DOING GOOD

Our second community mission for GG Derby & what a fun, albeit eye opening experience.

On arrival at Bernados, Kath, Russ & I were put in the upstairs store room to help the shop volunteers sort out the clothes donations. I've got to say I was expecting a few piles of neatly folded clothes that needed price labels ready for being displayed the shop floor.... I was wrong.

The bags of clothes donations piled from floor to ceiling, taking over most of the room, many bags over-spilling.

We began to sift through the bags, tasked with only keeping clothes that were:

1. Clean
2. In good as new condition
3. Suitable for the winter season
4. (Optional) Being a brand helps sales - we got excited when we found a Ben Sherman shirt!

Fair to say that 90% of the clothes didn't fit this criteria. Those unfortunate clothes were destined to be recycled. Those lucky few that did could be sorted, tagged & hopefully be sold to raise much needed pennies.

What we realised is how much effort goes into processing clothes donations. I'll definitely think twice now before throwing a top that I've washed a gazillion times in a charity bag.

It was also revealing of our fast fashion culture & of the many unnecesary purchases we make, only to chuck them out... or fob off on a charity shop!

It wasn't all serious; Kath enjoyed tagging her first item of clothing for the shop floor & I found some boxer shorts... not new ones!

We also welcomed Russell to GoodGym for the first time. Hope to see you soon bud!

WHILST GETTING FIT

Kath completed Long Eaton parkrun this morning before our community mission & Russ ran 5km there & 5km back. GO TEAM! I'm running tonight, promise :)

Big Loves x

DOING GOOD

What an evening! 19 GoodGymers hitting the pavements of Derby to do good & get fit on the spookiest GG evening of the year! Our biggest turnout in quite a few weeks - nothing to do with the shorter run eh guys? - & a crackin' evening of doing good, running & team games involving a pumpkin or two in 'traditional' Halloween fashion.

On behalf of the Friends of Darley Open Spaces (FoDOS) we cleared the top Darley car park of litter (suprisingly, not a lot), bagged up as many of the fallen leaves as we could & swept the space clean! That car park looked amazing once our 38 hands had had their wicked way with it!

Achievements

• FOUR bags of leaves swept up
• ONE bag of litter removed
• ONE happy car park & volunteer group!

Our hard work was noticed immediately by a local resident passing by who commented on what a smashing job we were all doing. She said that she collects litter every morning - which explains the lack of it - & that some mornings she finds a tenner... we weren't so lucky!

WHILST GETTING FIT

We stepped outside of the warmth of the Jurys Inn, away from the temptation of the shelves of chocolate & crisps (& beer) & worked on our high knees to create some heat. The one mile run from Jurys Inn to the car park took us straight up Cardiac-Hill, the perfect warm-up & we were ready for good-deed-iness!

After completing our mission & with the car park clear & obstruction free, cones were set up & we broke off into pairs, completing alternate laps (6 each to be precise) to make up ANOTHER paarlouf session! We'll have a week off from that, promise.

With heart-rates elevated & legs pumped... it was time for the much anticipated PUMPKIN RACE!

The Annual Pumpkin Race

Two teams headed up by Emma & Helen (who bossed the Halloween fancy dress!)

One badly decorated pumpkin per team.

Each runner takes the pumpkin to the cones & back to their team... safely! The pumpkin gets passed on to the next runner & so on, until each runner has cared for their pumpkin baby, in the fastest time possible.

A couple of mishaps, including a dropped pumpkin (documented well in the snaps!) & some rowdy-running, but both pumpkins made it back safely to their teams, with Helen's team taking home the win with about a 5 second margin! GO TEAM!

"We had a smashin' time!" - Ashley

Big thanks to Kathleen for marshaling our first Pumpkin Race & well done to everyone for getting stuck in with so much gusto!

Here's to replicating that at Christmas with a pudding...

WELCOMES & THANK YOUS

It was wonderful to welcome new faces to the clan last night & you no doubt added to the fun! We hope you enjoyed the Pumpkin Race Kate, Ellie & Sid & hope to see you soon for more weird games!

Thank you to BadGym for being a surprisingly well behaved front-runner. Thanks David for being an ace mid-marker & for joining us all the way from Sheffield! & a BIG thanks to Emma, Helen, Alice & Lehann for embracing Halloween & coming in your spookiest attire. You guys smashed it!

UP NEXT...

We're running to Mackworth to flyer for the Direct Help & Advice service; the perfect task for enjoying the sky which is sure to be illuminated with fireworks on Guy Fawkes night! Come along for our first FLYER-WORKS night... get it?

