Some marvellous multi-tasking

We were a two-task crew again this evening, due to demand from several of the brilliant organisations in our borough.

...Down on the farm

With a brilliant task force helping out with some behind-the-scenes planning, Bryon led the larger team to one of our favourite venues, Stepney City Farm. Here the team ploughed (see what I did there?) through a multitude of tasks, including sweeping, bin-emptying and the mammouth task of sanding the big barn doors. With one of the farm groups finishing early, Bryon took them on a speedy local lap to clock up some more mileage before heading back to our small green space for the remainder of the fitness component.

Some proficient painters

In the meantime, I was lucky enough to take our all-female team of proficient painters to a new task, the beautiful Glasshouse Community Centre on Old Ford Road. We feel very lucky to have played a part in the makeover of this magnificent community space. Des, our task owner for the evening, gave us the warmest of welcomes, complete with an abundance of kit, including overalls and gloves. No sooner had we arrived than the team of 5 had barricaded themselves into the small storage room, expertly painting a variety of tricky surfaces and completing the entire room in half an hour. Sixty Minute Makeover, eat your heart out.

Let's hear it for the extended plank

We then made our way swiftly back to rendez-vous with the Stepney Squad, where we all proceeded to run through our upper body extravaganza, including the close-grip push-up and the extended plank (I'm sorry, guys, it's all for the greater good - honest), and finishing by showing our adductors a little love with the time-honoured Pilates Saw exercise.

Thank you's, welcome's...

A very warm welcome to Millie, who joined us for her first GG run. What a joy to have you on board! Thank you for your hard work (both at the farm and in the fitness field) and for joining in so wholeheartedly on your first run. Please come back soon! And a warm welcome to Mirko, who was running with Tower Hamlets for the first time. Great to see you, thanks for all the hard work and do join us in the very near future...please!

Thanks to the truly terrific Tower Hamlets Task Force, Bryon for leading the Stepney squad; Leanne and Sarah for back-marking, andBecky for the wonderful pun and planning.

Thanks too to Danny, for farm pics this evening, and who's joined us for the last couple of weeks, and been a really fabulous ambassador for this Sunday's Aid Station Volunteering at the British 10K. More details of how to get involved can be found here.

And not forgetting the GoodGym Social

And lastly, don't forget the GoodGym Social on Thursday, touring in Wandsworth, from 6.30pm at The Plough in Clapham Junction. More details can be found here.

Right, that's it for this week. Well done for a truly productive, high-octane evening - you rock! I can't WAIT to do it all again next week, when we'll be two-tasking it again, gardening galore at Meath Gardens and Hollybush. Come on board - sign up here!

A team of 20 tough runners braved another melting Monday to head into Tower Hamlets and really get up a sweat.

Team 1: What Lies Be MEATH

16 of us headed to Meath Gardens where we returned to help Tunde, Joanna and Julia of Friends of Meath Gardens water the new young trees, which need a bit of TLC in this warm weather. There’s currently no water-point in the park itself, which means the water has to come from the canal, an arduous process involving trolleys, buckets and a lot of manpower.

Dave headed up the canalside operation, loading vats and buckets of water onto the trolleys, as well as into smaller vessels for the runners to carry back to the trees. Running and walking mileage soon added up - new trees are dotted all around the sizeable park - but we got it done. Every tree received the much-needed two buckets of water. Phew.

Team II: Strim and vigour

Meanwhile, Becky headed up the Cranbrook team, who had been requested as a last minute SOS to head to the estate’s Community Garden for some urgent lawn-mowing and strimming. After a speedy run to the task, well navigated and led by Steve, the team arrived at Cranbrook to be introduced to two strimmers and the task for the evening: weeding the planters, ahead of a garden inspection on Wednesday.

A new (thankless) task soon reared its head, however: an unruly extension cable, knotted in a manner even the best Boy Scouts would have been in awe of, hindered the team’s speedy start. Steve took on the tangle, while the remaining runners donned gardening gloves and declared war on the proliferation of dandelions. Eventually the strimmers buzzed into life, with the team tackling the majority of the mowing, making a respectably-sized addition to the Cranbrook compost heap.

30 degree time trial

After our obligatory end-of-session S&C exercises in Meath Gardens, we headed back to base with a time trial (to celebrate this new, nationwide 1K GG challenge, inspired by the GG Olympics - all the details are here). Our time trial was led by Yesh (PBs are easy to achieve when your goal is simply to keep Yesh in sight…).

