Last Saturday, 12 wonderful runners covered a 6 mile there and back trip to help Easton Community Gardens get ready for the winter.

We met at Roll for the Soul and in two separate waves headed off, although the slightly slower wave caught us up as we waited at traffic lights. There were some post marathon legs, some injured legs and some self proclamed old and stiff legs, and as it was a reasonable distance, we took it reasonably easy.

We were blessed with absolutely perfect running conditions; cool and bright, no breeze, a wonderful autumnal day, but it was still hot work running up the very deceptively gentle hill on the cycle path - deceptive because it looks flat, and you feel like you're running at a normal flat road pace but just not making as much headway as you'd expect!

We arrived in a few groups, having spread out on the long cycle route, but Christina, our contact at the garden, had people working from the second they arrived - the very embodiment of organisation. Tasks included sweeping up a lot of leaves, turning over a compost bin that frankly smelt vile, adding leaves to another compost bin to make leaf mould, and also renewing the floor of the beautiful wattle and daub type shelter that dominates one end of the garden.

After about 40 minutes, it was time to make the run back - faster this time as we had the joy of the downhill slope, still deceptive but this time in a nice way, like having a tailwind. The group spread out again, but everyone made it back to the start point in one piece. Lovely.