The Challenge: Location: Benwell Mission: deliver 250 leaflets for Food Cycle Challenge Accepted!

Food Cycle is a fantastic charity that takes donated leftover food and converts it into a delicious three course meal which is available free at locations across Newcastle and Gateshead each week. They had a new batch of 1000 leaflets to be delivered across four areas of Newcastle. Part one today was in Benwell.

Sub-challenge 1: strategic planning of two runs over the next three days and collection of the leaflets, trying to avoid the worst winds and snow of storms Dudley and Eunice. Outcome: mixed. Avoided most of the wind and rain today but the forecast changed so I might well have left myself a 19 mile run to do in the sleet on Saturday!

Sub-challenge 2: locate the leaflets. Outcome: easier said than done! Initially the leaflets appeared not to be where they were supposed to be but were eventually found after a second visit to the venue. The search allowed me to chat to the staff at the Riverside Community Health Project (who it turned out were hiding the leaflets!) which is another great local charity with an Early Years programme, women’s groups, interpreting courses and a men’s pie club, to name just a few! The staff were very interested to hear about GoodGym and might be requesting tasks of their own soon!

Sub-challenge 3: it turns out that LOTS of homes in Benwell have steps up to their front doors! Definitely challenging after this morning’s run! Outcome: quads and hamstring workout. Well GoodGym is supposed to be a physical challenge isn’t it?!

Sub-challenge 4: single-handedly deliver 250 leaflets in an hour. Outcome: smashed it! Take a look at my Strava screenshot - I always love how it looks with a leaflet drop and today’s is a particularly satisfying quadrilateral!

Overall challenge has Ben-well perfected!

Who’s joining me for part two in Walker next week?