13 runners took part in this weeks group run, our task was to deliver leaflets on behalf of the BHF (British Heart Foundation) and our chosen streets in Chelmsford were the Avenues.

BHF are in need of more furniture/electricals for the High Street store, hopefully we will have contributed to them getting more donations.

Welcome to Isabelle at her second run with us.

The news this week was a reminder to sign up to the** Chelmsford Good Friday 10k, congratulations to **Kirk for his 5 consecutive PB's at parkrun, looking forward to this week parkrun Kirk...no pressure!

Next weeks run we meet at B&M car park for the run to Kids Inspire.

We headed for the short trip to the Avenues by warming up along the cycle path with walking lunges, bum kicks, toe and heel walks and in the underpass squats and star jumps.

Raring to go after the warm up, the group was split into two with each group heading up First Avenue posting the leaflets through the letterboxes. It was then a Tempo run back down the Avenue the distance is 400m. We repeated this on Second, Third, fourth and Fifth avenues until we exhausted the leaflets.

We then headed onto Bunny Walk but before we returned to the Uni a special surprise of shuttle runs up the footpath to Arun Close, up and back to six lampposts.

Well done everyone, that was a really good running and fitness session.

Finally, a warm down stretch with Andy handing out Haribo's in celebration of his 12 month Goodgym birthday. But I can't sign off without mentioning that one of this weeks sign ups decided to meet us at next weeks task meeting point elsewhere in the City!! Oh dear!!

12 runners ran just under 7km to deliver leaflets on behalf of the British Heart Foundation

We welcomed everyone to the second goodgym group run of 2020, including Isabelle on her first goodgym group run, and Clive on his second group run.

After I confused Catherine with Rachel, assuming she and Joel were a couple, we warmed up and Rich led us out.

We made a brief stop at Rich's to collect the leaflets, and met David there, back from injury on his first goodgym run since November.

The group then continued down to Moulsham Drive, where we split in half to deliver the leaflets. After completing that in record time, we continued to deliver leaflets along Vicarage Road and Braemar Avenue.

I briefly panicked about everyone's location, with Russell and Julie bravely completing the first half of Vicarage Road, David and Rich going to Dovedale, and Catherine, Isabelle, Sallyann and Jenny, working further along Vicarage Road. However, we all grouped together, I did a headcount, and we made our way back to ARU through the park.

Great effort everyone - we delivered plenty of leaflets, and hopefully encouraged some Chelmsford residents to donate their unused furniture to raise funds for a worthwhile cause. And of course, a final shout out to Akin, who put on the hi-vis this week and did an excellent job backmarking throughout the run and task.

Don't forget, we're going to the quiz at the Golden Fleece next week, from 8pm!

We had 17 runners this week, welcome to Alex for his first group run, hopefully he enjoyed and will sign up to get that coveted red shirt.

After welcoming evceryone to tonights run it was time to congratulate the Chelmsford 10k runners from Sundays race, Laurie, James G, Julie, Russell, Jenny and Catherine & Adam who weren't here tonight. Well done everyone and thanks to Andy & Rich for the support on the day.

This weeks task was back to interact to spread woodchippings around the muddy car park at the entrance to the house.

We set off from the Uni with Russell leading and James G tail running, the usual long pause at the traffic lights on Victoria road ensued!

At the high street with the Christmas lights glowing bright, we performed a caterpillar run all the way down to Stone Bridge across the River Can.

Arriving at Interact in Moulsham Mill we started to look for the woodchippings but they were nowhere to be seen, a phone call to Susie the task owner and it was established they just weren't where they were supposed to be.

However, Susie had a indoor task we could do, given the nippy conditions it was welcomed by everyone. The task was to move around office furniture and the office partitions. After a lot of lifting, pushing and pulling we set the office out as requested...hopefully! As usual at Interact, the biscuits and drinks came out before we departed for our run back.

Before we headed back, a 400m, paired handicapped race was set. Slowest pairs first with each of the others setting off at intervals I determined! :) The idea was to have everyone finish together, not quite achieved but it wasn't too bad a result. With some heavy breathing going on we headed back up the HIgh Street and onto the Uni for our warm down.

Don't forget to sign up for next weeks run!

A record attendance of 24 runners at Chelmsford tonight!

Welcome to Sallyann and Pat to their first Goodgym group run, we hope to see you again in future weeks.

This weeks news was about 10km races with Chelmsford forthcoming on the 17th November, looks like at least six runners are signed, unfortunately it is now sold out so if you fancied doing it, too late! The other was Billericay 10km ;last Sunday, well done to Joel, Rachel, James G and myself who all ran at the event.

Catherine also gave a reminder that tonight was last orders for the Xmas social as final numbers were required, it looks like 16 of us will be going to Zorba's!

Tonights task was to litter pick (Plogging: a recreational activity, originating in Sweden, that combines jogging with picking up litter) in a section of the park set away from the main routes. It was a 2k run to the park led by Rich with Russell and Catherine tail running. We collected the pickers and bin bags and set to picking up the litter along Meteor Way (did you know there is a minature railway there?) with 24 people it didn't take long so we headed back to Central Park to do an efforts session.

Tonights efforts was a 500m loop at a 10k pace and then a 300m loop at a 5k pace, this was repeated twice, a third one was planned but time ran out. Hopefully it will help the Chelmsford 10k runners, but will help anyone with the parkrun times.

Time to head back to Anglia Uni with a 2km jog back led by Joel, a good stretch down and then everyone headed off home. Thanks for coming along everyone and making it a record turnout.

Laurie will look forward to seeing you all next week for our trip to Interact.

Happy running

A record 22 runners ran 5.2-6.3km to a new task location in 2019!

It might have been the new task, it might have been my glorious return to run-leading, it might have been the weather, but we set a new record for Chelmsford attendees at a GoodGym run tonight! 22 legends! Thanks for coming everyone, so I can now gloat over my fellow run leaders (especially Rich) So because I don't get to lead the Halloween run this year and I know you all would be devastated to miss out on my hilarious wit, I had a pun-filled treat for everyone in the introduction. I hope Harriet, Kirk, Simon, Daphne and Akin don't think the introduction is always such rip-roaring fun. Congrats to Doug who won the prize of Halloween sweets with the quickest correct guess of 19 puns.

Onwards we went, to meet Chris at the new task location, Springfield Park Baptist Church. We were keen to impress them after our cups of water so headed round back. Our task was to clear the area so that they are ready for the Bonfire in a couple of weeks. You can see from the before photo that there was a lot to do! We soon dug in and everything was going swimmingly until Russell C squealed loudly. He released dozens of wasps from their slumber. It was sort of downhill from there really! Some runners put their sprinting to the test and sped away, some stayed and battled bravely until they were stung. Special shout out to Charlotte, Jenny and James C who fought to the bitter end. We did a great job! I hope we can come back to the church for something slightly less painful.

After we reconvened, we voted on a 2.5 or 3.5k run back. The split was 11 for each so we split into two groups, with the intention we would meet in the middle. While those on the shorter run devoured some percy pigs to help with timings, the other half set off. After an eventless run back where the timings were only slightly off we met back at ARU nursing our wounds. Really sorry guys and I hope you're all ok.

I promise all GoodGym runs aren't as wasp-filled, please come back again soon!

Happy running,