45 GG Yorkies completed two huge multi-part tasks!

It was another night for celebration as Vicky ran her 50th good deed and got to run in the Cape of Good Deeds - go Vicky (make sure you give her a big cheer)!

We also welcomed along Chris for his first ever GoodGym run, extra exciting because Chris is one of the founding members of GoodGym in Harrogate and is working hard to bring another GG to North Yorkshire.

Our warm-up (and subsequent fitness session) was a test of coordination and concentration as we introduced new game, Slappy Slappy Point Point. Leanne and I demonstrated rather badly but some people picked up the concept straight away. See the video below!

I led a team out to St Paul's C of E School's allotment in Holgate, where we were met by Charlotte and three of the teachers from the school too, they were already busy digging up weeds. Our jobs list was hefty:

• Clear the whole bed on the right of the entrance
• Clear the weeds from the wood pile
• Sand and paint the yellow bench
• Sand the three picnic benches
• Completely weed and clear four large and four small raised beds
• Empty out the two plastic compost bins and put compost in (newly cleared) raised beds

Not only that but in the process we added two new tasks to the list:

• Relocate the waste from the compost piles into the emptied compost bins
• Get the bug hotel open for business

Esther, Maddy and Laura seemed to unearth a nest of frogs and so carefully went about popping them back into the beck, which Carl and Paul had now cleared the way for by weeding an area along the fence line.

Caped-Vicky and Nick were busy getting all the lovely compost out of the bins to top up the newly-weeded raised beds whilst Debs was on a mission to restore the bug hotel to it's former glory.

The three picnic benches were sanded down in no time at all and looked much better for it, whilst the yellow bench to a little more elbow grease. Zoe has a sure-fire way to check it was sanded effectively prior to painting.

If I rub it and it doesn't hurt me, it's fine.

We had one last dash to take many filled bags to the van just outside the allotment before we attempted some Slappy Slappy Point Point fitness variations with squats instead of slaps and lunges instead of points. Success was limited. Mel and Katie absolutely nailed the original version and were going so fast nobody could stop them, whilst Zoe and Helen created their own interpretive dance version.

After the run back, Vicky announced she'd made Creme Egg cookies and they were the best ever.

Tim's team ran to the lovely Hull Road Park. They trotted in on our lovely hand-crafted path which we'd constructed over winter and were quickly set to task in 4 separate areas by Rachael and Kristina. The areas were spread out all over the park so Tim covered a lot of extra mileage in his run leading duties.

In the first team was by newbie Chris from the wannabe-future-Harrogate-GoodGym folk and parkrun-tourist-extraordinaire Tom, they got stuck in. Their job was clearing the remaining waste from a composting area and dragging it all the way over to where it could be picked up by a skip later this week.

"Love a good Drag" - Tim's louder than intended response to the task

The second team met their match with some surprisingly deep rooted plants that needed clearing so they can install a new bench. The plants lured Tom D into a false sense of security sending him tumbling as it snapped earlier than he expected.

The third team were there to pop the last remaining bits of self-binding path gravel down on our path. They might have laid it on a bit thick as it ran out just short of completion but some frantic scraping of sand just about got the job done!

The fourth and final team were tasked with speed-staking wooden stakes into the ground to protect some newly planted flowers from the lawnmowers. Their mission was to speed through it so they could run to the aid of the other teams. Craig and Max both for a boost of enthusiasm when Tim told them how much destruction was happening elsewhere.

After collecting up all the tools, there was just enough time for a quick fitness themed slappy slappy pointy pointy game/coordinated falling over if you watch Pete and Max's video (standby for link).

With so many tasks happening they overran slightly so were all super out of breath on arrival back at the Priory Street Centre after a fast run; husband and wife dream team John and Lauren Forecast even raced for a sprint finish. Unfortunately Lauren went the wrong way handing John the lead. But don't worry Lauren next time you'll have him!

Only a few of Vicky's amazing cookies were left so we incorporated a stretch and walk-out-plank challenge for those who wanted one (read: everyone).

We shortlisted these entries for the Slappy Slappy Point Point competition, vite for your favourite by commenting below!

Another big night at GoodGym York as 34 runners ran to tasks at opposite sides of the city!

We kicked off with a ski/snowsports-themed warm-up today since I was fresh back from a snowboarding holiday. Vivid imagination was definitely required as we pretended to ski in the car park of the Priory Street Centre. I'm sure new runners Tom and Chloe wondered what on earth was going on (give them a massive welcome cheer, by the way).

Whilst you're cheering, we need to all give a huge cheer to Becky Mo who had an absolute epic at the Hardmoors 50 on Saturday, what a hero!

Routes were picked to carefully avoid everywhere that is currently underwater, as Tim and Becky took a crew to St Nicks for a 'Jonathan surprise' and me and Leanne took a crew up to the Grange Lane Play Area for a Power Pick. Both teams were also challenged to make a number, 2 and 7, to represent GoodGym York being the 27th area to have started as we approach the launch of our 50th area.

