For our running community, weekends still need a bit of park(run) life! So the Virtual Swindon parkrun was born. A socially distanced, open to all 5k run, anytime between Friday and Sunday evening. So unlike real parkrun, we can now get up when we want, no getting rudely awaken by the parkrun alarm clock. Each week we put our jogging trousers on, have a cup of tea and think about leaving the house. A 5k is a preference for the habitual runner. And morning mopes can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as virtual park(run) life!

This week we were lucky enough to be asked back to host another takeover - hurrah! This parkrun exists in the virtual world thanks to a Facebook page and a new temporary leaderboard! This means that we can actively support the event by running, jogging or tail walking and recording a result, then seeing the GoodGym logo magically appear next to our names. Or we help by 'marshalling' and posting something supportive on Facebook, or liking and commenting on other people's posts once they've done their run. We love seeing what everyone is up to!

This was event eleven and 191 runners took part, as well as a whole posse of cheerers-on. All the people, so many people. They all go hand in hand, hand in hand though their park(run)life! 21 GoodGym members signed up to pace, tail walk or marshal. Some keen bees got out on for a run on Friday night, others wrestled with the heat on Saturday or Sunday, as well as battling injury, hills, thistles, and of course Strava palaver! Some extra kudos to all our amazing pacers who had a particularly tough job this week in the sun and without the familiar route and usual crowds to cheer them on.

This week we also had a go at naming our own "home" parkruns. Teresa's is called the 'Primrose Loop', Tracey's would probably be called 'Pass the Water Voles, or Are They Rats!?' and Jo's would be 'That Bl**dy Hill' 😂

Richard our running Rector completed his 50th good deed this weekend. Congratulations Richard! A fabulous achievement. Also, a huge well done to Jo and Teresa whose runs were also part of the brilliant Miles for Mind, which they finished on Sunday.

Some might say it's not all about us joggers, who go round and round and round. But we disagree. We know from the comments on Facebook that this event really helps to get people up and out for a run on the weekend. It gives us an enormous sense of wellbeing, and then we're happy for the rest of the day, safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit of our hearts devoted to it.

(Credit to the lyrics of Blur, Parklife 😂)

What a great turn out again last night. There were 15 of you waiting eagerly inside Coffee Corner keen to get going to Park North, some of you clutching your Beat the Street Cards, others blinding me while 'testing out' their head torches (don't worry - my vision is almost back to normal this morning?!) Poor Jon was pounced on (by me, the Run Leader) as soon as he stepped inside the building. So, why the strange behaviour you may ask?! Well, Jon has joined the parenting club since the last time he joined us, so I thought I would share my excitement with him. Congratulations Jon and Natalie on the birth of your beautiful baby boy! I'm just sorry Stuart that I did not react in the same way when you walked in through the door, but a bystander did notice your disappointment and offered you a substantial pre-run hug. I hope this helped in some way?! Great to see the lovely Jo tonight, a newcomer to GoodGym, who gave it 100 per cent effort all evening. Thank you for joining us; I do hope you can make it to GG again soon?

6pm arrived and we all gathered outside the Oasis for a head count. Today's head count was actually a piece of research on Kirsty's behalf. Kirsty has kindly offered to organise our first 'social' so everyone was asked not only to give their name and number (thanks to Mike and Dan for running late this week; Stuart was not number 13 this week), GG'ers also had to tell the group where they would like to go for a GG Swindon Social. The answers were varied and interesting, but Paul's idea of going bowling seemed to be a winner as well as Graham's suggestion of eating and drinking afterwards! So, there we go, the research has been done; over to you Kirsty to organise! Kirsty will be available on a Tuesday night with paper and pen in hand to jot down your name should you wish to join us at this prestigious event! The first week of December seems to be a favourable time; watch this space for an exact date!

Once the first Beat the Street Box was tapped and the run was under way, I started to miss Emily A LOT. I am having to run with a rucksack in her absence. Running with anything attached to my back (a rucksack, a pacing flag, a small child) feels just wrong, but sometimes necessary as there are essential items to carry as a Run Leader, including a first aid kit, the register, gloves, a head torch, water and chocolate (!). I hope you're back next week Emily? I have chafing on my neck today; to prove that I am incapable of running with all this stuff on my back!!! The route took us up Manchester Road, which is a lively part of town in the evening (!) and around the County Ground, which was fairly quiet last night with a much-needed blood donors session going on rather than a football match. We then picked up the Eastern Flyer, a well-lit cycle path that follows some of the old canal route in Swindon. We made it to Park North in no time at all, probably because most of us were caught up in conversation (I learnt that Andrew has 3 boys under the age of 5 and that Graham is a computer geek and can teach primary-aged children how to 'code'). I love hearing the chit chat as we run by; it's the best bit of the evening!

