Chilly – but cheerful

31 runners gathered in Bethnal Green tonight to head out to Weavers Adventure Playground, one of our very favourite tasks. The 4-degree January chill was no match for this determined lot as we congregated outside our hotel meeting point for our headcount, amidst lots of excited chatter.

Such was the chill in the air, we decided to head to nearby Middleton Green for a quick warm up lap, followed by a couple of dynamic mobility exercises to get us in the mood for shovelling sand and lifting tyres. Everyone took this very well, as we 'enjoyed' skater squats on the basketball court, having chased Steve around the small park.

Truly tough tasks

Shortly after 7.15 we arrived at the playground to be greeted by task owner Alex who was well prepared with a line up of tough but interesting tasks. The first crew headed to the sandpit to shovel sand into wheelbarrows and then out into tyres on the go-kart track. No mean feat, I can tell you.

Another group gathered beneath the trampoline to pull up weeds and shrubs; a third group shifted tyres from one tyre mountain to another (and then stacked a further tyre mountain tidily), while a fourth group washed and scrubbed furniture and children's toys.

Too speedy for their own good

Sounds like a lot? It was but guess what? 20 minutes in and half the runners were taskless, "They work too fast!" bemoaned Alex. Best. Criticism. Ever. And so further tasks were created. A new crew were despatched behind the hall to move garden furniture and goal posts (no, that's not a typo, and was a close shave shifting that thing in the air at one point, btw - #youhadonejob), while another team then moved timber at lightning speed from one side of the play area to another.

And then there was still time leftover. The majority of the team then gathered in the hall for our workout of the night (a few stayed out to get the job done.) There seemed to be many disgruntled faces during the workout tonight, which I wasn't sure was down to the floor surface which made for a miserable side plank, or my lack of height in a big hall, making for a difficult-to-follow exercise demo. Or the mean exercises. Don't think the latter.

And then it was 8.20 and we were saying cheerio to Alex, who expressed a short-but-heartfelt thanks for all that we do, and the difference it makes to him and to the children who use the playground. It really is nothing short of a miracle.

And then we were home-and-hotel bound, another productive and enjoyable night under our belt.

Shout-out's galore this week...

From us all, thank you to Steve, Luke and Bryon for leading and navigating our run out, and for Steve heading up our impromptu opening speed session.

Thanks to Ivo and Will for lovely back marking, and to David for this week’s wonderful pun, and to Dave who helped out with music tech at the start of the evening so we could all plank to music.

A very, very big warm welcome to our wonderful new runners tonight: Daniel, Christina, Becki, Vaida, Sarah and Karkay. What work! What a Monday night effort. What we all want to know is, when are you coming back?? I hope you had a wonderful night, and thanks for helping to make this evening so fun and productive.

Moving on to our next exciting events for you…

So, moving on…Next week, we’re two-tasking it at least (might even be 3 – watch this space), heading to Hollybush & Cranbrook gardens, followed by some running – details are here, while don’t forget on Sat Feb 9th, our fabulous Task Force member and parkrun co-ordinator, Becky G, is heading up our next Mile End parkrun pacing collaboration. Details and sign up for that are here.

Right, I’m off. Well done again for absolutely blowing January blues right out of the water; for being the most productive and fun crew to be found in East London.

Have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you very, very soon.