Hot, satisfied and ready to hit the beer, we exited our lovely air-conditioned room and made our way to Mother Kelly’s where Bryon greeted us with a Stanley Knife (in the best possible way) to begin crafting Leanne’s beautifully designed Tower Hamlets Olympic Torch. Thank you to Beckys J and G, for all the planning, and to Sarah and Becky J and Becky G for supplies, and to Bryon, Dave, Becky and Becky G for building. We look forward to the end result.

Hello’s, welcome’s – and thank you’s

A very big GG welcome to Hannah, Yas, Chrisanna, Anna and Bea, who joined us for their first TH run. It was great to have you on board - thanks for all your hard, hard work last night and please come back soon.

Lovely to see Dave and Nina (by no means new to GG but new to me) and please come back to TH soon!

Thank you to our utterly fabulous Task Force members: Leanne for her beautiful torch design; Bryon for supporting the GG Olympics and coming well-armed to the pub; Becky G for her Olympic input and for receiving the torch at gone 10pm; Becky J for all her GG Olympic planning, leading up the Cranbrook team, for some great pics and her report-contribution; Sarah for her pristine plant pots and for being such a great New Runner Rep; Dave for heading up the canal team and a great pun; Alys for a wicked pun (and sorry for being such a slow-coach); Si for getting on board the Olympic-craft spirit, Mother Kelly’s suggestion and for encouraging us to get down the pub together a bit more.

Next week, we’re heading back to the Royal London to meet Nancy and the team for more hospital fun, so do join us if you can. Details and sign up are here.

And, if you fancy joining us at the GoodGym Olympics on Saturday, either sign up here, or drop me an email (laura@goodgym.org) if you fancy meeting and travelling there together. There are a few of us going: some of us racing, some are cake-making; some are simply sandwich-eating and beer-supping - so there’s something for everyone.

I can’t WAIT to do it all again then - have a great week in the meantime.

Let's hear it for warmer, lighter Monday evenings

It was a very enthusiastic group of 31 runners that headed out to popular task location, Weavers Adventure Playground, this evening, where task owner Alex was well prepared for a large group with a total of 4 different tasks. We had a lovely run to the task, with a quieter, more scenic route planned and led by Bryon.

Something for everyone...

On arrival, the team were divided up into: the heavy lifters (as it sounds); the saw-ers (is that a term?) for those fancying their hand at chopping up large planters; the soil crew (or 'the dirt group', as they became affectionately known during the evening) for shifting large amounts of soil, and the creative-thinking group for designing and building steps around the new slide. With team leaders appointed for each micro-task, Alex divided his time between all teams, project-managing and working with the lifters to shift heavy white goods from 'out back'.

The return of the Tower Hamlets signature snack

Half time means Lucky Dip Pick'n'Mix time here in Tower Hamlets - this week, most runners made a beeline for the HobNob bars, with the more health conscious snapping up raisins and - get this - oatcakes.

Pl-anks to Alex, for the use of the hopscotch area

...And so, freshly-fueled, we moved to our fitness session, where, as usual, abs proved to be a particular favourite area to focus on, so well done for putting up with the side-plank crunch and tuck'n'roll demands that were made on your abs, all on the slightly-softer-surface of the playground's hopscotch area. A particular well done to Rhys who, on his first GoodGym run, ended up planking on a hill (albeit accidentally in an attempt to stay at the back of the class), thereby giving his abs a double workout...

Happy customers

We headed back to base, both runners and task owner very much the very satisfied customer. A massive well done to you all, your efforts were clearly very much appreciated by Alex - as he explained, you really helped lighten the load this evening. Thank you for being such fun, so creative, and for persevering with all the tricky tasks, and for not stopping for a second for nearly 45 minutes.

Thank you shout-outs to Bryon for navigating and leading runs to and from the task; Dave for stats; Isha for being co-photographer and for some really fabulous pics, Leanne for brilliant backmarking, for always staying in sight, even with some last minute twists and turns!

...And a very warm welcome

...to our first time runners tonight, Savina, Rhys, Nick, Brian, Yesh, Georgina and to Mi (whose first time it was with the Tower Hamlets crew). You lifted, you lugged; you shovelled, you dug…You were amazing.

...and a very Happy 6th GG Birthday to Pete

Thank you to Pete who joined us for his sixth GG anniversary - was really lovely to see you on your GoodGym birthday.

Well done again Team Tower Hamlets - what a thoroughly upbeat, lively, satisfying and productive Monday night out that was, and I can't WAIT to do it all again next week!