Unfortunately Tom Craggs the usual Tower Hamlets trainer was unable to make Mondays run due to sickness so I stepped in for him. After a quick visit to the shops to get a running kit I got down to Town Hall hotel where a Good Gym group as already assembling. By 7 O'clock 13 of us where signed in, briefed and ready to run.

We jogged as a team the short distance to Hollybush (Award winning) gardens and met regular task manager Margret. Margret had lined up a series of digging, sweeping and pruning which we set about doing all to the soundtrack of locals setting off fire works.

Task achieved we said our goodbyes and headed off for our run but where soon stopped in our tracks. We noticed that another of Hollybush estates gardens had taken a hit from a stray fire work and had the start of a fire. We could not just leave it. First Bryon then Anna set off to get buckets of water so we could put it out.

A short run upto the canal for the quick running to begin. Options of 1k, 1.2k, 1.5k or 2k routes which all lead us back to the same place so we could run at our own pace. Re group, head count, head for home.

Back at the hotel for warm down and chat. Lovely job.

Thanks everybody for coming. We wish Tom a speedy recovery and hope to see him and all of you next Monday.

Cheers,

Will

P.s Apologies for the lack of great puns you all suggested but I forgot them. Soz!

Big cheers and welcome hugs for our first timers: Mira, Louise, Lizzy and Alex.

Hot news this evening: we have our very own set of gloves. This means we don't have to always rely on tasks to provide finger protection and can run around doing even more good. Glovely!

There was sooo much good to do this evening spread across three tasks and three locations: Freightliners Farm, Whittington Park Community Association and Barnsbury Community Centre.

FREIGHTLINERS

Steve led the group over to Freightliners Farm. Here's his account:

10 goodgym runners set off the 1K to Freightliners Farm, smack in the middle of Islington, to perform our usual function. This week it was all about clearing and recycling. We started by filling a skip with discarded soil and extra large and heavy lumps of concrete. Dangerous work but we soon polished it off. After that we recycled masses of pre-used timber into either 110 or 120 centimeter lengths using measuring tools, marker pens and handsaws, whilst another group got to grips with an unruly hedge and whipped it into shape. As ever, competition reared its ugly head and we were soon having timed saw-cut races. Sawing technique improved massively over the hour and upper body strength was increased. We finished by feeding the goats and going ahhh quite a lot! Just another Monday down on the farm.

Steve

WHITTINGTON

Navigator-extraordinaire Graham was leader of the WPCA bunch who were lucky enough to take the brand new gloves. Here's his description of the evening:

On a muggy Monday night, nine GoodGymers went for a 7k run to weed and tidy the garden at Whittington park.

Following a route there almost entirely straight along Holloway road, there was no way we could lost, right? Well, sort of. After taking a 'creative' route down Hornsey road, we added on an extra 0.5k or so - always an adventure!

Still managing to arrive at the task just about on time, we then met Adrian who let us in to tidy up pesky weeds at the park's 1 o'clock club.

Weeds were removed, chats were had, and our brand new gloves were thoroughly tested out. We also discussed possibly the most contentious question at GoodGym - what counts as a weed? Following 25 minutes of solid work, we managed to fill several bags full of weeds - good work team!

Successfully managing to run back the way we should have run initially, we threw in a good intervals session round Emirates and a couple of hill sprints to finish the evening off in style. More good, more running - standard Monday night!

Graham

BARNSBURY

Simon explains what went down at Barnsbury:

Nine of us bobbled over to Barnsbury Community Centre. There's never a shortage of soil at the centre and tonight was no exception.

Gloves donnned, of course, we spent a good 25 minutes or so shovelling and wheelbarrowing (and even dragging) tons of the stuff. Great upper body workout. We worked so hard that a couple of the wheelbarrows gave up before we did. Rock 'n' Roll!

The ring around the famous centre-piece (where all the soil came from) was looking a little patchy and bare, so we each grabbed a couple of handfuls of grass seed and scattered the goodness around. We possibly over did it, so it'll be very interesting to come back and see the jungle we created in a few weeks or so.

Goodness all done it was time to do some fitness. We had a cone relay race, then we had a handicap cone relay race (my team lost so results are irrelevant) and on the way back to the pool we played the only game that is fit for a journey back from Barnsbury Community Centre: secret surges! Then a little work on our technique (run tall! run ninja!) before destroying ourselves with a high-knee/lunges combination. Phew.

Simon

DEBATE

On such a glovely evening it only seemed right to debate something glove related. Are fingerless gloves stupid? Some people thought so, but reckoned that the padded variety for cycling were fair game. Quite a few agreed that those gloves that are fingerless but have a detachable mitten bit were brilliant. Put to the vote, the large majority said that they were fine. So, there you have it. May your palms stay toasty and your fingers frosty.

BISCUITS

What goes in gloves? Biscuits. I mean Fingers, so we had a special treat with some chocolate fingers. Yum. Even better than this Graham - fresh from WINNING Man vs. Horse as part of the fastest mixed relay team - had brought along a few mini-buckets of posh biscuity treats. And Beth is going to MAKE biscuits next week. Biscuits!

