A dozen GGers got down to some shifty business at Willesden's Old Cop Shop and did some hard time, smashing out a serious plyometics session to boot. Pow Pow!! All in a days work for Brent.

Beautiful scenes down in Brent this week where twelve familiar faces came to pay their dues at our on going mission to regenerate the Old Police Station, into a fabulous community base and artistic Hub. Hurrah!!

With housekeeping done and dusted, it took this swift crew of bandits no time at all to jog the short distance of Walm Lane to the task for the eve, of course with much merriment and catch ups chats along the way. YAY!

Greeting us as always with his usual flair was our fav host colin and all of his magical energy and crazy antics, this week included stopping traffic to achieve the ultimate team pic outside our task base!!

After the matrix style vehicle vanquish, the usual catch up tour got underway and the group were led around the site to be shown the already incredible achievements that had been continuing and ones that we of course had contributed to.

To our delight, the many rooms of the building were now clearing of of debris and rubbish and starting to resemble spaces fit for artists studios and community art education spaces! We were also informed by one of Colin's delightful helpers that there would be a screen printing press available for use in only 2 weeks, so fashion bods in the area too could come and get creative for affordable printer rental prices. Amazing!!!!

After the catch up it was quickly down to the tasks at hand which this week consisted of painting walls and floors which Sabina, Debs, Sean and Tabitha tackled with relish. While the rest of the gang took on a massive shifting operation of the last random bits of debris up in the top rooms.

Just to clarify, when I say random I really am not kidding!!!! There were chairs, boxes, tools, sofas.... Of course there was the odd moment of reflection, where Dinesh and I managed to maximise the fun to be had with a mirror. But for the most part it was game faces on and this motley crew got down to some serious shifty business up and down stairs for 30mins of hard-core graft!!

Holding my breath at one point as I witnessed strongman Simon, although as cool as an icebox, shuffling past me, down 2 flights of stairs with a FRIDGE!!! Forget the gym, that's what I call power-lifting!

After a back breaking 45mins the group reconvened together in the courtyard for some final fitness fun to finish the night.

• Crab Walks
• Tuck Jumps
• Comandos
• Burpees
• Partner pistol squats

Workout complete and were even rewarded with some delicious Colin Specials - His homemade banana shakes, sweetened with the honey made by bees on the roof!!! We were buzzing!! You can't get more organic than that!!

Final farewells wished we turned on our heels and flew back the mile run to base, fuelled by our fruity tooty tastes (but Tabitha trying her hardest to forget the dubious equipment it was made with)

Back home and it was stretch and reflect.... No we didn't steal the mirror! But look back and think of how much we'd really achieved in the Police station. It will be so awesome to see the finished base and delight in seeing our contributing names etched into the memory wall as well!!

See you next time fitness familia!!!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE

12 runners ran 4.5km to strip paint for Kingsgate Community Centre

High knees, hill sprints, 'n helping. Climbing was a big theme of this Monday's GoodGym Brent where 12 runners ran 4.5k to help out Kingsgate Community Centre.

Starting from a brisk warmup outside the Queensbury, we jogged gently for 2k before arriving at Kingsgate Community Centre. Kudos to the Brent regulars who prevented me from going the wrong way!

At the Centre we were first told they weren't expecting us - argh! But not to fear! Our lovely contact Louise soon explained to the caretaker that we were there to help out and we got cracking on brushing the paint off the railings to set the groundwork for repainting. This should help Kingsgate when they come to repaint, so a worthy cause! Particularly inspiring to see some extra-pro scraping techniques being practiced including backwards scrubbing (courtesy Joe) and musical scraping tools (courtesy Tabitha). Definitely a visible difference and a good chunk of paint off by the end of the evening!

Whilst one group brushed and scrubbed to get the paint off, another group practiced hill sprints. We learned how to work the arms, technique for landing properly and driving the legs forward, and maintaining good form running uphill, before putting that into practice with either three hill sprints, or a continuous 5 minutes on the hills.

Everybody's form really improved even over just a few minutes, which was really encouraging to see!

But were the GoodGym Brent regulars satisfied with one fitness session? Oh no. We had some serious fitness fans in the mix tonight. Post-task we jogged over to Kilburn Grange park to do an exercise set and some core work with everyone contributing 2 of their favourite exercises. Some particular highlights were: squat jumps, burpees, riding your bicycle on the floor, and 10 seconds of mindfulness. Obligatory sit-ups and press-ups included.

Two fitness sessions down, we ran the rest of the way back before cooling down with a few stretches. Top running and good-deeding from all involved, and a lovely start to the week. Thanks for making my first visit to Brent such a great evening :)

Awesome run report written this week by the epic Enrique who we wish a very happy birthday to as well!!