Good work making litter picking sound sexy - Bec

We were trying to get the jump on the Great British Spring Clean, a nationwide initiative to encourage people to go out and help clean up their local areas. The team were very excited that we not only had litter pickers (pro ones, according to Max), but we also had hoops. It doesn't take much. Unfortunately the act of putting a bag onto a litter picking hoop flummoxed many a GG Yorkie and we were three minutes down before we sprung into action. With 30 minutes on the clock, the Power Pick began.

It didn't take long before some big items were located. Emma had managed to bag a traffic cone whilst Leanne and Simon found a whole load of scrap metal. Aidan was deep in the undergrowth and lobbed out a neatly packaged tent.

Not gona put that in my bag!

Shortly after, Leanne found a mallet.

Now we can put up the tent!

As we gradually moved deeper into the field, a sub-team went into a little space known as the Party Area because it's very obviously where all the parties happen. Someone appeared to have recently had an Irn Bru party.

This is the world's most rubbish party - Craig

Max was still waxing lyrical about the pro-pickers. He reckoned you could pick up anything with one of those bad boys. He proved his point by picking up a very flimsy bit of tape which was cemented into the ground. As we headed back to the top of the park, Aidan had managed to lob pretty much a whole porcelain toilet out of the undergrowth too. Max almost ignored it until Leanne challenged his "this can pick up anything" claim, and he did really try quite hard to drag a toilet with a litter picker, but we found the limit of their usefulness.

We finished with an attempt to make a '7' out of filled rubbish bags, and had to use Pete as the tallest person to get the best angle.

Team Tim set off at a grand old trot, all slightly in awe at the flooded Ouse! Becky '50 miles' Mo heroically brought up the rear across town to our old haunt St Nicks at the eco hub thingy [Eco-centre, Tim - Egg]!

The sparkling as ever Jonathan guided us to a corner of the reserve and set us to task removing the top soil and brambles so wild flowers could be planted. He even let Mel and Becky do some twilight scything as a special winter treat! We are all looking forward to a scythe-tastic summer this year!

It was a bit crowded to begin, but once the scythers and rakers cleared an area there was plenty to do.

There are only good quotes when people aren't working hard enough - Tim

We then raked the exposed topsoil, before attempting a soon-to-be worldwide hit. the "Mexican Sprinkle". [I feel I need to explain this. It's sowing seeds in the fashion of a Mexican wave, Egg] I promise you kids, it will be a sensation before you know it.

Please can you all do a Mexican sprinkle in front of me - Tim

Bada-bing Bada-boom [seriously Tim?], we convoyed the tools back to the hub and did a quick exercise where Tim did his best to scare off the lovely newbies Chloe and Tom with extra squats!

I enjoyed it, despite Tim's Mexican sprinkle - New Tom

GG Yorkies ran en masse to Hull Road Park to help TCV dismantle old raised beds!

We didn't have a single new runner join us on this occasion, just all the old stinky ones, but we did get to announce the GG Yorkie of the Month for February and it was...... MARVELLOUS MITCH!

Mitch has done loads including leading and attending community missions, helping out with leading groups as a run leader, getting a coveted first finisher spot at parkrun and generally being an awesome GoodGymer. He's the most helpful one there is and is always quick to step in and help - make sure you go give him some cheers for being so good.

With Pete as our back-marker, we headed off for Hull Road Park. We even got to run in on our lovely new footpath. We were met by Rachel and Kristina who had really pulled the boat out on tools and wheelbarrows, it felt like there was almost a wheelbarrow for every single runner.

We had three tasks to complete in 35 minutes:

• Dig all the soil out of the raised beds and make a big pile on the nearby tarp
• Clear all the green waste to the skip (approx 200m away)
• Dismantle the raised beds carefully enough to re-use the wood

Tim and Tom (from now on known collectively as TimTom) were on skip duty; basically the muscle lifting wheelbarrow loads of stuff into the skip. Top wheelbarrow runner of the night has to go to Charlotte who was absolutely powering along and probably ran an extra 2km in wheelbarrow relays.

Craig nearly had to go to the naughty step as he was getting so carried away with sledgehammering that he nearly took out several people with falling planks, but generally the dismantling was a much gentler affair than I had envisaged.

One group were being really careful as they'd discovered frogs hidden in the soil of their raised bed. Tristan was busy lifting them all to safety.

What are they doing in here? Do frogs hibernate?!

The planks were piling up and soon Rachel opened up the hut whilst several people started carried dismantled planks back to storage. Debs managed to get a piece that did look very much like a headboard, probably not one anyone would really want in their bedroom though.

Anyone got wood? - Debs

...

No-one's got any wood? It is cold though - Craig

At the five minute countdown, only the soil of one raised bed remained, as well as a couple of barrow's worth of green waste, so everyone got stuck in the get the tasks finished. It was a wheelbarrow frenzy!

We need reversing beeps for these!

With our task completed, we celebrated with a couple of long hill reps up Green Dykes Lane before running back to base.

It was a big crew for post-run-pub-social and on investigating our pics we realised that Mitch had his eyes closed for the GGYofM picture, but we'd managed to leave the frame back at Priory Centre so, like the true good'un he is, Mitch ran back to retrieve it for an eyes open picture. What did I say, give that man a cheer!