For the first run of the year and the first of the decade we welcomed two new runners to our group! Welcome Brent and Kieran great to have you along on the run! Let's give them a cheer! Tonight was also exactly one year since Clair joined GoodGym Barnsley so we marked her anniversary with a lovely warm-up squat! Give Clair a cheer here.

We kicked off the year with a visit to one of our regulars, Gordon at the Carer's garden! It is always an exciting and unknown prospect running up t'hill there, as no visit or task is ever the same! Gordon is always happy to see us and happy for the company and tonight he started by telling us he had one BIG job for us to do! As there was six of us and some tall chaps in the group, I was hoping for a sweat-inducing outdoorsy task of moving things (Gordon loves moving things!) but no, Gordon had other plans! Pointing at a small kitchen cabinet, Gordon explained the big job was to move the plate out of the cupboard into another a few feet away. Then once done, for us to pull the cabinet out two feet from the wall. Mairead, Clair and Kieran got to work on the big job whilst James and Brent headed outside to complete the smaller task of moving a pallet from one end of the garden to the other and placing a large plastic water container on top of it. Once back inside, with the big job finished in less than 10 minutes there really wasn't anything else we could do or persuade Gordon to let us help him with!

Leaving a task early could only mean one thing... more running! Yay! So we headed off on an extended route back via some hills and underpasses. First up was a Strava segment on Windermere Road with a 6.4% gradient - it's a steepy! On route back we also stopped at town end roundabout underpass and did a quick sprint parlauf session to get the heart-rate up for the rest of the run back.

Finally back at base, we did some great stretching, chatted about the upcoming year and said our goodbyes! Another good session - I didn't realise how much I missed leading GoodGym! Thanks for having me! :-)

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5 runners met at the Community Carer's Garden in Barnsley to help with tidying up the main shed site.

Summer felt like two minutes ago, and yet here we are in cold rainy November... how did that happen? GoodGym powers on though, and 5 of our members made their way to the Carer's Garden to help Gordon in tidying up an activity corner of their main hut.

We started off by sorting everything into categories, with chat ranging from the impending general election to Gordon's plans for the hut and the garden. We also wished Mairead a happy birthday for the upcoming weekend - plenty of celebrations in order. 🎂

James, in celebration of his height, was given the honour of clearing out the gutting above the front door. He made light work of that and joined us back inside to enjoy the warmth - and the free biscuits, thanks Gordon!

Once everything was tidied away, we enjoyed a few more minutes of Gordon's company before setting back out into the dark for our run back to base, pockets a little heavier with those extra biscuits. It's amazing how the rain, the cold and the dark don't matter when you're running and having a laugh with people. 😊

🍪🍪🍪

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Next week, our group run takes us to a brand new task. We will be helping to tidy up the new town centre shop for The Exodus Project > sign up here so we can let them know what numbers to expect.

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2 runners ran to help out at the Barnsley Community Carer's Garden.

Thankfully, the rain held off and left us with yet another fair evening and nice sunset. We met Gordon at the Carer's Garden and had a good chat about the different shrubs and wildlife that had been spotted in the garden recently. Then we set to work by relocating one remaining apple tree into the main area of the garden.

The Community Garden in Barnsley is a fantastic space, tucked away behind the Metrodome that is in need of some love and green fingers to make it flourish, to provide a community garden for all the community as well as providing earned respite for the carers of Barnsley.

After admiring our handywork with the tree, we were gifted a few apples each for our efforts. An enjoyable run back to base and it was farewell for another week.

Next week we'll be back to the lovely Locke Park. Sign up here!

Tonight, seven fork- weilding GoodGymers headed to Barnsley's carers garden to help with a weedy big problem!

In stark contrast to last weeks scorcher of a GoodGym run, tonights weather was rather miserable! But in true GoodGym fashion, we grin and beared it! 🐻 even fair-weather runner Mairead had run out of excuses and braved the rain! ;-)

Myself, Mairead, Clair and Jason set off in the direction of the task, a mere 1km run away and then took a route around the town and the houses to double the distance and steepen the hill! On route we scooped up James and were met at the task my Sharon and Rachael.

Gordon was ready to greet us as always whilst we all got our breathe back and eagerly awaited what task he might have for us tonight! Would we be "digging for raspberries" again or moving sand from one pile to another, or perhaps moving rubbish!? Whatever it may be, we knew we'd be in for a treat!

After offering us "watter" Gordon explained there was two tasks, the biggy was weeding the poly tunnel and the smally was picking the blackberries - of which some were ready to be picked already!

Sharon opted for the smally task to start off with, whilst everyone else headed down to the poly tunnel, picking up tools on the way. The poly tunnel is used as a classroom by horticultural students at the local college and needed clearing ready for September.

The group set to work on the beasty weeds, which mainly consisted of huge 3ft thistles as thick as your arm! We/I soon learnt the hard way not to touch them without thick gloves on, as they were rather fiesty!

With forks and a barrow, the group worked very efficiently to clear the poly tunnel weedy jungle!

We celebrated we a quick fitness game testing length strength and reaction speed, called heads shoulders knees and cones. The group formed two lines of three facing each other and I placed a cone in between each facing pair. Everyone had to hold a squat and respond to my calls of heads, shoulders knees and toes in a random order. I would then randomly shout cones and they had to grab for the cone in front of them, hoping to be faster than their partner. We switched it around, changing the caller and had lots of fun! It was quite the leg burner!