Remember that glove is all need. See you next week,
Simon

Doing good

This weeks doing good was helping Christine from Clean, Green and Highways clear a plot of land besides a factory on Belgrave road. The strip of land was over run with weeds and has been regally used as a dumping ground. Christine has arranged for new raised beds to be put on the plot and after 45mins the Good Gym had the rubbish collected and the weeds removed. It was really nice to see the local residence so happy with our efforts. Three people from separate homes came out to thank us and say how happy they where the plot was finally being used for something good. One lovely man even ran to the local shop and brought us all water. Good work gang!

Getting fit

As well as the 3k run there everybody was still full of energy after the task so we headed round to the canal side for some hard running. Splitting on the canal side we had choices of straight back to Victoria park, Bridge one and back or all the way down to Limehouse canal and back. We re grouped at Victoria park for a team get breath back before a light warm down jog back to the hotel.

Thanks to everybody who came despite the rain.

I had much fun, hope you did too.

Until next week.

BYEEEE!

Due to a police request our task for Monday was cancelled which allow for a longer running and interval session to take place! 16 runners heading off to Victoria Park to do a serious of short, hard hill sprints. Fighting against the failing light and the park rangers desire to evict us we just got our set in in time. After another short run onto the canal we then did a second set of fast intervals mixed with strength exercises in the form of a series of short, fast relay runs.

Lit only by the warm glow of Hackney houses and the full moon we ran back to base and stretched before disappearing, going out separate ways, into the night.

A few first timers this evening. Welcome to Alan and Anna. Alan's a keen distance runner and has "persuaded" Anna to train for a half marathon. Let's hope GoodGym can help them get a few miles in the legs. We also welcomed Helen and Caitlin who did a great job on their first outing. And lovely to see Hackney-ite Flynn doing a bit of tourism.

There were two tasks tonight. Not only did we have to deliver a ton of promotional material for Caxton House's Hillrise Summer Festival, we also had to go and tidy up an adventure playground

Since the Caxton House job involved quite a bit of distance, hardcore runners Patrick, Aidan, Ryan and Caitlin were recruited for the 7k round trip. Rucksacks on, they stormed off into the sunset and set about dodging dogs, climbing steep steps and practising their delivery action.

The rest of us headed over to Lumpy Hill, one of 12 adventure playgrounds in Islington providing a wonderful service for kids in the area. We also delivered a few spare leaflets to houses a bit further south en route.

There was a mild panic when we arrived at the adventure playground and it seemed to be locked up. We shouted, rang the bell and rattled the gates all to no response, until Steve did a bit of surveying and discovered there were two playgrounds on the same stretch of road.

Once on the proper site, we were shown in by Kerry and Jenna. There were quite a few jobs to do: Alan and Anna set about some "brooming" (that's Irish for "sweeping") to remove any nasty stones from the front of the garden while others donned gloves and spread out around the garden to rid it of nasty stinging nettles (ask Flynn about how stingy they were) and litter. Most of us made friends with ants. Some of us were still feeling ants later on in the evening. Some of you can probably feel ants crawling up your legs now? Can you? Are you itchy? Do you need to scratch? What about yawning? Anybody feel like a nice big yawn? YAAWWWNN! Sarah pointed out it wasn't just ants we had to worry about - we also had a few antipodeans in our midst (they also crawl up your legs sometimes). Ozzie vs. Kiwi debate coming up in a few weeks, we reckon.

With a nice big area swept clear we spread out a large sheet of tarpaulin and a group of us placed a gigantic inflatable pool on top. It was swiftly filled with air (via pump, Steve was relieved he didn't have to blow) and we started filling it with water while giving it the odd yank to remove creases. It was quite a large pool so it should be full in about seven weeks.

With the site looking much clearer it was time to head off and do some relays on the fields. But wait a minute, why would you go and do relays when you've got an adventure playground to mess about in? OK, sod the relays. We swang and climbed and slid down slides, threw frisbees and kicked footballs, and some of us screamed.

We finished the evening with a tennis ball game. We paired up: one member was responsible for dropping the ball and the other for running and catching it before it bounced twice. A great way of improving reaction time and speed and a great workout.

Biscuits were HOMEMADE this week. And were supplied by Anna. So tasty! Who's making next week's?

The debate for the evening was supplied by Bridget: "Should people boycott air shows?" (there's been suggestions that they should because they're dangerous). For the first time in Islington Debate history we all agreed and said that no, people should not boycott them.

Big round of applause to Patrick for 17 good deeds last month

Well done Sarah for 50th good deed. Looks like Ros's 50th is imminent.

And remember drinks on Thursday

Planter painting next week

Simon

With the intention of shifting woodchips on our minds, 14 of us, including two first timers, set off for Hollybush to find a slight change of task and were confronted with a big overgrown bed of weeds and grasses in Strawberry Fields. Margaret and co loaded us up with wheelbarrows, forks, hoes, and rakes and after a bit of a stunned silence while we took in the scale of the task, we picked up our tools and set about it with vigor.

Very little phases Good Gym-ers, and this tangle of weeds was no different. Heads down and forks wielded in force meant that there was a steady stream of full wheelbarrows being taken over to the compost heap. And after 30 minutes or so and a whole range of new and interesting techniques being employed, including a one knee, one armed hoe-down, the bed was transformed and it won't take much more work to get it ready for the raised planters for the veggie food bank. Its fair to say we were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves, and not a little bit surprised, at the difference we had made.

As if we weren't warmed up enough, once the tools were packed away Tom had us doing some dynamic warm ups before a good old fashioned run back to base of 3-4k taking in the Regents Canal and Victoria Park on the way.

Emily