On a sweltering day 13 runners gave it their all and dared to take to the heated streets of Cardiff.

With a shorter run planned, the run leaders gave the addition of the Goodgym Olympic 1km run, as usual the group met at 18:15 in Yr Hen Lyfrgell catching up, with some members that hadn’t been seen for a while. Conversations of the Tafwyl festival which is on in Cardiff this weekend, where Lowri would be singing the praises of Goodgym Vale and hopefully finding us some lovely new runners, the Snowdon trip which many of the runners were going to over the weekend and just general chit chat.

Today was to be led by Mikey helped by the wonderful Darren and Ellen all the way there and back again. A very quick warm up (given the temperatures), and what can only be described as the first attempt at the Senegal warm up, we will perfect this at Snowdon and then beyond. Better descriptions next time please Darren.

And we're off

Just a short run, a few posed moments and we were at the Grangetown Hyb. Tonight we were to help out, litter-picking around the perimeter and attempting to clean windows in a heat that wouldn’t allow it. We always get a warm Welsh welcome when we knock on the door of the Hyb and today was no exception. We split into three, two groups George Formby’d for cleaning windows with the final group from the Inner Circle that had been waiting a la la la la long a la la la la long long li long long long time, for a litter pick of this and a litter pick of that. The groups got to work, litter pickers following the shade of the car park before moving onto the road to create a cleaner society, with Aimee and Emma counting cigarette butts in French (200 being the final total) and Lucy and Adam moving from car park to streets cleaning everything in their actual path

The two groups inside had a difficult task, trying to clean windows, but just as quickly as they wiped them with a wet rag the heat had dried it with even more smears. Ellen managed to find the coolest room in the entire city, the computer room with air con to spare, a runner’s dream. Cleaning away with what looked like an old pair of knickers, she certainly worked for the pleasure of coolness. Darren, Rachel and Lowri took to the automatic door of joy, wipe on wipe off, open and close, repeat……. Like some sort of karate kid loop but determined with the goodgym spunk.

Su, Jane, Martin & Gweni went for the back door, which confused everyone thanks to the brightness doing nothing but highlighting the marks. Undeterred they attacked, armed with buckets, spray, paper towels and more, a song in their hearts and a spring in their step soon they were wiping on sunshine, whoa oh.

As Mikey ran around taking photos galore, telling everyone about the 1km run some more and discovering what patterns people may try to do, everyone worked on their tasks, before too long shutters began to close and it was time to say farewell. Everyone regrouped for a bad-gym photo, the heat was getting to us.

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We ran on, saying farewell to three runners along the way, ready to attempt the 1 km GG Olympic run. Dehydrated, maybe slightly delirious the remaining 10 gave it their best efforts. Thankfully it ended close to the Cardiff and the Vale GG meeting point, with the final easy run back everyone picked up the pace to get back by a wonderful 19:59.

World cup to watch

Darren led a cool down, if that was even possible in the scorching heat, final items were collected and we made our way to the usual local ‘Glassworks’ for two / no wait three drink Tuesday. It is summer after all………..Football watched, conversing complete, and some additional planning for our trip to Snowdon, it was now time for home. Thanks to everyone that turned up today to take on not only the street but the heat, kudos to you beautiful people.

Another Thursday and another additional group run, our meeting point once more by the football ground. Tonight we welcomed the same wonderful faces Emma 'hidden photo face' , our new comer Victoria Markham - Croeso, Welcome, Willkommen. Then in came our new running twins for the evening, Aimee and Ellen after running a further distance to get to us in their pink twinsie jackets. And finally Nathan - the last minute Swain.

Just as if we were in a Terry Pratchett novel, the guild of Good and Gym ran hubwards tonight into the cold. Just a short run but with plenty to do that certainly mattered not. We were welcomed in as usual, always so friendly, and given everything we would need to complete our deed.

But wait is that a Ben circling the hub?

Like a whirl of wind Ben was wanting in and so we opened up the doors as well as our arms and welcomed him in.

Now to work!

Back doors, high and low, cafe too, office window, outside and in, front door, everywhere glass galore. All eyes on streak watch, arms crossing all over the place , before we realised the panes were as clear as the hub-ble telescope. And just as we were in awe of the wonders now to be seen in such clarity within the town of Grange it was time for the shutters to come down.

One last photo, reach for those last few spots.

Thanks to all at the hub and I'm sure that we will be back again soon.

A nice change to the usual as the GoodGym meeting point for today was up by Cardiff City football club. Emma, Ellen, Darren and Nathan (a.k.a the jacket buddies), to be led this evening by Mikey (a.k.a Mickey a.k.a Money, depending on the run report and whether there is auto-correct). It should have been a short run but Mikey decided to bump up the Km a little on the way there.

COME ON JANUARY GOAL

We ran in to a seemingly closed Grangetown Hyb, but luckily the runners had been here before and knew what to do. So we made our way to the back door to find the extremely friendly staff and pick up our equipment. With bags, pickers, gloves and an eagerness to reach 100 goals we surveyed our surroundings.

In Ran Lucy, followed by Ben.

And then there were 7, joined straight from other tasks (non goodgym) both Ben and Lucy had run in to join us. What a lovely surprise. Even more surprises …….. SWEETS. Keen to get everyone working Mikey soon put a stop to Ben trying to take over and the work continued.

Not on my watch

Leaves had been removed and rubbish collected, the runners in groups gathering and chatting whilst trying to keep warm. Then we turned around to find a feral Darren rummaging around bins and parked cars……

Everyone regrouped in the car park, now who can pick up the most cigarette butts 3…2….1…..GO. Ben, Keen as ever looked at his competition and began but before we knew it the race was over as Darren was disqualified for disgraceful behaviour - using his hands. Everyone put their bags in the bins, but wait there's 10 minutes’ left. So just enough time to clean up some of the alley. Off we POP.

With a litter pick of this and a litter pick of that

We were done. We all stood back to admire our work, Hybba Hybba

Now just enough time for a few more photos and of course one of the running jacket twinsies.