We headed back to our meeting point on the most direct route, did some stretches and said our goodbyes!

Thanks to everyone for coming, it was another fun evening at GG Barnsley! Join us next week for painting at Age UK!

Four fabulous Goodgymers met at the Glasshouse. It was nice to see Debbie with us again this week and James made it from Sheffield. The weather wasn't on our side tonight but we only had a short way to run after our quick warm up as we headed off to the Carers Garden where
Gordon welcomed us with his usual cheer and offers of drinks and various tasks to be completed.

Gordon was pleased to offer a special indoor task tonight due it raining outside - folding and rolling the plastic sheeting and tidying inside the poly-tunnel. There was also digging over the plant beds inside the tunnel, if we had time. James and Sharon cracked on with the plastic sheeting and quickly had it spread out on the ground and neatly folded and tied up with string!

Gordon also requested piles of tyres moving, so Clare and Debbie got stuck in with moving the piles with their wheelbarrows and quickly got that sorted - outside in the rain! Quick as a flash the tyres were moved and on to the next task.....

Last but not least, bagging up the rubbish that had now been stockpiled in a heap. Everyone came together for the sorting of this task, outside in the rain and what a dirty, wet one it was. We sorted out into different bags recyclable items - cans, plastics, paper, broken toys and James found some rosey glasses, but I'm not sure that even with "rose tinted glasses" that rubbish pile looked any better after we had recycled lots?!? But Gordon managed to open the big green gates as a short cut to the recycle bins so we could dispose of everything correctly nearby. We got quite a bit done but there is still much more to do but as more dark clouds were looming we said our goodbyes to Gordon and left, ..........until the next time at the Carers Garden!

A fun fitness session during our run on the way back to base incorporated: X20 squats X 20 high knees X20 mountain climbers X20 bench press Plus steps up and over a bridge Plus steps up hill to finish With a cool down and stretches to finish.

Great work tonight team, in the rain. Well done everyone. 😀😀👏👏👏👏

Ps: did I mention ... It rained!

Holy crêpe it's March already!

7 runners shrove to keep fit and do good in Barnsley, so before tossing in the trowel, lent a hand at the local carers garden.

After a quick warm up of hopscotch - a GG Barnsley first - we headed off as a group on the 1.5km run to the carers garden, hoping we might scoop up James along the way. After getting stopped at the level crossing, we spotted James, did a wall sit and made our way up the hill to the carer's garden, meeting Sharon there!

Batter later than never!

Gordon was very happy to see our smiley, sweaty faces when we arrived, offering us some 'watter' to quench our thirst! After telling us a little bit of background on the garden, Gordon explained what exactly 'digging raspberries' would involve. As the garden is to be changing it's layout in the coming months, Gordon wanted to move his huge raspberry bushes and plant them in a row strung up on wire mesh. Our job for the evening was to dig a trench, between where he had laid out some string markers. Armed with two forks and two spades, the ladies got to work digging the trench.

After taking one look at 'the lads' Gordon set James and Jason onto another task he had ready, which was to move a huge pile of wooden pallets from where they were to a new location further down the garden. 'The lasses' soon discovered the ground they need to dig up for the trench, was solid, solid as a rock (yeaaah)! Instead of rating the ground on the solidity scale, Clair introduced the achey scale, based on how much she felt the ground's solidity would make her ache the next day from bashing at it with the spade. Tonight's achey scale peaked at an achey eight!

Tough as old boots!

To ease their pain, the group soon got on to the topic of lent and what they might give up for the forty days and nights. We learnt that Rachael is a bit of a tea-a-holic, claiming to drink up to 12 cups a day 'on a bad day'! For Mairead it was all about the chocolate and sweet stuff, planning to take Saturdays off during lent to get her through the cold turkey! The lads rejoined us after making light work of the pallets...

Crate effort guys!

We were a spade short, so the group took it in turns to come up and show us what they squat, completing 25 squats then switching. The topic seems to turn onto cheese, and at one point the whole group were stood still look at their spades, deep in conversation about their favourite cheese!

There was cause for salivation at the end once the trench was done!

Job done, soil nicely tossed and flipped, pallets stacked we said our goodbyes (after an inpromptu photo shoot!) The group were in for a treat tonight, before heading home for some delicious pancakes, I threw in some lovely hill reps on a couple of segments close by the task. James, Jason and Clair put in huge amounts effort, taking it steady down the hill and beasting in back up! Make sure you give them a cheer! Rachael 'sat this one out' up against a wall in a wall squat, managing to hold it for around 3 minutes, nice! and Mairead attacked one of the hills before doing some squats and knee raises. Lots of effort from the team, they must have realised the sooner they finished the sooner they could eat pancakes! Nom!

It was a quick run back to base, followed by a nice stretch and catch up about the upcoming tasks and missions. Next week we'll be helping Bluebell Wood Hospice with some fundraising outside the Barnsley FC ground, before the 7.45pm kick off against Sunderland. I need to know ASAP who is coming, so please sign up here if you can make it. We are leaving 10 minutes earlier than usual at 6.20pm.

Great work tonight team! Another job well done :-)

Let's give lovely GG shout out and cheer to James he makes his way every Tuesday from the other side of Sheffield, leaves us guessing every time as to whether or not he'll be on time or find us, but is about to officially celebrate his 100th good deed with GoodGym and unofficially reached it last night in Barnsley!! That's an amazing achievement James and you should be very proud! Hurrah!