Seventeen keen goodgym runners braved the dark streets to help the Northway Rose gardens. We gathered for a chat and warm up next the Phoenix. Our run was part of the RunandTalk campaign week to encourage people to see exercise as a way to improve mental health as well as physical health. Goodgym Barnet would like to encourage more people exercising, chatting and doing good in their communities. We set off as a group with Rob back marking, stopping every so often to do paired exercises and let the runners gather over the 2km to the Rose gardens. There we met Brian who gave us all gardening gloves and asked us to help distribute composed bags across the the gardens. We had a couple of wheel barrows but otherwise it was heavy work carrying the bags across to the flower beds. Remarkably some of the roses were still in bloom! It was hard work but just the sort task we like at goodgym. We then started the run back using our head torches to guide us along the dark tree covered paths of Mutton brook. We gathered again for photos and a few exercises including the star jump ripple.(the photos don’t do it justice..it was a group work of art!) Then back to the start for a warm down. Well done everyone who came along to help.. it was great effort!

Thanks for doing good!

If you want to do some missions and do some more good don’t forget to bring ID on your next group run.(see web site for details)

Twenty one tenacious GoodGymmers ran 6k to help clean up at Fernbank Nursing Home.

Meeting at the Phoenix, we were joined by some GoodGym tourists: Deb and Paul visiting from BRISTOL and Jenni from EALING. Welcome! So nice to see you all.

Tonight was a new task: Fernbank are midway through a refurbishment so all the back room areas are coated in dust. We were asked to don our cleaning gloves and wipe down the walls, banister and floors in the three floored stairwell.

But first we had to get there: I led the way with Danny backmarking the front group, whilst Sarah C led a group at Party Pace #chattingspeed. Its a long ish run for us in typically undulating North London so everyone did great. I was also able to plot in a new off road section: Lovers Lane - a hilly, narrow alley that doesn't really live up to it's romantic name.

Arriving at the home we donned our gloves and got to work. Everyone made predictably fast work of the cleaning with the walls, banister and skirting board quickly cleaned. Akthar and Paul took on the mopping and covered it all after we cleared everyone else out.

We said our goodbyes, posed for photos outside (thanks to a kind passer by for allowing me to jump into one) and set off. Graham kindly back marked on the way back, whilst Rob, May, Akthar and Rupesh set off for a fast group back to base.

It was a brill run, setting a really good time, and we were able to celebrate at the end with high fives and May's homemade cookies and brownies. Great work team - see you next week for flyering at the Phoenix.

Remember to keep October 14th free in your diaries: Vicki, May and Fay are running in the Royal Parks half and there is the opportunity to volunteer at the Shoreditch 10k. I'll be attempting to combine supporting at both: hope to see you there.

Eleven heavenly goodgym runners ran to help the gardener at Stephens House and Gardens. Meeting at the Phoenix we warmed up and played a quick game of truth or lie with most people opting to tell the truth. Some interesting stuff! We set off for the task through the alley ways and now dark streets of east Finchley arriving to meet with Peter the gardener. The park was closed but Peter had arranged access through one of the Avenue gates. He asked us to help him clean & clear up his compound by moving fences, dirt and compost. We worked quickly (but safely )with light provided by his little tractor. When all was done we had time to enjoy the dark and empty park with a run around the 10 acres of land. How unique is that! We stopped halfway through for a HIT session with alternate press ups and star jumps of 30 seconds..... all to the latest dance tunes.( well .. within the last thirty years) Fox trot next week! We headed back for Sarah again to meet us with cookies at the Phoenix .

Thanks for coming, running and doing good!

PS (We have a couple of people waiting to do missions but they need one other. Can you help them fulfil a mission this Saturday or Sunday? See the web site for details.)