Talking about chit chat, Paul has kindly organised a WhatsApp chat group for GG Swindon, which will give you the opportunity to chit chat not only on a Tuesday night but on any day of the week! If you would like to join the group just click here!

We arrived at the front gates of Youth First (which used to be Oakfield School apprently), and some of us did a little sprint from the front gates to the building to prove how hard we had worked out that night! We were warmly greeted by Ben Humphrey and Alan Curtis from Swindon Shock Wheelchair Basketball Club, who briefed us on the task to be done that evening. There were approximately 35 wheelchairs to be cleaned and maintained, with Alan, the Club Mechanic, demonstrating what needed doing in a practical way, reassuring us that we couldn't go wrong! So now it was time to get going not only cleaning and maintaining the wheelchairs but there was also the more technical task of de-fuzzing trapped hair in the castors! Yikes! Alethia was the first to put the disposable gloves on after learning she had to de-fuzz! Everyone worked in pairs, with Ben H working hard dragging the wheelchairs out of the container and Alan on hand to help us at every opportunity. I had the job of taking the photos, which seems to amuse everyone, especially Ben E who tends to avoid eye contact with me, hoping I won't see him. Sorry Ben - I did see you. Thank you for the fab pic!

Beat the Street Stuart Arthur also joined us at the venue, to find out more about GG. The idea is that when Beat the Street (BTS) ends in 3-weeks-time, participants are signposted onto other activities, including GG! What a fabulous idea. Thanks Stuart! Roll on the 24th October, I have a feeling GG will be a popular choice post-BTS. In the meantime let's keep tapping those cards!

The group photo was taken in the dimming light, with many of you sat in a Swindon Shock Wheelchair Basketball Team 'arms around one another' pose. It was soon time to go, but Tracy and I were keen to visit the ladies before we went. For a moment we were like naughty school girls walking through the changing rooms, giggling, in the pitch black, desperately trying to find a light switch to find our way. The fun we have at GG eh?! I need to get out more?!

It was officially dark now, the rucksack was on and it was time to go. We waved goodbye to Ben H, Alan and Stuart and made our way back to the Oasis, tapping boxes along the way. I had a nice conversation with Richard, whose head torch and knowledge about potential Christmas GG tasks was greatly appreciated! In the usual fashion, those with me at the front shared puns on the return journey, which is actually quite useful as my brain fails to generate such words. Mike told me he enjoys 'word play', which is just as well. This is now his official job at GG Swindon!

We arrived back at the Oasis with just minutes to spare and it was time to say goodbye to the lovely Tina from Wandsworth, who has been part of GG Swindon since August. Tina has been living and working in Swindon on a short term contract, but it is now time for her to move on. She will be missed! Good luck Tina! Don't forget to visit us again soon?

It was a long run tonight, but wasn't it worth it? I do hope you can join us again next week? Emily and her trusty rucksack will be leading the group to the Night Shelter's office to do some much needed sorting and guess what - it's a shorter run, so if you're new to all of this, next week is the run for you! To sign up, just click here!

At long last; our first GoodGym run 'beating the street' had finally arrived! Some funny looking grey boxes on lamposts have been placed all around town waiting for people to tap them? Strange, I know; it took me a while to work it all out? The idea is that you pick up a fob (if you are school child) or a card (if you are anyone else!) and walk, jog, run, skip, scoot, cycle from one box to another tapping them with your fob or card as you go? The more boxes you tap, the more points you get, and more points mean prizes!!! It's in Swindon for 6 weeks meaning that we have 6 exciting GoodGym runs tapping boxes to and from tasks! Yay!!!

What makes it more fun, is that people can join a team with Beat the Street. GoodGym Swindon has formed its very own team, which we would of course encourage any GoodGym runner to join?! Team Captain Dan Coles will be there to support you all the way; by issuing cards, maps of East and West Swindon (there are no North and South Swindon maps by the way?!), and to ensure that you are tapping your card correctly on the box. No flashing lights mean no points! You have been warned. Come and join us to find out more about this addictive child-like game that everyone across Swindon seems to be playing right now?

