Another splendid Saturday, and it was a perfect day to partake in a 5k plod in a local park, or even down Penny Lane. That special location in Liverpool was the choice of Jo and Roz who ran together (one not to miss, as Jo is proud to be a life member of Penny Lane Striders). They also passed through Greenbank Park (a site of previous GoodGym community missions) and The Mystery (where they’d volunteered in the past at junior parkun), and even spotted purple bins (matching Jo’s trainers!)

Another team involving a parent and daughter running together consisted of Dani and Salvo AKA BadGym who often delights us in plonkeresque style when participating in our Derby group runs. They patiently did 17 laps of the pony paddock. Well done! More petite than a pony, Gwyn spotted a poodle!

Helen photographed a sign for a public footpath. Gwyn ran so fast along his path he ended up panting (well, he is a pensioner!). Other signs he spotted were Plas Menai, a private road and some posters. Planks formed part of his path, and he also saw some poo (ugh!) as well as pink petals, purple petals and pallets. Coincidentally, Naomi spotted petals and a pallet, too, along with power lines and a postbox.

Helen and Tracey also saw postboxes. Tracey got two views of hers – one from a distance which also included the postvan and postman, and the second one closer up, showing off her new present, a parkrun t-shirt, and her hair in a scruffy plait – perhaps a visit to the Penny Lane barber shop should be in order!

Both Peter and Helen saw some artwork; Peter Pan graffiti and a pebble on a post, Gwyn got a post near a path, but no pebble, though he did spot a pasture. Helen’s route also took in a beautiful pond, and some primroses. Other plants included pampas grass, two different colours of poppies, and Peter’s potted potato plants.

And turning from natural to man-made, Tracey spotted a pub, and a power station flanked by a pair of trees, though you might have to peer closely at the photo to see it (the pavement and people are more obvious!), and Peter's car for this week was a Peugeot.

Thanks for taking part and sending in your pretty pictures!

DOING GOOD

In lieu of our usual group run activities we hosted a Zoom call so we could complete a workout, together.

And it was SO great to see many of the Derby GG'ers faces live from their own homes! Smiles & greetings all round as we checked in with one another before a little Tuesday beasting...

WHILST GETTING FIT

And those smiles didn't last for long once that timer was on! Trainer Dani, joined in her home lock-down by Sam & BadGym, hosted a fitness session we like to call The Pyramid. Taking place in a stable currently renovated into a gym (& still smelling of horse muck!) we showed the group an all over body-burner, which targets some of those areas key to sustainable running... the legs (mostly the quads on this one!), the abs & the upper body for a strong foundation.

As the name suggests, we build a pyramid with our sets. 60 seconds of each exercise, 45 seconds of each exercise, 30 seconds of each exercise, back to 45 seconds & finishing with 60 seconds again. Here's what we did (for those that want to try it again!):

• Press-ups! Simple, old-school & effective for toning the upper body. Either full press ups, knees down or using a wall for a supported press-up works here.
• Squat dips! Like a squat, but hold it low. Never straighten the legs, just dip low, slightly lift & dip low again. A butt & a quad burner! Hold a weight for a tougher workout.
• Toe Reaches! Lying on the floor, feet towards the ceiling & arms overhead. Squeeze the abs & reach for those toes! Add weight for a tougher workout.
  
• Reverse Lunges! What it says on the tin, but we keep arms lifted towards the ceiling to increase heart-rate. Want more of a challenge? Hold a weight overhead to really work on that core stability!

And once all that was done & dusted, I couldn't just leave them there.... We finished with a 60 second wall hold to finish off those quads & boy did it finish them off!

Naomi & Helen later reported that they had trouble getting back down the stairs after their workout... fair to say they were a little wobbly with emotion!

BIG THANKS

It was amazing to see you! Let's do the same again next week? New exercises, less quads, promise :)

GETTING RACING FIT

It was an exciting morning on Sunday as runners from Derby and Leicester GoodGym - as well as far flung Newcastle! - donned their trainers & eagerly toed the start line of the Carsington 10km & Half Marathon.

The weather was forecast to pour it down all morning, so it was a pleasant surprise when the rain disappeared & the sun even tried to make a break through the clouds. The sun was definitely welcome for those of us spectating too & doing the important job of cheering on the GG'ers!

It was a race of mixed emotions, as always.

Helen & Tracey both completing the 10km were delighted with their times. Helen very much so, having knocked 9 minutes off her previous 10km PB - go girl!

