61 runners turned up to the very exciting GoodGym launch in Exeter! We ran 3.5 k to help the Newtown Community Association get their new community building in Belmont park ready for opening in September.

WOW! We had an incredible turn out for our launch run in Exeter! 61 is the highest number of runners ever to come along to a GoodGym launch. Absolutely amazing to see! Most of the runners who came along were totally new to the GoodGym, but we also had some experienced GoodGym runners joining us from Bristol. Great to meet you all!

We started at the Exeter Phoenix Art Centre. This will be our starting point every week which is great as it has toilets, a safe place for us to lock our bags and also a lovely cafe-bar for refreshments and chats for anyone who fancies that before or after our runs.

From the Phoenix we jogged over to the Rougemont Gardens where we were joined by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Exeter, Councillor Mrs Yolonda Henson and Mathew Bryne, the CEO of the Westbank (who we work in partnership with and is funding the GoodGym in our area) who gave some lovely speeches.

We then carried out some dynamic warm-up exercises, getting our bodies ready before we headed over to Belmont Park. During the run we re-grouped at regular intervals, so that we didn’t get too spread out and we managed some press-ups, wall squats and high knees as well on the way. Thank you to Helen Stevens and Ed Field who back marked so that no one got left behind and a big thank you to Dave Guest who led the walking group.

At the task we were welcomed by Rory McNeile, the chair of the Newtown Community Association, who showed us what to do and explained that the community building will be an important place for educational and social events and that it will have a very positive impact on the lives of local residents. The community building will be opening on Saturday the 21st of September, 11 am-3 pm, with fun activities for all age groups and everyone is welcome to join!

We then got stuck in and worked hard for 45 minutes, focusing on the following tasks:

• Shoveling soil onto a trailer and transporting it to the preschool nearby
• Picking up rocks from the ground
• Digging out flower beds
• Raking up grass
• Sweeping the ground
• Cleaning the floors inside the building
• Clearing out gutters

These tasks gave us a full body work-out and it was amazing to see how much we got done!

45 minutes of GoodGym runners getting stuck in made such a difference. Fantastic work everyone!

On our return run we stopped at the Cathedral green where we all enjoyed (I hope!) a fitness session involving 5 types of squats and 4 types of planks. All these exercises strengthen muscle groups that are important to running and by keeping these strong we both improve performance and reduce risk of injury. Hot, sweaty and happy we then returned to the Phoenix where we carried out some stretches. We also took some great photos!

After the group run some runners stayed around for refreshments and chats in the Phoenix which was lovely. Some runners also got their documents checked so that they can start doing coach runs (regularly running to see an isolated elderly person), or so that they can take part in mission runs (running to help isolated elderly people with one-off practical tasks). Fantastic to see that runners are getting involved with the GoodGym in Exeter in this way already and thank you Dom Tooze for helping out with the document checks.

It will be brilliant to see you all again next week when we will run to help the Sylvania Environment and Community project with some gardening tasks along a footpath in the Sylvania Estate. The outward run will take us up a rather steep hill but don’t worry, we will stop to catch our breaths and regroup at regular intervals! Also, what goes up must come down so the return run will be a lot easier! Sign up here to come along.

To finish of with a big shout out to everyone who took part in the launch of the GoodGym in Exeter is very much in order! You all really showed Exeter how to get fit by doing good! It was fantastic to see how everyone chatted to each other and got along during the whole evening as well. Such great GoodGym vibes!

See you next week and happy running until then!

40 runners, 40 degrees…

40 runners gathered in a rather warm hotel room tonight, eagerly catching up on news, meeting fellow new runners – and expressing a strong desire to head outside to cooler temperatures. And so we promptly gathered on the steps of the hotel to run through our intros, and to greet tonight’s new runners, and welcome Rob, our new Solihull trainer, who’s very excitingly set to launch GG Solihull in the next few weeks.

Lean, mean cleaning machines

With tonight’s new task being just a short run from base, we soon arrived at Oxford House, a much loved, exceptionally well established community arts centre just by Weavers Fields. Sarah, our wonderful task owner, was well prepped for tonight’s task: a mammoth cleaning operation to prepare the entire centre for phase II, the decorating, of its extensive overhaul. Teams were dispatched all over the building: to the ramps for chewing gum-scraping; to the ramp railings for grime-blitzing; to the bar, gallery and stairwells for sugar-soaping walls and to the stairways for skirting board cleaning.

The work was tough going: cloths were left threadbare, walls were scrubbed (“We feel like we’re not making a difference, Laura”. “But you are, you are – there’s less grime, honest.”) It was a journey: of stoicism, strength - and sugar soap.

A January fitness session…

And then it was a task-wrap as buckets were emptied, cloths rinsed, floors swept and hoovered (thank you, Liam) and we were meeting in the beautiful theatre space for 20 minutes of balance and strength work. The runners’ faces were as usual a picture: the grimaces would make brilliant GIFs, let me tell you, but they got the work done – again. Obliques were obliterated; hamstrings hurt (in a good way); teeth gritted for glute-rinsing, and 2019 cores carved. Way to go.

And so we headed back to the hotel, for a final stretch and a cheerio, and chatting about the exciting things we’ve got coming up in the next couple of weeks...

What. A. Night.

A huge GG Tower Hamlets shout-out to our first time runners and visitors

Tonight we were joined by first time runners, Hannah, Matthew, Claire, Louise, Shweta, Jo, Emma and Rob.

Thanks for helping to make the night such a huge success – for all your hard work, and big smiles, and for getting so stuck in on your first run. We really hope to see you again very soon.

Thank you to Rob, obviously by no means new, just new to us, who was such an asset to last night’s task: for the chatter, the energy, the input, the ferocious guarding of the sign-in sheet and meticulous timekeeping.

And a massive thank you and big appreciation from the group to our utterly wonderful task force again this week. Behind the scenes of an operation like tonight, there’s actually a lot of careful planning, all assisted and supported by our truly wonderful task force, who are on board from the off, with everything from route-planning, backmarking, new-runner greeting - to reassuring a wide-eyed trainer just before the run…

We’re pub-quizzing on Sunday!

Talking of which, our latest task force member, Becky G, is also our new parkrun co-ordinator! Big, big hip hooray. So don’t forget, on Sunday we’ll be joining forces with the brilliant Mile End parkrun pub quizzers, at The Coborn in Bow, from 7pm – the more the merrier, so do sign up here if you fancy swapping trainers for trivia this weekend, and hanging out with some friendly faces.

...And we're doing it all again next Monday

Don’t forget - we’re back at Oxford House next week, when we’re lucky enough to be finishing the task with a Yoga for Runners workshop led by Emma Hopkinson. I’d seriously consider being part of the fun if I were you, so check it out here.

Right, that’s it from me for this week. Have a really great week, everyone - I hope January has started well for you - and we’ll see you very soon.