15 super GoodGymers ran 5k to Gillet Square to wash down and hose down the amazing oversized adventure kids play equipment.

A super sweaty night in H Town saw the Crew begin with a huge congratulations for a number of Weekend Running PB's before setting out on a moving dynamic warm up as we lunged, skipping and leg swung across London Fields.

We navigated 2k through the Hackney backstreets and down Ridley Road market to outdoor energy hub of Hackney, Gillett Square! We were met by Hoola hoopers, skate boarders, as well as many interested onlookers. We grabbed the key to the container and got to work, unloading the massive kids play equipment and carrying it 100 meters to the hose pipe. Special big up to Kyla for not only running to the shop to get cleaning stuff but amazingly sourcing buckets to aid us hugely in the scrubbing endeavours. With ** Hadrien's** Herculean efforts to carry the kit over to the rest of the team and Eva's expert hosing the rest of the Team got busy scrubbing the kit down using the patterned Team Hackney production line method!

The kit was being washed, rinsed and stacked at a serious pace much to the appreciation of the Gillett Square onlookers, in 30 minutes we had completed the cleaning of 25 huge pieces of kit and we just had time to restack the kit back in the container before heading.

On the feel GoodGym high we decided to throw in some more Fitness Fun on the way back to base, so we took a detour to DeBeauvoir square to run in circles! Splitting into relay teams we fed our legs all the speed they wanted to with some excellent half and full laps of the urban track. 5 minutes of continuous Rep, Rest and Repeat saw us earn a steady trot back to base to take the total running up to a fantastic 5k for the evening.

A few static stretches and a Balletic spin saw us finish off a top session!!

Look forward to seeing you all again next week! Please sign up here as we take on an epic physical task on the Gascoyne Estate community garden!

Also a big call to everyone who is available on Saturday to come to the GoodGym/Parkrun partnership launch at Mile End Parkrun! All the info and sign up to the task is here. If you are a bit tight on time but fancy a Saturday morning run why not come along and just run the Parkrun?? Be great to see you there especially if you are GoodGym T-Shirted up!

Spinning Smooth

Joel

More to follow

19 Hackney GoodGymers ran 6k to the HUG garden on Hackney downs to perform a watering kiss of life to the garden and plant 100 snow drops as well as create display boards for the Hackney Downs show.

We started the session with the presentation of Antonia's 100 GoodDeed T-Shirt an amazing effort of 2 years of consistent GOOD, brilliant work 👏🏼👏🏻👏🏿👏🏾!!

We welcomed Cat to her first GG session and got going on the very warm 2k run to the HUG garden navigating all the amazing BBQ smells on our way.

Meeting the one and only Myra we split into teams, first crew Megan mending and arranging the trellis stands for the Hackney Downs show on Saturday which shows the plans which the HUG have to transform the unused bowling green into an educational mini nature reserve.

The second team watered and tended to potted plants that are to be sold at the show to begin raising funds to make the transformation happen. While the third team watered the existing flower beds and planted 100 snow drops which should bloom in January. Special mention to Holly for her amazing watering resuscitation efforts in bringing the Hackneysaurs back to life!!

With an outstanding job done by all we had completed the mission! Leaving the HUG garden in top shape for the weekend!

We had time for a longer run this evening and great to so many of the Team in five running form as we dominated 4.3k run back to base where we stretched and gorged on celebratory chocolates from Antonia!!

Next week we are off to the Rhodes Estate food growers group love to have you along please sign up here.

Until next week Enjoy the

Smooth Sunshine

Joel

On a fine summer's evening 32 wonderful GoodGym-ers gathered at the Star of Kings, found there way to the upstairs room and had a wonderful evening meeting new runners, hearing about GoodGym and voting for the all important International Pun of the Month!

We were back in North London this month (although apparently South Bank doesn't count as South London - one for Islington to discuss perhaps?) and we had the fun of a room to ourselves. It was a great turn out I'm so grateful to you all for making the effort to come out. Lovely to see some new faces, TWO trainers and recent addition to the GG Central team Neil too :)

I want to say a massive thank to George Bright, our guest speaker for the night - thanks for you sharing your wonderful story and we wish you all the best for your Ironman - 15 days to go! Check out his fantastic blog here and if you wish to donate to his chosen charity the Maytree Foundation you can do here. Thank you also to Vicki McLellan for the delicious cakes and cookies - we raised £68.38 which I'll round up to £70 to go towards George's fundraising.