Tasked this week to help the beautiful people of Harlesden Community Garden with a clear away of an overgrown perimeter walkway. It would be a 2.5k chase from base to clear a path, with this lot it’s bound to be a laugh. There were even some excited high kicks upon arrival (Well it was my Birthday) relieved to be notching up ever more years of survival!

So, the middle of May had us in sartorial muddles with her insistence on spots of rain, even slippery puddles. Powering through a well paced 2.5k, we dart through traffic and people on there way. But eventually We’ve arrived. . .

GoodGym Brent we are all relevant! . . .Ordinary people from all around, coming together to pound the ground, running to achieve something sound! The team are smart, funny, kind, some of the best GoodGymers you’ll ever find! Through the naff weather we were wielding spades, or being careful with razor-sharp clipper blades, even taking turns hauling rakes - Ah, the gift of back-aches!

Ellie our Captain, Drill Sergeant and all round amazinger thought (as usual) that this perfect scene was not quite right - not quite LEAN!

Bottom obsessed in a brilliant way, we were taken in two sets PAY! Commanded to complete a cunningly complex combination of crippling SQUATTT exercises!! All set and timed to the beat of J Lo!? Loads of fun - Mo power to yo Bun!

Our valiant efforts for a path of clear view would have been easier without the stench of Nettle Stew!! - That’s a powerful eco-friendly stinky brew!!!! Designed to repel all manner of pests - It’s a genuine wonder the birds don’t flee their nests!

NOTE Harlesden Community Gardens have an open day this Sat so get on down to say hello - Might even be some BBQ food you know!

So, after running hard then working harder it was back at base - A quick tidy then outta the place. With exhaustion causing the group to split we stopped to regroup as we neared RoundWood Park - About ½ way back. Rest time we thought: YAY! Ellie said: NO - NO WAY!

WALKING LUNGES x2 sets of 30 Now this was a real li-Berty!

Genuinely tired - Oh so hurty, what a great way to celebrate being 8 + 30!

See you next time!!!!

On the last Monday of the month, GG Brent tackled timber, banished branches, cropped & chopped, then hopped their way to a tasty 6k. All in a days work for the West London tribe. That's definitely what I'd call a Grandville day out POW POW

What a happy GG leader I was to be greeted by the always smiling faces of my delicious gang of Brent beauties this Monday night and can you Adam and Eve it, this week we had not one, not two but three brilliant boys YAYYYYYYY.

Even, the threat of an impending down-pour, was still no deterrent for my fierce force of favourites as we laced up and braced ourselves for the wet and wild whisk over to Carlton Vale for our goodgym antics for the night.

However, to our delight, as we stepped outside base camp, the skies had cleared and a lovely sunset was all that guided us the 2 mile jaunt over to south Kilburn for our terrific task for the night - The chop and pop operation of the Granville Community sites gardens!

So what was it all about then, I hear you cry???? Well, Grandville is this amazing centre, that serves the local community in so many ways. Believing that everyone no matter circumstance has the right to fresh, good quality, nutritious food, they serve their patrons via their community allotments, community cooking nights, classes and feasts and school education programmes. Food for though wouldn't you say

Upon arrival our fantastic host Leslie explained the deeds we had in store for our 45min blast and let me tell you, there were plenty!! The strenuous task of yanking out dead tree roots, the sawing and chopping out of control bushes and the ever so yucky stamping down of the compost Debs and I got our hands dirty with this one. *NICE***

Without further-a-do, the team set to work with magical momentum, wasting no time at all and grabbing all the tools that Leslie could throw at us. Special credit must go to Sam, who with his own bear hands yanked out not one but two massive tree roots, which was no easy Roots Manoeuvre I can tell you!

As the time etched away the team cracked on, with Sean and Dan sawing their way through the devilish nasties of the blackberry spikes. Laura, Sam and Amy the dream Yank and Pull team and Enrique, Debs and Myself busying ourselves with the clear up and stack jobs leftover, but of course not leaving out time for tom-foolery in the bushes!!! Standard antics And after a genuine back-breaking 40mins, the clear up and clear out was upon us and out the gates we did boost, wishing our hosts a fond farewell, with our echoes of See you sooonnnn singing in the air.

I think it's safe to say we we came, we tasked and we conquered that garden (for this week anyway) but there is plenty more work to be done, so we will most definitely be back. Not only to get our revenge on the Blackberry branches, who managed to give me personally one final leg jab on the way out!! OUCH

So with 2 miles left to dash, the team set to running and funning all the way home and with more boys in the mix this week, the boisterousness banter was upped a level, with Enrique and Sam chasing and racing each other all the way home!!

Not wet Hurrah but most definitely wild, thank you team for yet another wonderfully, weird and fun filled week in Brent!

See you next time!!!!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE