Every bit of training starts with getting to the start line, and today the Northern line added an extra challenge by closing for the weekend. Some of us found out the traditional way: at the station. Cue rail replacement buses, Route 93 buses rarer than a PB in a headwind, and arrivals with mere minutes to spare. All in aid of the Run South London half in March, where GoodGym is raising funds for Sustainable Merton.

It was a sunny morning at Morden parkrun, with the course frozen solid on lap one and thawing over laps two and three. Jade and Jon were on pacing duty, and whilst Jon may have been tempted off pace early on by some chat (my bad! 😳), he pulled it in for a solid finish.

Meanwhile three GoodGymmers put in a solid training run, getting our hill reps in and a recce of the half marathon start and finish. Thrice up that hill is no walk in the park, even for our parkwalker Felicidade!

Home turf advantage: unlocked 🔓

As for getting home: two buses and a walk for some of us. Homer would've written a sequel.

The first frost of the winter didn't stop a team of GoodGymers from digging out the thermals to help the Friends of John Innes Park remove a pesky patch of bamboo.

It turned out to be quite the workout, but we dug deep, clearing a large area of bamboo, roots and all, in the hope of stopping it from spreading any further.

Fingers crossed we've got to the root of the problem and it doesn't make a comeback next year!

The Silver Youth Club invited GoodGym Merton over for a lunchtime visit to present our 50+ Missions to their members. Needing a bit of extra help on the floor, I happily doubled up as the afternoon refreshment team!

Spending the session brewing tea, pouring coffee, and serving sandwiches, making the most of every moment to chat with members and spread the word about how to request a Mission.

It was a brilliant afternoon of community connection, cup-filling, and conversation. Thanks for having me - I’ll definitely be back next time extra hands are required!

Our 13 strong team descended upon Critical Support Mitcham to help manager Puja with the running of this great support charity.

We soon split into small groups to maximise our effectiveness. A team of 5 headed upstairs to sort clothing donations and wrap Christmas toys and games kindly donated by local businesses.

Meanwhile on the ground floor, cardboard boxes were being flattened, a large consignment of bread was sorted and repacked ready for distribution, fire extinguishers replaced and stairs dusted and cleaned.

Back in the kitchen and perishable food store, the rest of the team rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in quality checking fruit, veg and yogurt. A messy job but someone has to do it!

Finishing off with a well deserved cup of tea, we left the unit in great shape, ready to start a new day.

Back at Little ARK's new space, we found the move-in had finally happened. With the space now full of furniture, equipment and boxes, some strategic rearranging was required to create enough room to work. Once pathways had been established and work areas cleared, the GoodGym team split up and got to work, while another volunteer set about giving the insides of the newly installed cabinets a thorough clean.

We returned to our old adversary for a third time: the sticky residue on the large picture windows. With a mural due to be painted on Sunday, this was the last chance to get the glass properly clean. Our nemesis led three dedicated GoodGymers to spend more than 90 minutes scrubbing, rubbing and polishing before the final stubborn patches finally gave up and at long last we had shiny, clean panes.

Elsewhere, the exterior gate was transformed from black to a much cheerier blue, several internal and external doors received a deep scrub from Jade, and tall Jon was inevitably nominated for the high-level task of cleaning the ceiling air-conditioning vents.

Throughout the evening, Syebvonne kept the operation running smoothly, producing whatever was needed at exactly the right moment, whether that was cloths, water, chairs or one of her many enthusiastic offers of tea. With another big chunk of the snagging list completed and the space looking better than ever, it was a very satisfying way to round off the week.

Arriving a little ahead of schedule gave us a brief chance to catch up before diving into the cleaning. We then got stuck into wiping down tables, lifting and stacking chairs, and giving the main hall a full-body workout with a thorough vacuum and mop.

Working with our usual swift efficiency, we smashed through the hall tasks in record time! Spotting a bit of extra energy left in the tank, we noticed the men’s toilets were calling out for some urgent attention. Undeterred, the brave crew grabbed the cleaning supplies and tackled the extra challenge, leaving the entire space sparkling before heading off.

Doing good, getting fit, and braving the tough job, fantastic effort, team!