Big Loves x

DOING GOOD

10 Derby GG'ers delivered 250 leaflets across Darley Abbey to let local residents know about a coffee morning being hosted on the 2nd November to raise monies for Kathmandu (Nepal) hospital, specifically for the children's cancer ward. If you're free on Saturday the 2nd November between 10am & 2pm, pop along! There's always delicious cake & fun, Nepali treasures to be bought.

In true Himalaya spirit, we embraced the wind, rain & cold on last nights task proving that us Derby lot are indeed a hardy bunch worthy of Everest! Also, in true leafleting spirit we made our task a friendly-team competition, splitting into a Left & Right team & seeing who could collect the most gold coins by making it to the end of the road first, with all team members & all houses on their side of the street, flyered.

The Right Team Featuring: Salvo, Tracey, Jonny & Kathy

Gold Coins: 5

The Left Team Featuring: Emma, Rachael, Katherine , Helen & Julie

Gold Coins: 5

It's a draw folks!

I think we can agree that BadGym - who wasn't so bad - personally gets an extra coin for determination of delivering every last leaflet! And a BIG thanks to everyone for all of your fabulous efforts & here's to hoping that the fundraiser is a huge success!

WHILST GETTING FIT

And it wasn't an easy run! Also in true Himalaya spirit, there were plenty of hills to test our cardio fitness, including the aptly named Cardiac Hill - thanks for that brilliant insight Kathy!

We ran over 1km out from the Jurys Inn, through Darley Park while the evening was still light (including up Cardiac Hill!) & into the residential area of Darley Abbey. Once there, the hills did not stop. Up & down the huge drive ways, up & down hills & bumps, until all leaflets (or most!) were distributed. We then headed back to the Jurys Inn via Duffield Road where we managed to drop off the last few pesky flyers.

As it was a chilly evening, it was the perfect opportunity to slow things down with a dose of runners' yoga in the conference room at Jurys Inn. Not forgetting our team photos with props & scoffing a couple of boxes of Matchmakers first! We wiggled toes, located our hip flexors (ouchy) & a tree pose each to finish (only for the photo of course.)

What an evening!

The Stats

• TEN tree poses found

• Over FIVE km ran per GG'er (depending on driveway length)

• ONE mean Cardiac Hill tackled with gusto!

SPECIAL MENTIONS

Big welcome back to Julie who first came to GoodGym at Derby's launch. It was great to see you again!

Massive good luck to Katherine at the Leicester Marathon this weekend; we look forward to hearing all about it. You'll smash it!

Finally, well done to Salvo, Rachael& Emma for completing their fifth good deed with Good Gym! Your profile is now embellished with a new badge to show off with pride.

Got something coming up or some exciting news? Tell us about it in the comments!

COMING UP NEXT

Next Tuesday we're running about 5km - accurate measurement this time, promise - to support Transition 2 college. This will be our first time running to this area of Derby & takes us back to garden maintenance, something we're becoming experts at!

Whatsapp group; I've set up a chat so that we can share ideas for socials, ask each other questions about group runs or share any running worries / news you may have. If you'd like to join the group, email me!

Get out there, explore, have fun & ENJOY!

DOING GOOD FOR GG TURNS 10!

18 runners from around the UK (GG Sheffiled's Kat, Andrew, Ash & Celine & GG Norwich's lone ranger, Brad, as well as 13 Derby runners) headed to a green space to support the Friends of Markeaton Park (FoMP) give a new lease of life to the rockery. On arrival, we were greeted by the wonderful volunteers who showed us the somewhat secret walled garden before we made our way, wheel-barrows & gloves in hand, to the rockery. So overgrown with no rocks in sight, some of us wondered where this illusive name had originally came from...

Alas! After 40 minutes of weeding, removing unwanted plants, clearing dead leaves & trimming (not forgetting the shaping!) of the hedge, the rocks were revealed & the rockery transformed from an abandoned, overgrown hidden-rockery for accumulating park litter, to a beautiful feature of Markeaton Park once more.

Mission achievements

1. The equivalent of 12 hours of volunteering (wowza!)
2. 1 extremely happy Friends of Markeaton Park volunteer group
3. 1 rockery restored to its full & former glory
4. 18 heroes in Derby (who's favourite colour is red, especially on t-shirts)
   

WHILST GETTING FIT

The location of Markeaton Park from our base at the Jurys Inn meant that we got opportunity to do a circular route to show our GoodGym tourists a little more of the city. We headed from the Jurys Inn towards the University of Derby on Kedleston Road, then cutting into Markeaton Park, admiring the huge play area (including the climbing wall & pondering a possible fitness session there) before looking for our lady-in-hi-viz near the illusive walled garden.

