Tonight we welcomed Sheridan, Jamie and Lionel to their first GoodGym group run.

I met Lionel on Sunday night at the Big Sleep Out where we were both volunteering, on telling him about GoodGym he signed up immediately on the spot and tonight came to his first group run. Lionel informed me he cycles a lot and has been meaning to start running but never got around to it, however tonight he was more than up to the challenge albeit 3.8km.

Jamie signed up to GoodGym in search of a running club, glad to report after tonight's experience he went home and become a full member, GoodGym Central, please send his uniform intime for next week's group run, he's at the starting blocks.

After talking about GoodGym so much at work it was about time I brought a colleague along, given the distance between my work and our start point you'd think I would have managed to get majority of the office involved by now.

Nothing happens ahead of its time, and needs to happen always happen

Sheridan is my work colleague and after speaking to her about GoodGym she went away and signed up, on Monday when she returned to work she informed me she would be coming along to tonights group run, I felt pleased that I had managed to get another colleague to sign up to GoodGym. FOllowing her visit tonight watch this space will there be more?

15 (our magic number) runners and 4 walkers set off on 1.9km journey to Park Hill Park, where we were met by Josi who was waiting on us with her boot full of flowers t be planted. She had an array of task lined up for us tonight, planting, watering, weeding and litter picking. Having had our instruction we dived up into small groups focusing on the tasks for the night.

DId you know before planting a plant you had to tickle its bottom?

Josi expertly demonstrated how to tickle the bottom of the plant before planting them which left a few of us in awe, you could see she had years of practice not just on the plants. {-_-}

Bootyfull flowers

I could hear the regular members in between laughter saying to our first timers that we were not always like that referring to the conversations going on of the sheer amusement of of the descriptive words being used. (all above board but funny)

Litter pickers were busy walking up and down the path in search of litter while those weeding got stuck in, I can confidently say that no plants where harmed but they were all given a new lease of life and watered before we were instructed to down tools and return them back to the storage hut.

Josi, the lady with the surprises led us to her car where she had an array of biscuits, teas and coffee awaiting us as a thank you for a job well done, before leaving she informed us of an event taking place on Friday 29 between 3.30 - 6pm in Park Hill Pavillion to celebrate peace where attendees will be helping to paint a mural or write a message of peace to the leaves of the tree in the mural.

We headed back to Solutions for our fitness sessions where the group demonstrated their core strength by doing V-sits and passing around a medicine ball in the circle, just as they were getting use to it a few more balls were added including rolling one, two and three balls under their raised legs while still passing the other around the circle. Each week I throw a different challenge at them and they always rise to the challenge with a smile on their faces.

Join us next week where we will going to St Augustines' Chruch to pick up where we left off last year.

Tonight we welcomed first timers Clara and Andrew, Clara heard about GoodGym from a colleague at work and decided to give it a try while dragging Andy along.

Tonight 15 runners and walkers headed to Park Hill to help clear the nettles and brambles in the area being used for their forest school. On arrival at Park Hill School we were met by Esther who explained what she would like us to do. Upon receiving Esther's instructions we split up into groups and tackled the areas Esther wanted us to focus on. It was dark, cold and wet but we were not deterred as laugher and chatter could be heard throughout the various groups, conversations of food in the Canaries, Evolve's Big Sleep Out 2019, Volunteering at the Croydon Half Marathon, GoodGym Euro trip, the shindig and also who have been nominated to attend the upcoming GoodGym Olympics. We managed to clear a good amount of the nettles and brambles, filled two large sacks before having to down our tools and head back to solutions for our fitness session.

Gareth huffed and puffed but could not blow us off course

Last weekend saw GoodGym members in all areas taking part in a number of races more notably London GoodGymers were out in full force running and volunteering at the Vitality Big Half. Despite the strong winds of Storm Gareth we all stuck to our guns and ran from Tower Bridge to Greenwich. As if running the streets of London in strong winds wasn't bad enough Nicola took it a notch up by taking part and completing the Grizzly 2019 Trails of the Unexpected. Welll done Nicola, at least there's no videos floating on youtube that you know of showing your struggle during the storm, unlike Lukas Bates who completed the the Big Half in a Big Ben costume, can you spot any GoodGym members in the clip?

Next week we are heading over to Peppermint Centre to help them get ready for Spring, sign up here please note this will be a longer run and the option of running there and taking the tram or bus back is available.