Not that it needs saying but you are an incredible bunch!

Here's the recap:

HEROES

Full listings can be found here

In the 'Bristol' round (that's cheering to you and me) Pru Comben continued her reign as the cheeriest person in GoodGym and Paul Becker was the most cheered in July.

James Poole of Redbridge topped the distance charts with 627k and we had a flurry of good deed-ers, five tied for third but Frances Powrie did 15 good deeds last month to top the chart that matters!

In the second installment of the 'GG most new runners last month' award we were happy to crown the two week old GG Richmond runners with 44 new runners in July - Congratulations!

Last but by no means least in the heroes section we had the 50s and 100s, a fantastic achievement not only in terms of doing all those deeds but everything that it gives to the community in staying with GoodGym to do so much:

50 - Black T-shirt

• Emily Casstles

• Matt Wrench

• Dave Mansfield

• Benedict Lumley

100 - Wings

• Aidan Padfield

• Richard Giddings

• Frances Powrie

• Megan Fisher

Well done all of you - go give them a cheer everyone!

NEWS

We opened up up in five new areas and have the following to come:

• Ealing - Tuesday 9th August

• Hounslow - Monday 15th August

• Barnet - Tuesday 16th August

• Bournemouth - Wednesday 17th August

Race News

• We hit the New Forest 10 miler - 14 came, 9 ran and 5 poor Bristolians got stuck in traffic!

• We've got the GoodGym 4 x 1600m relay at the Community Games this Sunday 7th August - go along and have a cheer. Some GG Camden folk are leading a bunch of runners at the Regents Park 10k and finally the LAST big race of the year - we're back in Wales for the Cardiff Half Marathon - ONE month left to enter!

International Pun of the Month

Finally, it was super tense this month, it came down to the final vote which came from outside the room! However, with NINE votes, from 32, the International Pun of the Month is...

'Pack it up, pack it in, let me GoodGym' a fantastic individual effort from Steve Lee

So once again thank you all so so much, do keep spreading the word, we've more areas to work in so need more and more people involved to keep doing good, running hard and having fun (and preferably coming to drinks too)!

We'll see you all next month, September 8th in Brixton for the pilot of 'GoodGym Drinks on Tour'!

Pritesh

p.s. Thanks for additional photos to Rebecca and John

22 hardcore Hackney GoodGymers braved the threat of rain to run 6k to Hackney Elderly Caribbean Organisation and masterfully finish off a magical painting job with epic roller action.

On a drizzly evening in H-Town the weather fairy proved to be kind and held the rain away for us to get our roll on with some quality painting and mini circuit action. Great to see some super energetic new faces to Hackney GoodGym working hard and being helped along with our experienced core crew! A mini pulse raiser took us to London Fields for our warm up of duck walking and fire avoiding tip toe bouncing. Some skipping and leg swings got us nice and mobilised the action ahead. Setting off at a good lick weaving our way through the back streets of Hackney and out towards Stoke Newington in the close atmosphere we all certainly worked up a serious sweat!! The nearly 3k run zipped by in no time and great to see some big running fitness strides being made by many of the regular runners!! Running efficiency and speed are really improving with your consistent hard work well done!! 👏🏼👏🏻👏🏾👏🏿

With a pretty big group we split into groups to rotate through some physical preparation outside with some body resistance exercises and some super speedy painting. With 5 minutes rotations the pace was kept high both paining, taping up and beautifully executed exercises. We will flew through the task and had the second coat done in no time. To celebrate such a top task performance we finished off with a spectacular Static Squat Off where in a long line held a strong squat position for over 2 minutes!! Great way to Feel the burn!!.

We said our goodbyes and headed off for the race back to base. The Sexy group starting with a 3 minute cushion before being chased down by the Speedy crew great to see some of the Sexy group really pushing on in the last kilometre to really finish off the run strong!

A few static stretches and a mild panic to get back into the Bakehouse saw us end a very successful evening!

Be great to have you along next week as we work our magic at the Rio Olympic festival in Dalston please sign up here.

If you fancy some more running fun join me for a Running Fitness session on Thursday in Islington sign up here

If you are around on Thursday evening and fancy going along to the GoodGym monthly drinks all the info is here.

Big Good Luck shoutout to everyone racing this weekend in the ParkRun tour and in Regents Park 10k!!

Last but not least a huge congratulations to Cecilia on completing her 50th Good Deed!! 🎉🎈🎊🏆🏆🎉

Smooth strength

Joel