On a damp misty evening, five of Goodgym's finest met to get fit and weed the beds at Wanstead Comminity Allotments. If this wasn't enough they ran 7km in the process.

With autumn fully in place and it completely dark by 7pm, the team met at Wanstead House for a night weeding task over at Wanstead Community Allotments. Each year, the allotments host a Halloween Healthy eating event the allotments and this year is no different. In recent weeks much work has taken place on Nutter Lane and the place is beginning to look usable again. However, with the recent rain, some of the stubborn weeds that pop up around the beds have returned and it was down to GG Redbridge to keep them at bay.

With headtorches donned and an easy jog down to the allotment, the squad were soon brandishing hoes and trowels and battling the weeds. It's amazingly satisfying to see a space cleared and within half an hour most of the weeds around the upper beds were banished. All this left was around our winter loop, taking in Epping Forest and Eagle Pond. Nice work team!

Fingers crossed we're heading to Forest Recycling Project next week. You can sign up to the run by clicking on the link to the right of the report. Hope to see you next week!

P.S.... Trainer James was barely recovered from a 400+ km (yes over 400!) run/hike through the Gobi Desert, finishing 1st non-local! So give him a cheer or two

I know, not much of a pun, but inspiration didn't quite want to flow tonight! What did flow however was conversation, from catching up after the holidays to working with Guide dogs taking precedence over GG (want to hear more next time Beth!) to getting to know Dharmesh on his first Goodgym adventure (give him a cheer!). Trainer James was still stuck in the office, but luckily we had no problem finding 'our' allotment for the next episode in the never ending battle against the forest of weeds usually found on arrival. So one can image our surprise to find the place looking better than it has at any time this year sofar! Almost made us wonder if there was actually enough for us to do, something i didn't think i'd ever say about this place to be honest, but am glad i finally can. In stead of battling the forest, we went after the little bits all over the place, with Dharmesh displaying great skills with a hoe. Soon enough it was time to make a move, not in the least since the light already started to fade (yes, winter is coming!). A bit of a random exploration of the neighborhood brought us back to base in time for some stretches and goodbyes right on schedule, almost like i timed it that way (pure luck!)

Not sure yet what James has in store for us next week, but there have been hints of a possible FRP visit later this month, with an adventure with Marian on the cards for early October

As always, it has been a pleasure roaming around Wanstead with you lot. Happy running & till next time!

On a pleasant Summer's evening eight of Goodgym Redbridge's finest runners met to fight the weeds at Redbridbe Lane West Allotments and ran 6km in the process.

It was an oldie but a goodie, last night at Goodgym Redbridge as the squad returned to Redbridge Lane Allotments to battle with the weeds that threaten to overrun the place. This has been a regular site and we have many hours of sweat invested in the ailing garden. We were delighted to be joined by Susanna and Leanne on their first GG Redbridge run and task and after a short briefing the team were off up the road ready to make a difference.

The run to the Allotments is an easy mile and once there the hard work began. Tooled up with hoes, trowels and garden gloves the team set to work tearing up the thistles, dandelions and bindwind like their lives depended on. The allotments have become increasingly unloved this year and although we are only able to make it onces every four of five weeks, we have begun to make a significan difference to how they look.

With sweat dripping from brows and plenty of ground cleared, all that was left was a beautiful sunset run around Eagle Pond and some stretching back at base. Great work team and hope to see you all next week!

On a beautiful summer's evening eight of Goodgym's finest, met to do good, get fit and celebrate Goodgym Redbridge's second anniversary.

Where has the time gone? It's been two years since Goodgym Redbridge launched and over that time the group has worked hard to make Wanstead and Snaresbrook a nicer place to live. From working on the high street with Marian at Wanstead Community Gardeners, to mixing paint with Forest Recycling Project or sorting food for Ilford Foodbank, we've had masses of fun while getting fit in the process.

Fittingly, the evening's task saw a return to where it all began, Redbridge Lane West Allotments. The squad have been back here on a periodic basis but with the recent warm weather things have got out of hand and it desperately needs more help. With a number of Redbridge regulars joined by Chi from Goodgym Harringay we were soon up off the road on the mile run to the allotment.

Once there, the magnitude of the task was realised - there is a lot of work to do. Armed with hoes, trowels and gardening gloves Team Goodgym set to work pulling up the waist hight weeds - filling the compost bin to overflowing in the process. With sweat pouring from brows and muscles rippling a huge area was cleared and massive difference made in a mere 45 minutes.

With the task done all that was left was to do a fitness session. Led by Chi and his three (or five) minute abs session the group spread out on the recreation ground outside the allotment and worked those abdominals. Tough work but plenty of fun. All this left was an easy 4km run back to base and a quick sprint on the Strava Segment on George Green.

As is the tradition the team headed to The George Pub for a Curious Caterpillar cake, beers and some birthday song! Thanks to everyone who came last night and all those who have been involved in Goodgym Redbridge over the last two years. Here's to many more tasks and fitness sessions in future!

On a gorgeous summer evening six of Goodgym Redbridge's finest runners met to battle the weeds at Redbridge Lane West Allotments and ran 6km in the process.

Redbridge Lane West Allotments have been a long term project for the group and although little seems to get done between our visits, a regular trip the site on Nutter Lane, helps to keep the worst of the weeds at bay. Armed with hoes, trowels and gardening gloves, the group worked up a sweat pulling weeds and generally trying to make the place a little bit less overgrown. There's is much work to be done and within 40 minutes the compost bin was full and the team were off up the road towards Epping Forest.

There can be few Goodgym's blessed with such great running trails as we have in Wanstead and with plenty of time to get fit and run, the squad zigzagged around a small patch of Epping Forest. With the sun shining and big smiles on our faces we soon returned for some easy stretching back at base.

Next week we head to Forest Recycling Project to collect some paint to put on the metal work in Wanstead House. It's a brilliant, if somewhat messy, task so why not join us next Monday at 6:45pm.

On one of the hottest May days on record two Redbridge Goodgymmers braved the heat and assembled at base for another adventure in the Wanstead area. Extra credit goes to Kathryn for running 10+ miles on her birthday weekend in training for Hackney Half AND come out for a group run on a bank holiday as well!

As it sometimes goes with well made plans, there are days it just isn't meant to be. So the plan to visit 'our' allotment turned into an improvised plan to tidy up Marians beds around the tube station, there is always some rubbish to clear up. However when we got there, Marian herself popped up from behind some bushes! She just got there with one of her Wanstead Community Gardeners colleagues to do some planting and was very happy to see some unexpected help pop up in the shape of us two. Especially when it turned out the geraniums to be planted were matching the red of our Goodgym shirts it was clear this was meant to be!

8 or so 'gerry's' later we left a happy Marian behind to finish a bit more planting & bed maintenance to go for a little stroll in the sunshine. Keeping the hot weather in mind the distance was perhaps a bit less than usual, but it did include a visit to a possible future group run / mission for the WCG - watch this space! With the sun setting, two hot goodgymmers arrived back at base with faces matching their shirts for some post run stretching and cool down.

Next week our trainer James will be back to lead the group run, sign up here to join us on another adventure!