13 runners went the extra mile and ran to help out at St Monica’s school

Runners arrived to Yr hen Llyfrgell however the doors were locked and no one was home :) oh no. We still met outside the large doors and the lovely Glassworks pub kept our stuff safe us whilst we went for our run. We did our head count and gave the warmest of welcomes to Rhidian who was running with GoodGym for the first time EVER. It was awesome having you run with us and we hope we didn't scare you off; Rosie brought him along to GoodGym so she earned herself a RED LACE - WOOOOO! Darren also reached 50 good deeds - What a guy!

We then got on our way. Our run there involved going up steps, down slopes and sprinting down alleyways. You name it, we did it!

Welcome GoodGym to St Monica’s Primary School

Our arrival at the school was met with ice cold free pops…. MMMMMM. They were in Frozen packaging (as in Disney Frozen) so Ben thought it was a punderful opportunity, however his efforts were met with silence so lets move on quickly...

Abi then welcomed us to the school and told us a bit about the wonderful facilities they offer to children who attend. Abi also told us about the history of the building; It was actually built in the 19th century.

Our tasks for the evening included:

• Painting the gates with hammarite paint
• Litter picking on the streets outside the school

After 35 minutes and a couple of minutes extra we were done!

Su, Lucy, Mikey and Gwenni painted the gate inside the school. Darren, Ellen and Adam had painted the entrance gate to the school. And Martin, Rosie, Rhyddian, Andie and Jess cleaned the surrounding the streets of litter. Lucy also managed to paint herself slightly and Gwenni thought the paint would look quite trendy in part of her hair.

Before leaving Abi told us about how the school plans to introduce the community mile into the school; this is where the pupils run a mile during school time on the school grounds. She said she wasn’t sure what route she could use for the mile, and so before leaving half of us ran a 0.5 mile route to help plan the route for the community mile. The other half either had a go on the trampoline (Su was clearly living the dream!), took on the schools adventure course or embraced the marked-out hop, jump and run track on the school playground.

Then it was really time to head back - Schools out! We had a fantastic time and we cannot wait to run to help out there again.

After the run cookies and cakes were provided courtesy of Darren for reaching 50 good deeds - Who will be next to reach the epic 50 good deeds milestone... We look forward to it with salivating mouths.

Last night 21 of us hung up our running shoes for one evening and celebrated our GoodGym Cardiff Christmas Party in style and what a fantastic evening it was!

At 7.15pm GG group members arrived at 29 Park Place, all ready to get merry and drink in good faith with one another. Martin, lead singer of the band 'Zimbando', arrived early so to confuse the paparazzi. We all took our seats, pulled our Christmas crackers and began taking photos with all of the cool selfie prompts and disposable cameras which Lucy had kindly purchased for the party. It was lovely to see everyone could make it, including Alison who hasn't run with us for a while owing to injury but hopes to come running again soon :).

As the night got underway our food was brought out and the quiz begun. There were 4 rounds to the quiz: Round 1: GoodGym Related Questions, Round 2: How well do you know your GoodGym trainer?, Round 3: Christmas themed questions, Round 4: Riddle Round. There were 4 teams; Team 'Baz, Team' 'Christmas Crackers', ‘Good quizwenclas’ - Epic team name - and ‘We’re going to sleigh you’.

This quiz not only tested peoples’ knowledge, but also provided valuable learning opportunities as everyone who attended now know what Ben’s favourite song is! Lucy didn't do well in this round - we will be having words and she will have to resit this test. Everyone was pleased to learn more about the history of GoodGym too! The winning team was Team Baz with 14 points – Well done Mikey, Adam, Lexi, Martin and Tom!!!

Whilst this was going on Claire and Lowri broke out into song on many occasions. Their album in the new year will feature 'Don't let the venison go down on me' and 'Creme Brulee' (with three different versions of this song) - If you missed it then ask them to do it again for you when you see them next.

Between the main course and dessert it was time for Bingo Dollar Challenge. Lucy gave everyone bingo cards and then began pulling words out from a bag. Words included; RunPunStiltskin, Weeding, Missions, Group runs and more!!! Although Ben was the first to get a line, he decided that just that being acknowledged in itself was enough and the prize was given to Craig who was the next person to get a line – Well done Craig! Ellen managed to get FULL HOUSE and won herself a flashing running arm band which she can run use to keep her visible and safe on her winter night runs .

To finish, Darren and Aimee had to do a pose off in order to in order to establish who could ‘pose the best. As Aimee’s attire wasn’t appropriate for her pose, they did each other’s poses – check out the photos!! Despite Daz's pose being featured in the South Wales Echo Aimee won on this occasion.

LOTS of acknowledgements, so here we go!

• Emma – who organised the Christmas function fantasicially!
• Mikey – The other GoodGym run leader
• Jack – soon to be another run leader at GoodGym Cardiff
• Lucy, Samina, Fliss, Jack, Daz, Martin – The taskforce of GoodGym Cardiff
• Lowri – Supporting with the social media and keeping GoodGym Cardiff bilingual
• Lexi – Returning to where her routes are at GoodGym Cardiff
• Nathan – Setting himself an awesome 2017 new year’s resolution and allowing us to be part of it.
• Ellen - For keeping everyone updated with the latest runs
• Those who have helped find tasks we've done in the community
• And everyone else who runs with GoodGym. Without you this wouldn’t be possible. You help shape GoodGym to become the way it is.

After food we put our dancing shoes on and headed to Buffalo Bar where we danced the night away, some of us until 3am - Eeeekkk!!! :)

Our next social is on THURSDAY - I know... Soon eh!!?! and it is ICE SKATING ! Click here to find out more

Nadolig Llawen pawb

Eighteen runners flew up the Holloway to hand out flyers in Bear Flat. We were feeling the bear-n at the top, but there was no drama on Shakespeare Avenue as we started going door-to-door. Fur-ever Friends is looking for Bath Half runners to fundraise for the RUH's new cancer unit and Transition Bath is advertising for the Bear Flat Christmas Market.