6pm arrived and there were loads of you gathered inside the Oasis, keen to get going last night. What a fanatstic turn out! 18 runners and myself. Was it because of Beat the Street (and my promise of 8 boxes to and from the task), or maybe because we were going to STEAM and perhaps many of you are secret train enthusiasts?! Or maybe, just maybe you all love GoodGym no matter what we're doing? Answers on a postcard please?!

We welcomed four fabulous new runners last night: Ben, Kelly, Mallory and Steve (who many of us know as the chap who (quietly) sets up the cones and tape and a whole lot more at parkrun every Saturday!). Thank you for joining us! It is always good to see some new faces every week; feel free to tell your friends and family about GoodGym, and don't forget - we have a website, we're on Facebook and Twitter and thanks to Paul the Scientist we now have a WhatsApp chat group for anyone who likes to chat about GoodGym?! Want to join the WhatsApp group, just drop me an email or just ask me to add you when I next see you?

Before setting off, we formed a circle outside the Oasis - to get to know one another a bit more. With the Emmy Awards the night before, our lovely GG runners had to tell each other what their favourite TV programme was? The responses were quite varied, unusual and funny, but also worrying. Is there really a TV programme called the Killing? Sounds lighthearted doesn't it?! An American Drama Series apparently? Anyway, it's always good to talk and we're good at talking at GoodGym; and not only do we talk before the run, but also during the run, at the task, and afterwards in Coffee Corner. GoodGym is just a big social really?

Anyway, with me as Run Leader and Stuart kindly offering to be Back Marker, we got going at around 6:15pm and managed to tap 3 Beat the Street boxes on our way to STEAM. How exciting! Those of us with cards gaining 20 points each?! The best bit about tapping these boxes is that we all have to wait for one another, which gave the majority of you time to chill, and some of you an opportunity to look energetic and jog on the spot (briefly!). Running through town is always interesting with some encouraging comments from passers-by and strange looks from people who have probably never seen us before. They will soon get to know us; out and about with our red t-shirts, smiling and waving as we jog along!

Through the tunnel (running is allowed, cycling is not!), under the train line, and there we were - at STEAM, Museum of the Great Western Railway. what a privilege it was to be there, in such an iconic part of town with so much history behind it? Thank you Ian Surtees for welcoming us into STEAM, through the museum and onto the train platform. It was great to hear about the railway works; how many people used to work there, and what they used to build? Three locomotives in a week? That's hard graft, but we've got grafters at GG Swindon haven't we? Wyn and Lily always working, never stopping even when told to! And yes - this was exactly the case when we got let out onto the traverser (the 'thing' outside STEAM that helps maneuver the locomotives from one set of rails to another). We were given bin bags, brooms, dustpans and brushes and got going de-weeding, de-littering, filling so many bin bags we had to ask for more?! Thank you Tracy for pointing out ten minutes before 'tidy-up time' that we had missed a fairly large section of the traverser behind the platform. In good team spirit everyone just cracked on and got the job done splendidly. Well done one and all!

It was time to go and tap some more boxes. With a cheery wave goodbye to Ian surrounded by bin bags, we found our next box in no time at all; surrounded by school children tapping their fobs. But we had four more to find (in the failing light), so we soon set off around Even Swindon locating them all as quickly as possible? However, I set a challenge along the way. We got to Redcliffe Street and everyone had to sprint and locate the box at the end of the street! Now, Redcliffe Street is a very long street which therefore meant a lot of sprinting, so well done to Jon (who is apparently not competitive at all) for sprinting there and back in no time at all! How did you do that and smile at the same time?! It's a mystery!

On our way back to the Oasis, tapping boxes as we went, I had a nice conversation with Mike, who has kindly offered to take up the position of 'pun leader', which requires thought and imagination on a weekly basis. Thank you Mike for doing this; Dan for being Beat the Street Team Captain and Stuart for his back marking skills. I'm really starting to feel that a Task Force is starting to form? Wonderful!

We arrived back at the Oasis, tapped our final box, did some stretching, had a chat about our adventures that evening and how far we had run? A little further than 5km in our quest to earn more points! Everyone was keen to hear where we were going the following week? The Haven in Penhill to finish painting those purple picnic tables, and to scarify the meadow under the watchful eye of the lovely Glynis. I do hope you can join us next Tuesday for another fun-filled evening of GoodGym activity?! Worried about not having painting and gardening skills; don't worry - Glynis is an expert at both! You can't go wrong!