applied the finishing touches. A series of expert stretches awaited the group on the return to base and a fabulous Outro from James rounded off a top but very warm Group run.

Then it was time for the monthly social and brilliant to see 12 of the crew head over to the local for a very much needed refuel and as always top notch conversation.

Thank you to Cecilia for the Pun this week!

I will be away next week but have arranged a high quality replacement in Paul GoodGym Camden trainer and Hackney resident. You will be visiting the HUG garden and the unmistakable Myra to start preparations for a big festival on Hackney Downs at the end of August. Lots of digging and watering to lay the foundations for some amazing animal sculptures we will be creating in the coming weeks! Sign up here.

Best of luck to James with the brand new GoodGym Redbridge! If you fancy a bit off GG action on a Monday Evening Wanstead will be the place to be so get along and say hello repping Team Hackney

Have abreast couple of weeks, keep running and sunning

Smooth striding

Joel

25 bold and beautiful Hackney GoodGymers braved the summer rains to run 4K or 6k to The Bikery and brighten up the volunteer areas with a lick of paint.

Great to have a top turnout for the always fun Hackney Group Run. Lovely to see some GoodGym newbies coming to work their magic with the crew tonight! Lots of energy, smiles and high knees got us under way after the pressure cooker that is the dreaded Head Count. A short pulse raiser was followed by some penguin walking, bird walking and a combination of strength and balance improving exercises.

With our joints mobilised and our muscles massively activated we nimbly glided through the Hackney backstreets on the 2k run to The Bikery. We met the super accommodating Mark who showed us around before we split into teams to attack the painting in hand. With groups in the ground floor and first floor bathrooms rolling away in freshening magnolia we had the black board crew creating a blackboard on the wall of the volunteer room while the notice board frame got a striking black boarder. We were then able to create a couple of statement ceiling beams in a striking blue after an epic taping display by Liv and Hadrien. Was great to be able to help out an amazing charity who provide such wonderful work based opportunities to those recovering from mental ill-health. Click here to see all the great work they do.Hopefully next time the weather will be kinder and we can get to paint the stencil on the front of the building.

For the race back to base on Antonia's request the Speedy group set off first and took the longer 4K loop back. While after a last minute tidy up and test of some amazing seeded cookies. The SuperSonic group powered away on the 4K loop while the Sexy crew steadily ran the 2.5k route back. Some pacy running by all the team saw us all return back at the same time, out of breath having really worked hard on a top session. Some weighty bread aided static stretches finished off the evening before the team headed off into the night.

Next week sees us heading to the Caribbean elderly organisation to paint one of their meeting rooms. We would love to see again for another great session so please sign up here. Remember next week is our monthly social after the run where we will head out to refuel after the session, be awesome to have you along!

Have a top week!

Stride smooth

Joel