The Rain was No Bear-ier

No new runners today, but Ollie was back from Athens, Pascale ran (another) marathon, and Emma and Mary ran the Bath Skyline 10km - with a PB for Mary, so well done to Mary and well done to Joe who sold her the shoes she raced in.

Steph is still a bit sore, but backmarked with fur-bear-ance, and Pascale led the run with a few stops for squats and lunges.

Full of En-door-phines

We went letterbox-to-letterbox, flyered all of Bear Flat, and had enough leaflets to leaf at the local cafe on our way back down the hill.

Don't Fur-get

We've got a special Sunday-edition group run this weekend; we're going to the Bath City Farm.

The Christmas Party is coming up on 16th December, so get signed up.

Calendars are still on sale, bring £10 next week for Steph.

An autumnal 6k run in Bath this evening to Action on hearing loss for a spot of gardening for 15 lending a hand to Evan who tends to the vast beautiful gardens at the sheltered housing for people with hearing loss.

Massive welcome to Katy joining us for her first taste of Goodgym.

Pascale led the group out tonight with Steph back marking, lets face it we are so inclusive in Bath we have our very own sign interpreter AKA Pascale...WHOOP!! We are lucky.

Evan was on fine form this evening and a former shadow of himself, he's started running and is training for his first Bath half marathon in march. He could join in the Goodgym Bath fun.

TIP TOP EVAN

We worked in two teams for 30 minutes, weeding and tending two individual flower beds. Evan was busy organising the wheel barrows to collect up for composting.

Great to hear everyone chatting away and to see Pascale signing with some of the residents at the center. keeping fit whilst doing good and socialising with a great bunch.

Can't be beaten fir the body and mind

Group photo before saying our goodbyes and heading back to the leisure centre just in time.

Thanks guys for making a Tuesday evening fabulous.

Don't forget to sign up to our birthday celebrations later this month https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/goodgym-bath-is-turning-two

HAPPY RUNNING

Tonight we welcomed Ben to the group for his first Goodgym experience and Andy, a good gym veteran of a whopping 46 Good Deeds who was visiting us whilst on a work trip to Brighton. We also welcomed back Rose who joined us for the first time since our epic launch back in July. A big well done to Rose who, during the run, told me about her triathlon at Southwater over the weekend. Awesome effort!

I shared the news during the speech, that earlier in the day I’d walked past the BHT task we did a few weeks ago in Oriental place and I was delighted to see they now have a planter full of flowers, so I think our tidying efforts there kick started a new found pride in their outdoor space!

After the speech and the warmup we headed up the big Dyke Road Hill to tonight’s task at Exeter Street Hall. Thanks to Helena for leading the speedier group and to Beth for back marking. And it was great to have Tess back after a few weeks off and she did a fine job of leading the moderate paced group (now christened The Mods!) with myself back marking.

Dave met us at Exeter Street Hall and told us about how the local community pulled together to raise the funds to buy the hall and keep it as a valuable community resource. They have recently completed some building work to improve the hall’s accessibility and our task tonight was to have a general clean and tidy up before they reopen. We set to work vacuuming floors and curtains, dusting ledges, getting sticky stuff off tables, washing down walls and painting new door frames. A special mention to Frances and Rachel who tackled the newly accessible loft area which had some particularly dusty beams. I was informed that the dust up that was actually from the Victorian era! Ew!!

We did a great job and Dave and team were very appreciative of our efforts which will help them get the hall reopened and back in use for later this week.

A much easier downhill run home and a quick fitness session on the Old Steine where we focused on some one leg strength and stability moves to help keep us ‘strong and stable’ during our runs!

See you on Saturday for our first monthly parkrun outing to Preston Park and next week where we will be returning to The Bevy for some gardening or a shorter option to One Church where we will be nailing the railings! And after we will be staying behind for a drink for our monthy social.

A Lovely summers evening on the riverbank at Goodgym BATH for a sweet 16 who weedy enjoyed themselves at on a 5k run involving some hill climbing with bags of mulch and weeds for The Canal and River trust.

A few announcements to kick off this evening:

Well done Pascale and Alison who ran the Salisbury 54321 on Sunday 42 & 33 k

New Taskforce - Lucy, Emma and Alison .. WHOOP!!

Welcome to Holly and Ben

Nicola and Dora were chatting away in spanish (i think so anyway) something about Mexico i think and the possibility of a night out on the plus side..keep you posted team!!

As promised a nice flat run along the canal or at least until we arrived at our destination when 7 merry men were required to head up that hill and carry bags of mulch back down to the riverbank.

The remaining members were already hard at work chopping back ash and weeding an overgrown area, Ben was in fact working so hard he broke his garden trowel...Ooops!! lot's of banter and laughter along the way.

30 minutes later

Time to spread the bags of mulch over the cleared area before filling the now empty bags with cuttings and weeds before a group effort to carry everything back up the hill where its transport was waiting to carry it off to the compost heap in the sky.

A touch of fitness stuff and looping thrown into the mix for good measure and because they enjoy it so much, although you would never guess it from their little faces...HA!!

A suitably short run back down the hill and along the river back to the leisure centre for a nice stretch and chat, perfect end to a beautiful day.

Smashing job achieved yet again team,

fabulous...fabulous...fabulous!!

GOOD LUCK to everyone racing the TWO TUNNELS this weekend especially Rhiannon on her first 10k ...GO GIRL!!

GOOD LUCK to everyone racing the train from Goodgym this weekend, can't wait to read all about that one.

Until next time, keep running and stay safe