Tonight 11 runners ran 3km to support Age UK at their Marion Road Day Centre.

We were given instructions to clear leaves, pull up weeds and give the area around this venue a bit of a tidy up.

Despite not having tools available, Elizabeth came to the rescue - bringing trowels, forks and brooms to get help get the job done!

We also welcomed Katey to her first Group Run.

In 45 mins we filled 9 bags of leaves and overgrown weeds. Finishing off with run back to the Forum. Well done team!

A splendid evening as we ventured out in some more fine weather.

Although it was just under 2km each-way... there was some lovely hill sections to climb as we approached the task.

Alison met us at Marion Road Day Centre and asked us to kindly cut the grass (Robert was all over this) and trim back any overgrown areas and clear as many weeds as we could.

The before and after photos will show you what a grand job we did.

Normality was definitely returning as after we arrived back at The Forum, we had our first pub trip since the pandemic begun... enough said, it was an amazing feeling!

It seems common place just lately for the heavens to open an hour or so before a Community Mission start time and tonight was no exception, but as 8 Goodgymers arrived by cycle, running, scooter, walking, 2 by car, the rain stopped, hurrah hurrah. I was especially please as I’d just been to the hairdressers 😂 Ian was attending his 💯 good deed this evening. Well done, looking forward to seeing you in Your new red t shirt with Wings very soon. After attending here a few weeks ago tonight it was the turn of the front entrance to receive a Goodgym makeover, including widening the entrance to the rear gardens which had become overgrown , spilling onto the path therefore hindering wheelchair users gaining access. The boundary walls, hedges and trees were in need of cutting back, the moss around the paths sorted, and best of all the edges of the paths needed sorting, my favourite task. We all set to work to tackle the work with gusto. At this time of year the light soon starts to fade but not before 9 bin bags of rubbish had been collected up, and we were able to admire one hours hard work showing a much improved entrance/car park. Our host was very pleased with how much we’d achieved and took our group photo for us. We do hope they will be able to open up the Centre very soon. It’s very much missed and so need by the community it serves.

Tonight we visited our friends at Marion Road Day Care Centre. Unfortunately due to Covid-19 they have had to temporarily close. This has meant the garden has become overgrown. Simon attended his first good deed, we hope he attends many more. Our task tonight was to tidy the garden up and clear the fire evacuation route. We hope the service users will be able to make use of the facilities and enjoy the garden again soon.

Katy and Bill came up with the great idea of sending a postcard to all of the older people's homes that we've visited with GoodGym Norwich.

We worked out there were 10 altogether so the following all had a personal postcard/letter of love and good will sent to them on behalf of GoodGym Norwich.

• Redmayne View - Katy
• Bowthorpe Care Village - Bill
• Sydney House - Mel
• Springdale - Jennifer
• Hayden Court - Catherine
• Barley Court - Cheska
• Marion Road Day Centre - Bobby
• Ellacombe - Hayley
• Green Lane View - Hitch and Emma
• Violet Elvin Court - Paul

A little note from Paul's postcard below:

I sent a card to the staff and residents at a care home where we've been several times before. I was there a few weeks ago and won a box of chocolates in a game of bingo! The ladies there like a good time hence the card Party, Party, Party!

That’s right, our leader, our captain, the sultan, the grand pupa Steven Hitch abandoned us to go sun himself – and on our 50th run too! Thankfully the gracious and glorious Paul Evans stood in for Steve. Paul Evans, winner of the 1991 Lisbon Half Marathon, the 1996 Chicago Marathon and 10k finalist in the 1992 Olympics – we’re looking into making this swap slightly more permanent

Our intrepid runners gathered excitedly on the steps of The Forum. Eagerly awaiting Paul’s arrival. What would he be like? Would he bring his medals? Could he run on water? And how were we going to work his AND Steve’s name into a pun worthy of a Goodgym run report title?! (We smashed the last one, thanks Hayley and Liz)

Paul soon arrived and settled everyone into a warm up. After some stretches with an Olympian, a half-cut punk and 32 Goodgym runners we were ready to call this a weird joke and go home. Instead Paul handed off the responsibility of leading the run to Sarah and Calum, very sneaky Mr Olympian. There was immediate concern. Calum has often led Goodgymers astray in past runs – and not even in a humorous way, in a “Where is Calum and his 5 runners?” way. Still we all had faith in Paul’s decision, and no-one else wanted to set the pace for the night.

After multiple ‘almost wrong turns’, a dozen ‘not that way Calum’s’ and a few ‘Grab him before he runs to Ipswich’ the runners arrived at the base of Gas Hill. Now, the runners have faced this specific challenge many a time in the past. They were familiar with the deceptively devilish slope. But in their prolonged absence from the eye-watering incline of Gas Hill this once surmountable task had developed into nothing less than a behemoth. It was a colossus of gradients, the master of calf bursting, one hell of a mole hill. They set off.

ALL MADE THE PEAK!! They celebrated with high fives and “whooping”. Some whispered they heard Paul even say “That’s quite the hill” but that’s just rumour and hearsay. Soon our sweaty travellers arrived at their set task. De-weeding Marion Road Day Centre’s garden. Ploughing into the challenge our runners pulled, tugged and trimmed to their hearts content.

The task wasn’t without its mishaps. One young man was sitting, enwrapped in his task. He and his gardening fork are united in uprooting the befouling weeds before them. The rise and fall of his tool is rhythmic. Sweat and focus cover his face. Until, tragedy. The Fork has broken. The middle tooth lost in the wilderness of the garden. Oh for fork-sake. Despite this set back the team make the garden beautiful. And by a happy accident they end up collecting an extra runner from somewhere.* Wonder of wonders they’ve hit 33 and broken their record for highest attendance in Goodgym Norwich history!

The task completed, and Day centre staff elated, our runners head back to The Forum. A sprint session finished off the night’s 3.5km run. Some say a more punctual run has never been had. Others, that Sarah and Calum’s leadership was simultaneously inspirational and uplifting. Still all you need know is everyone arrived back safely. Stretched. Thanked Paul for his kind service to the cause and then ate some brownies supplied by Jasmine. Alas! Here our tale does end. Before I leave you to wait another week to hear of our next exciting exploits I shall leave you with this. You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can run your life in any direction you choose. Until next time folks!

(*Actually it was Emily who joined us at the task!)