On a very soggy bank holiday Monday, 28 GoodGymers turned up for a lovely run in the rain!

We welcomed along Caroline all the way from GG Sheffield and celebrated Beth and Jenna's first half marathons over the weekend, as well as Laura's first 10k and Andy's 10k PB, phew.. loads of weekend running.

We split into two teams and the walkers, led by Ellie D, headed off whilst the rest of us had a little warm up (still in the sunshine).

Mitch led a group to Greenfields Garden, where the team had three tasks to complete:

• Clearing an area of old wood chip (essentially, grass) to lay new wood chip
• Scything an overgrown path to make space for a new manure pile
• Moving carpets, moving soil between bays, adding layers of soil, hay and guinea pig droppings and covering with carpets whilst moving sticks and folding up bags into other bags...simple, right?!

When the rain began, everyone took shelter and enjoyed having dry feet to to our excellent drainage system which we created in 2017 - still going strong! Despite the weather, the tasks were finished and everyone warmed up with a good fitness session and some hearty singing of rain-related songs.

I liked the bit where we ran under a bus shelter - Amy's highlight of the evening

My team at Rowntree Park were clearing the borders of the sensory garden, which is being reinstated after a long period of neglect. Our task was to dig up all the weeds, leaving only the plants and herbs.

First thing I dug up, definitely had a plant label - Debs

We had to pull up a lot of dock, as well as something that looked a lot like dock and wasn't, and the funny little white flowered weed too. Weeds were piled into three wheelbarrows and run up to the park gates where we filled giant bags, ready for collection.

When the deluge hit, everyone just carried on doing good but when it hit even harder the second time, some of the group took shelter. The rule was that if you were taking shelter you had to squat continuously as an alternative to doing good.

Once the sacks were filled with weeds we warmed up with a little fitness session on the new grassy labyrinth. The fitness session doubled up as a helpful task as our stomping and fast feet flattened the grass to make the labyrinth outline more distinct. We did some lunges, side hurdles, jump to squat and leap frogs for those who were feeling brave.

Let's hope it's back to the usual dry and sunny York for next week!

Our lord admiral Egg has entrusted the mighty ship Gg York to Captain Tim. So after a controversial nautical warm-up. John doubted my seafaring knowledge and led a minor mutiny on the concept of starboard and port. One must confess i might have got that one wrong. But it speaks to Gg yorks shiptight crew that most followed my orders even in the face of mutiny!

Lieutenant (run leader) Paul led one crew to paint over the graffiti that had built up on a bridge over a cycle path. His crew included hardy newcomer Angela who had run a massive 3km to our meeting point already. Also the legendary first mate Emily has completed 50 good deeds with us now. So was sporting the magnificent cape of good deeds, a worthy reward for an epic achievement! Upon arrival they were told to paint over everything:

"What even the two headed llama?" - Emily 50 deeder extraordinaire!

First problem was to answer the question how many goodgymmers does it take to open a can of paint. The answer was many, plus Stef and his handy multiltool keyring!

Lietunant Nick and Captain Tim then led a group up to Greeenfields Nursery, where after negotiating complicated signal flags (traffic lights) where we made short work of a mound of wildflowers. Digging them out, carefully making sure we had as much of the roots as possible. Despite my doubts we had the trireme tricycle) full of wildflowers in double quick time.

"Look at Nick's perfect clump!" Leanne

Lieutenant Nick then stayed behind with a trusty crew to complete some very much needed tlc in the nursery. Digging up lots of dock leaf weeds that had spread. Once complete they ran on home, making a quick pitstop at haxby road park to complete some of Tim's silly circuits. Barb was less than impressed with bunny hop section afterwards apparently all the passer-bys were staring!

Captain Tim set off with a speedy crew following St.Nick' trireme (tricycle) down the cycle path. Luckily we timed it just right to free Maria from st nicks who was pedalling the trike from a few tight corners. Task owner Maria had definitely put the work in by the time we arrived. As had the speedy crew running 2.5km in under 14 minutes! As we set to work planting the wildflowers in their new home, we received reinforcements from lieutenant paul's crew. Who helped us finish with plenty of time for Tim's silly fitness game.

We split into two teams and played a quick game of rob the nest. Trying to collect as many balls as we could for our team. Even raiding the other team, Craig even opted to cheat by carrying more than one ball but still his team lost that round. Cheating doesn't pay when it comes to goodgym exercises! For the second round we did a burpie each time before picking up a ball, this time Craig's team won so he couldn't have been cheating (or perhaps he was just getting better at cheating!)

"It was the best game ever" Stef said at the end of the session. Definitely without sarcasm!

Then we all jogged home for a quick cool done. Well done everyone!!!

One final line for Jesse who has been an much-loved contributor on our groupruns for a year or so now. Unfortunately for us Jesse is starting his next big adventure in Canada next week, so this was his last session with us :( Make sure you all give him a big cheer as a thank you for his hardwork with us over the last year.

On the first light evening of 2019, an absolutely massive crew turned up to do some good!

Our team included three brand new runners, a surprisingly unbroken Nikki (even after running a casual 65km over the weekend), a very happy Craig who beat his 5k PB again at the weekend, breaking that 20-minute barrier AND of course, the GG Yorkie of the Month for March.

The accolade for March goes to Christine who did loads of community missions in March, also wrote loads of run reports and takes fantastic photos for us regularly, well done Christine!

We sent a speedy crew of of ten blokes and a Jessie (led by Paul) off to a bonus task of planting lavender on the bank in Clifton, whilst the rest of us headed over to Fishergate School for a whole list of tasks in their outside forest school area.