Sam, Salvo, Huw & Katherine completed the Half Marathon, which was a challenging course anyway; up & over the 'bumps' & facing strong gales along the exposed part of the reservoir. Sam was delighted with his result, setting a new PB with an impressive time of 1 hour & 32 minutes & Salvo & Katherine were relieved to have made it to the end, having completed this beast of a race!

As with all events, there are highs & lows whilst running but no matter how it went, with medal in hand, a cold Kombuca in this case & the race behind you, there's always something to smile about.

I think everyone did great - Well done GG'ers!

So, what's next? :)

Big Loves x

RUNNING FOR GOOD

What a splendid afternoon for a lap around Carsington Water; the sun was shining, lovely cool running weather & the cafe was still open when we got back to the Visitor Centre, the ultimate reward!

We were delighted to be joined by a complete newbie to GoodGym - Linda - for who the (almost) eight miles was a new distance personal best! Along with Linda, regular faces to the GG Derby clan met in the main carpark, shivering in the cold to begin with, before we began a steady jaunt around the reservoir.

We soon warmed up, regularly regrouping to take some lovely snaps & of course, a photo of Sam sitting down on the job, in a wooden armchair perfectly placed for a break! Just the cuppa missing from his hand...

The benefits of social runs in a beautiful location are obvious as we smiled, chatted & encouraged each other around the route. For some, a steady Saturday jog & for others, an opportunity to push current limits & set a new record for distance. Whatever the reason for attending, we all connected & supported one another, completing the full lap with smiles.

Conversation soon turned to these benefits of running & the strange phenomenon that means runners remember runs & races more fondly than maybe it actually felt at the time (we've all been there!), almost with rose tinted glasses, meaning that even when running is really hard, we still sign up to more races & events once were back in the comfort of our homes! This phenomenon is due to a cocktail of feel-good chemicals that is released into the body with movement & as well as making us remember runs fondly, it also helps us to connect & cooperate with the people we run with, on a greater level.... awesome!

So, with new bonds & friendships sealed by those feel good chems, we arrived back at the cafe ready to enjoy cake & coffees, the perfect Saturday afternoon.

THANK YOUS

Thanks so much to everyone who came along & to those who tried to join us, but didn't quite make it - we missed you Ash!.

We'll plan another social run soon, if you have a location in mind, let me know & lets get something in the diary.

Big Loves x

It isn't a pun, it actually happened!

& we had an amazing turnout of GG'ers, accompanied by friends & family too on a soggy Thursday morning!

At around 10am we began to gather at the Furnace Inn pub beside Darley Park, paying our £2 registration fee (all of which was going to the Brain Tumor charity) & huddling in the warmth before the race start at 11am.

Person by person, we found most of the GG'ers who were planning to attend - apart from Lehann, Mike & Alice who did join in the fun run, but we didn't manage to see them :(

Eventually, it was time to reluctantly head outside into the cold. We snapped a team photo, minus the illusive three, & then the race briefing began... it was almost time!

Once the countdown was complete the keen runners began to tear away from the start line, down the path & into Darley Park, with the rest of us plodding along behind them! The route was more on path than it ever has been thanks to the new pathways across the grass, which saved our trainers from the mud... to begin with anyway.

What would a wet Boxing day fun run be without a little mud? New trainers received on Christmas day were about to get well &truly broken in on the last stretch as the runners slipped & skidded down the muddy bank & back onto the path, soaring into the finish funnel!

It was amazing to see so many of GG Derby, friends & family AND Catriona from GG Hammersmith & Fulham, running on Boxing Day & having a great time doing so :)

Well done team & a massive well done to everyone who braved the cold & wet this Boxing Day. I'm sure the Furnace Inn raised a decent amount for their chosen charity too & what a brilliant local event :)

Merry Christmas!

Big Loves x

PRE-CHRISTMAS DOVEDOLE PLOD

Four runners from Derby GG & four runners from Sheffield GG met in the main carpark at Dovedale, with santa hats at the ready, to explore the trails & probably (definitely) get a little wet.

Luckily for us, the rain held off, but we had the River Dove to contend with!

We set off (along the right hand side, the tricky-terrain-side) of the river to avoid the floods & after a little while, we were on the main footpath of the trails, making for easier running. We went over the wooden pathways (where the troll resides), pass the caves & skirted around the hills, reaching the end of the scenic Dovedale walk by the cafe. From here, just over a mile of road running awaited us.... up hill. We tackled it with gusto, meeting at the top for a snap, before enjoying our descent through boggy fields & a bit of a scramble down a steep, rocky pathway leading back to the River Dove.

We rejoined the trail alongside the river, crossed another bridge & we were on the home straight with 2 miles to go - yeeeha!

