It is I, your fearless (run)leader. I started the session with an amazing briefing. Hopefully all the necessary points were nailed and the high council of goodgym will approve me doing more. I promise not to let the power go to my head.

We waved goodbye and good luck to Saeed moving to his new home! Find a goodgym up there yeah? New Chris didn’t make it but we hope to meet you soon.

We headed off at a leisurely pace, still warm for running. At the church Fay, David and Laurie were really digging the shovel duty. Nobody puts Sallyann in the corner, she got in there entirely voluntarily. Many hands made light work of tipping wood chips all over Joe (well done Jess and Andy). Russell worked smarter, not harder. We discovered Rich doesn’t know how wheelbarrows work.

I distributed fake news about sunflowers and would like to make a formal retraction.

Thanks to the crew at St Mary’s for the soothing bell ringing while we worked and the drinks afterwards.

Angela

“Lack of dedication.” “They look like they don’t want to be there.” “A tragic collection of individual high performers.”

England – now we know how you feel at the Euros. A boiling evening on the Costa del Chelmsford saw nine GoodGym members arrive hot and sweaty before we’d even started.

Setting off to the top of Broomfield (why is it so far uphill?) for some weeding and path chipping, David led out at a gentle pace while Team Walk became Team Drive/Carry Your Water. Fay's car probably has air conditioning too. Not fair.

Broomfield was alive with people enjoying the sun – including a group who clapped us as we jogged past. We were going slowly because of the heat rather than to enjoy the applause – honest! It’s the kind of support Angela could have done with on her 30 mile fundraising hike last week.

As we arrived, Joe and David debated the proper name for the wooden arch at the churchyard entrance but could only come up with “definitely not a shed.” At least the ideas to rename the pub being refurbished next door were better. Maybe we could add The Old Testament to the October social route…

The team got stuck into murdering giant spiky plants and shovelling woodchip onto the new pathways. Sallyann decided it would be easier to lay the chippings if she was on the other side of said giant spiky plants, so hurdled the hedge and made a neat and tidy job of it.

Because David did such a good job of naming the not-a-shed, Laurie decided to bounce baby name ideas off Fay instead. Lots didn’t make the cut – David Junior, or DJ for short – but we’ve all marked our calendars to meet little Prince Chatterjee.

Andy had clearly taken notes and reckoned it’d be easier to ‘help’ by lifting and tipping the full barrow rather than shovelling it onto the ground. A good idea in theory, but less great when he ended up dumping the woodchip all over the shrubs. Even worse, he did this just after Sallyann had managed to pick her way out of the thicket.

Maybe it was fighting the thorns or maybe he misread GoodGym in the heat, but Martin was a fully scratched-up member of BloodGym by the end of the task. He looked like he’d gone 12 rounds with a feisty kitten on Red Bull, but there’s nothing that Broomfield’s trademark orange squash can’t fix.

A 10k beer trail run is the next session (no pun intended) and despite the heat being the perfect excuse for not winning or beating David, Russell decided to wait until the last minute to bail on us. More GoodGym members are marshalling the Havens Hospices Race4Business on 3 July, and there’s a pub quiz on Sunday 7 July at the Ale House.

Stay cool and run happy 😎

Joe

A slightly longer run than usual saw 8 Legends meet up at our HQ and begin our journey out to Broomfield and St Mary's church. Tonights task was to put woodchips down along a path between a hedge row and a fence running along the side of th church.

In no time at all we had reached the church and met Fay and Sallyann who had walked there and then we broke into 2 teams of 5.

With some shoveling into the wheelbarrows, some moving and tipping the chips and others raking the woodchips along the path, it would appear to the casual observer that this seemed to be a well oiled machine.... and that we know what we are doing.

So much so, that time flew by and we managed to get a great deal done before getting stuck into some well deserved biscuits and squash (I may have had more than one biscuit but who's counting).

With bellies full and satisfied with a job well done we set off and made our way back to base.

Next week we are back at St Johns church on Moulsham street ( if you fancy a shorter run).

Thanks all for coming

Run Happy

Rich

On a cool evening 6 of us met outside the Old Factory Gym and set off towards St Mary's church in Broomfield.

Tonights task was to help them with some gardening and clearing some paving and walls.

Running at prime chatting pace we were soon there and met by Fay, David, Laurie and Sallyann already hard at work.

Martin, Ben and Joe quickly got to work raking and turning the soil by the church while Erin and Andy joined David scrubbing weeds and soil off the boundary wall. Although Erin got a great bit of 'mansplaining' of how she should being doing it by a passerby, lol. This was quickly put to rest by the fabulous group of gardening volunteers asking that we don't do as the passerby had said. (double lol)

With things packed away we were invited inside for drink and biscuits ( thank you ), then the runners were off back to base, and again at prime chatty pace we were soon back.

Well done all and hope to see you next week for some leafleting

Run Happy

Rich

With Joel and Andy in sombre black, and David and Andy in shiny new running shoes, we set off to Broomfield for our task along the bunny walks.

We got to Broomfield Methodist Church, finding that they were starting band practice at 7pm and our contact wasn't there. Following a confused phone call, it emerged that we were actually supposed to be at St Mary's Church, thankfully only around 1/2 a mile away. David sped off, not wanting to waste precious task time, and met Becca along the way too. Joe managed to find us too, getting to us in 4 minutes rather than his estimated 10 and therefore maintaining his fastest current Goodgymer status.

Our task owners David and Roger had wheelbarrows and tools ready for us, along with a promise of refreshments at the end. We spent our time weeding around new-ish planted trees at the edge of the church yard, with a view of the sunset over the fields.

After filling at least 6 wheelbarrows with weeds, we were treated to a selection of cordials and biscuits so good that we loitered in the church yard eating and drinking rather than setting off for our run back.

See you all soon,

Laurie

Well, I can tell you we did and 200 trees can quench their thirst tonight!

And it was another glorious evening of running and physical work to lug full watering cans from a makeshift wheelbarrow refill station to the sapling trees. A relay of straining arms muscles and pumping legs spontaneously broke out as, in true Goodgymer style, I saw the glint in the eyes of the team with total determination to complete the task.

The team from the church supported us with refills both for the trees and for us - the lemon squash under the walnut tree was most welcome. A treemendous effort from all. The 200 trees were donated by the Woodland Trust as part of the jubilee.

Rewinding to the run and the group set a great pace and powered up to St Mary Church in Broomfield. The unofficial 'most colourful leggings' prize was easily won by Becca. Perhaps Saucony will produce a Rainbow T-Shirt for those who reach 500 good deeds?!! And are there enough colourful running clothes for men? And if there were would you buy and wear them?!

Our return run had a pleasant accompanying breeze and everyone was pleased with a decent distance to log on Strava and a job well done.

Come along to Marks Hall Parkrun on Saturday or just bring some food for a picnic afterwards and also the Essex Pride event is still open for volunteers!