The task list at Fishergate included:

• weaving willow into the igloo shelter
• weaving willow into the fence
• weeding the raised beds
• weeding the bases of all the hedgerow trees
• excavating an old brick fire pit

The excavation was actually quite exciting. On first glance, the 'fire pit' was just a flat muddy area, but as the team scraped away, a circle of bricks emerged.

I feel like we are time team! - Helen

Over at the raised beds, Lucy had ended up with what was definitely the smallest trowel that has ever been manufactured. Still effective.

Huw, Ben and Simon were really chuffed because they'd bagged another task which involved digging a big hole. There isn't a GoodGymer out there who doesn't love a good bit of hole-digging. The hole they dug was 100% big enough for the quite small tree which had to go in it. Some might say 200%, either way they were all very happy.

The speedy crew made it to Clifton in double quick time and got to work planting 45 lavender plants in amongst the daffodils on the steep bank. Craig had forgotten his gloves so borrowed a pair from the pile. He gleefully handed them back once the task was over, proclaiming them to be the comfiest garden gloves he'd ever worn.

Those are my cycling gloves - Kay, task owner.

After just 40 minutes, we'd finished the whole Fishergate task list and new runner Lionel finished beautifying the fire pit by washing away the last of the dirt was a bucket of water. It was an amazing transformation. There was some chat about igloo weavers stealing willow from fence weavers but all rumours were unfounded.

We celebrated a great evening of tasks and the lovely light, sunny evening with the super duper Cones of Joy!! Paul's team got back just in time to join us and it was fitness mayhem as people lunged, planked, can-can-kicked, ran in circles and did extreme cheering from the cheering station.

I was paired with Stef, he just kept running so I had to do all the exercises - Craig (lucky)

Pun credit - Tim (excellent work)

Another big night at GoodGym York as 34 runners ran to tasks at opposite sides of the city!

We kicked off with a ski/snowsports-themed warm-up today since I was fresh back from a snowboarding holiday. Vivid imagination was definitely required as we pretended to ski in the car park of the Priory Street Centre. I'm sure new runners Tom and Chloe wondered what on earth was going on (give them a massive welcome cheer, by the way).

Whilst you're cheering, we need to all give a huge cheer to Becky Mo who had an absolute epic at the Hardmoors 50 on Saturday, what a hero!

Routes were picked to carefully avoid everywhere that is currently underwater, as Tim and Becky took a crew to St Nicks for a 'Jonathan surprise' and me and Leanne took a crew up to the Grange Lane Play Area for a Power Pick. Both teams were also challenged to make a number, 2 and 7, to represent GoodGym York being the 27th area to have started as we approach the launch of our 50th area.

Good work making litter picking sound sexy - Bec

We were trying to get the jump on the Great British Spring Clean, a nationwide initiative to encourage people to go out and help clean up their local areas. The team were very excited that we not only had litter pickers (pro ones, according to Max), but we also had hoops. It doesn't take much. Unfortunately the act of putting a bag onto a litter picking hoop flummoxed many a GG Yorkie and we were three minutes down before we sprung into action. With 30 minutes on the clock, the Power Pick began.

It didn't take long before some big items were located. Emma had managed to bag a traffic cone whilst Leanne and Simon found a whole load of scrap metal. Aidan was deep in the undergrowth and lobbed out a neatly packaged tent.

Not gona put that in my bag!

Shortly after, Leanne found a mallet.

Now we can put up the tent!

As we gradually moved deeper into the field, a sub-team went into a little space known as the Party Area because it's very obviously where all the parties happen. Someone appeared to have recently had an Irn Bru party.

This is the world's most rubbish party - Craig

Max was still waxing lyrical about the pro-pickers. He reckoned you could pick up anything with one of those bad boys. He proved his point by picking up a very flimsy bit of tape which was cemented into the ground. As we headed back to the top of the park, Aidan had managed to lob pretty much a whole porcelain toilet out of the undergrowth too. Max almost ignored it until Leanne challenged his "this can pick up anything" claim, and he did really try quite hard to drag a toilet with a litter picker, but we found the limit of their usefulness.

We finished with an attempt to make a '7' out of filled rubbish bags, and had to use Pete as the tallest person to get the best angle.

Team Tim set off at a grand old trot, all slightly in awe at the flooded Ouse! Becky '50 miles' Mo heroically brought up the rear across town to our old haunt St Nicks at the eco hub thingy [Eco-centre, Tim - Egg]!

The sparkling as ever Jonathan guided us to a corner of the reserve and set us to task removing the top soil and brambles so wild flowers could be planted. He even let Mel and Becky do some twilight scything as a special winter treat! We are all looking forward to a scythe-tastic summer this year!

It was a bit crowded to begin, but once the scythers and rakers cleared an area there was plenty to do.

There are only good quotes when people aren't working hard enough - Tim

We then raked the exposed topsoil, before attempting a soon-to-be worldwide hit. the "Mexican Sprinkle". [I feel I need to explain this. It's sowing seeds in the fashion of a Mexican wave, Egg] I promise you kids, it will be a sensation before you know it.

Please can you all do a Mexican sprinkle in front of me - Tim

Bada-bing Bada-boom [seriously Tim?], we convoyed the tools back to the hub and did a quick exercise where Tim did his best to scare off the lovely newbies Chloe and Tom with extra squats!

I enjoyed it, despite Tim's Mexican sprinkle - New Tom