We came back to where the stepping stones should have been, but due to heavy rain fall, they were no where to be seen. And as GoodGym'ers are there to do good... we thought that we should probably check where the stones are, right?

In to the river we waded! It was apparent that at first we thought it was only going to be knee height, but the icy waters soon became waist high, leaving us all with squelchy (& cold) butts for the last kilometre back to the cars... now on the better side of the river to run on. Silver lining to wet butts?

Once back at the carpark, we stretched, chatted & ate some biscuits shaped like Christmas trees, 'cause tis the season.

All in all, a fabulous afternoon on the trails with the GoodGym family! Let's do it all over again in the New Year?!

Big Loves x

GETTING MERRY

After our epic group run (nearly 200km covered!) it was time to regroup at the Jurys Inn with friends new & old, relax with drinks in hand & a full plate of grub. Especially Sam who probably ate the equivalent of two whole chickens.

Food enjoyed, the pub quiz commenced. To recap - & to rub salt in BadGym's wound, obviously - here are the team names (they deserve another shout out) & the final scoring;

Winning Team: "Norfolk Enchance" with 13 points & a winning tie-breaker point for the best team name!

Runner-up: "Four Goodness Sake" with 13 points & still a solid & innocent team name... I like it.

Third Place: "No room at the (Jurys) Inn" with 10 points & my favorite run-pun of the night with "What do you get when 10 runners run 10km & move 10 hay bales? A group tighter than a ducks ass!"

Losers: "The Master Debaters" with 9 points... nothing else to say on this one.

Thank you to everyone who made our last group run of the year EPIC! Merry Christmas y'all!

Big Loves x

DOING MERRY GOOD

What a finale to our 2019 group runs; an epically long run (about 12km total!), a whole lotta cards & even more laughter!

We set off from the Jurys Inn in good spirits, donning our festive attire & made our way to the Scouts Hut in Sinfin where our special delivery was waiting for us. We managed to warm up for a few moments in the 'card sorting office' whilst our Christmas cards were organised numerically & into odds & evens (a more difficult task than it sounds!) & then we were ready for our Christmas Card-io! (Thanks Peter for the pun & great to see you back with us!)

Back on Blagreaves Lane, we split into Odds & Evens Teams headed up by Katherine & Rachael - the responsible adults distributing cards to their runners - & we were off! It was eye opening just how many Christmas cards some households receive...

At the top of Blagreaves Lane it was time to go 'dashing' up Hillsway for our final spot of card-deliveroo. Avoiding the icy patches, we safely made it to the top & were back on Burton Road to enjoy a (mostly) down-hill glide back to the Jurys Inn.

We even managed to check up on a our previous tasks-handywork enroute back; admiring the wreaths hung up by GG Derby last week & we are happy to report they are still there & looking wonderful!

WHILST GETTING MERRY FIT

Our longest run to date? Probably!

And definitely a tough route tackling many hills & much ice - well done team! We ran a collective of almost 200km! in the name of Christmas... Card-io last night! Gotta get my use out of that pun where I can.

AND THEN JUST GETTING MERRY

We arrived back at the Jurys a little late, but greeted by our wonderful friends new & old & the important part... with nibbles at the ready!

Once sat down, drinks in hand & a full plate of grub, it was time to tuck in. Especially Sam who probably ate the equivalent of two whole chickens.

Food enjoyed, the pub quiz commenced. To recap - & to rub salt in BadGym's wound, obviously - here are the team names (they deserve another shout out) & the final scoring;

Winning Team: "Norfolk Enchance" with 13 points & a winning tie-breaker point for the best team name!

Runner-up: "Four Goodness Sake" with 13 points & still a solid & innocent team name... I like it.

Third Place: "No room at the (Jurys) Inn" with 10 points & my favorite run-pun of the night with *"What do you get when 10 runners run 10km & move 10 hay bales? A group tighter than a ducks ass!" *

Losers: "The Master Debaters" with 9 points... nothing else to say on this one.

THANK YOUS

Thank you to our back-markers - Glenda, Katherine & Mark - and thank you all for joining in the run and/or social last night & making it such a smashing evening to finish our 2019 group runs on!

Enjoy your break over the Christmas period & when you need a dose of GoodGym, feel free to join in with any of the activities on over the next couple of weeks... I'm gonna plug them again because I'll miss you all if I don't see :)

• 21st December - Trail run at Dovedale (8 miles...ish)

• 26th December - Boxing Day fun run (5km)

Ps. Sorry for the lack of photos, with all the festivities & map reading I forgot to take many. But what a lovely, blurry photo of Pete I did get, hey?

Big Loves x