After our task & because we were at the rockery (this is key to the pun...) there was a Rockery-Balboa themed fitness session with Eye of the Tiger - for those 91% of you that couldn't hear it, that's what was playing on my phone! - blasting across Markeaton Park. With lots of high knees, butt kicks, planking & some air punching... because you have to, its Rock-ery!... We were ready to run back to base. Through the park, down Ashbourne Road, across the Bouncy-Bridge & to the Jurys Inn!

Fitness Achievements

1. Total collective distance of 90km powered by foot
2. Well over 400 high knees during the Eye of the Tiger saga
3. 100 weeds pulled out & biceps worked

GG TURNS 10

It was brilliant to be part of the celebrations flying the GoodGym flag in Derby last night & I think you'll agree we got some pretty snazzy photos on the Bouncy-Bridge! A huge thank you to the Derby tribe as well as the touring GoodGym'ers (especially Andrew for back-marking) for making the evening so splendid. Now one more time...

It's the eye of the tiger, its the thrill of the fight (weeding), rising up to the challenge of our rival (weeds)....

Have a super week everyone & see you next Tuesday for some more gettin' grubby fun & puns at Osmaston Allotments!

Dani x

We've launched!

55 runners (not including our special VIP guests from the council, including Mr. Mayor!) met at the Jurys Inn yesterday to mark the launch of GoodGym's 54th hub & to kick off doing good, whilst getting fit in our wonderful city.

It was brilliant to see so many new faces to GoodGym starting this journey together (we're sure you'll all be hooked from now on!) as well as seasoned GoodGym'ers from other areas supporting the launch; a huge thanks to the GoodGym Sheffield crew & those who travelled from the depths of the south (London!) to celebrate with us yesterday.

Doing Good

Our first task took us through the lovely green space of Darley Park to support the Friends of Darley Open Spaces (FODOS) begin the transformation of the Butterfly Garden into the Wildlife Garden & boy did things get WILD!

From dead-heading buddleias (I only learned what that meant yesterday) to weeding, sweeping, hoeing, digging & admiring the UK's largest collection of Hydrangeas, our tribe of 53 runners made an incredible difference.

To put a number on that difference (we like stats!) the 40 minutes each of us spent last night volunteering, collectively equates to 36.6 hours! Amazing right!? That's 2,200 minutes! I'm sure the fabulous volunteers from FODOS would agree that our first task has made an enormous difference to their garden & to the local community who enjoy that space. These numbers really help to highlight what GoodGym is all about... we might not be volunteering somewhere for very long, but as a large group of runners (come on, we work fast!) we can get a heck of a lot done!

(Pssst... We're back at the Wildlife Garden on the 29th October to support this lovely group again!)

Whilst Getting Fit

More stats, the running kind, the kind we love.... We traveled a total of 4km powered by foot last night, with a running group led by Dani (me) & back-marked by Rachel & a walking group led by Nicky (let's give the task-force a cheer!) as well as a mini fitness session which saw you all finding your glutes with squats & lunges. Plus we can totally include the 40 minutes of hard labour you put in at the garden, especially the diggers & wheel-barrowers!

Radio's back!

TV's overrated, we're going to be on the radio! & Sam from BBC Radio Derby is totally alive FYI. Keep your eyes peeled on GoodGym Derby's social media channels for an announcement of when you can hear your claim to fame on the BBC Derby Radio Breakfast Show. Thanks Sam for joining us & doing double the mileage running & back forth to do interviews!

Ready for task two!?

The launch event is done & dug (hehe), but this is only the beginning!

Every week (on Tuesday, don't turn up on a different day, we won't be there) at 6:15pm we'll meet at the Jurys Inn & run to a task, smash it & run back! Next week we're going a little further afield, running a total of 10km to do a leaflet drop in Mackworth for a community library. This isn't any old leaflet drop; there will be an option on the run out to work on your speed (getting some practice in) because once we hit Mackworth, a friendly teams-based competition will unfold! Don't let the sound of speed-training put you off, all abilities are welcome as always.

10km too much at the moment? Our third task takes us to another beautiful green space, with a total distance of 5km.

The Snaps

Big thanks to Ashley for taking amazing photos on last night's launch. If you haven't yet set a profile photo for your GoodGym account, find yourself in the snaps & use one of these beauties!

THANK YOU!

Finally, a huge cheer to every single one of you for being such a wonderful group last night; for getting stuck in, being super friendly to everyone & generally just a delight to be around. Here's to next week & the start of something beautiful with GoodGym Derby!

Happy running & exploring,

your trainer, Dani x