40* people (yes, 40!) ran from Vivo Health Club to one of our favourite spots, Windmill Hill City Farm to help them turn a car park in to a garden.

To say that this number was staggering is an understatement and by far it was our largest run. The fine weather helped, and perhaps that it was a short run too. Either way, I'm not complaining at all - thanks gang.

We headed off after a warm up and introductions, and quickly made it to the farm where we met up with Chris, garden guru and the project leader for the transformation. More than a few people eyed the digger and the little dumper truck with glee but sadly we didn't get to have a go. Instead we loaded ourselves up with forks and spades, rakes and wheelbarrows and proceeded to shift a very large amount of topsoil and compost from various places around the farm and dump it on to the newly cleared flower bed-to-be. It was classic GoodGym - a lot of people rushing around getting the job done. There was still time to have a little dance on the soil to help compact it, with a radio somewhere kicking out tuuunes!

One team were tasked to clear soil from one small flower bed to go in to the new big one. Their progress had been fast until they literally hit a snag when they struck some sort of rock/stone/concrete barrier. There was only one answer - a mighty pick ax, which was a great help.

Another group tried to extend a deep trench that was going in around the large flower bed. The ground was most resistant but they put their back in to it and got about 2 extra feet on to the trench. Doesn't sound much but there was dedication in those few feet.

Given the scale of the task, despite the veritable horde of runners that we brought along, we went in to overtime to try and get as much done as possible. This meant that we just had time to run back to Vivo and have a good stretch, so it was not a very long run, but we got a massive amount done for the farm and even had time to peer at the pigs and gawp at the goats.

'So where's the Time Team link?' I hear you ask. It turns out that one of our new runners is an archaeologist and she found a wide array of bits of pot, bottle, and other crockery shards, as well as a fantastic pipe stem from a Victorian clay pipe (please correct me if I'm wrong!). Goodgym: Inspirational, motivational, and now archaeological too.

40 people ran but we only had emails for 38, so our stats may show up a little differently! I tried to include Sion who met us at the end of the run to make it 41 but got accused of cheating. *hangs head in shame

22 fantastic GoodGym runners met up at Vivo Sports club to tackle the scourge of Himalayan Balsam in Ashton Court. It had been raining all day and was unpleasantly windy - would it be clear for our run? YES! OF COURSE!!!

We bounded off from Vivo with a spring in our step - the rain had stopped and we knew that it would be a lovely flat run most of the way. The pace was fantastic and because of our route we managed to run almost all of the way without stopping - hurrah for cycle paths.

The group slowed down as we hit the hill in to Ashton Court, but we regrouped at the top and found our balsam bashing site. With only 15 minutes to eradicate as much of this invasive species as possible, the pace was frantic and people were flinging themselves in to nettles, brambles and rhododendron to find the tallest, most intimidating patches of weeds. In the process, natures wealth was revealed - sweet raspberries, blackberries not quite ready for picking, and a confused baby bunny were all uncovered.

After a check for ticks and the returning of gloves, we headed back down in to Bristol, again enjoying a longer steady run, but not before attempting a group jump. Would we get 22 people jumping all at the same time with Bristol in the background? NO. After a few attempts we gave up, it just didn't work with that many people eager to jump.

Almost to the second it turned 8pm, the heavens opened, and rain began to fall but by then we were mostly sheltered under the glorious green canopy of the trees around Queens Square, so we could stretch with impunity! And any drops that got through were actually very refreshing on what ended up quite a hot and humid run.

Back at Vivo (almost wrote the Folk House there!) there were a few reminders - After next week's run we're going to have a chat about the GoodGym Taskforce (dum dum duuuum!); a way that runners can get a little bit more involved with the group.

There's also going to be a social on Thursday 6th August as we need to celebrate all our black t-shirt runners and those who are really really really close to getting one! This run was Caroline Wilson's 50th, so heaps of congratulations to her. Such is her dedication that she's come running with her little boy in a pushchair!

Thanks lads and lassies!

27 fit and fabulous runners met at our new starting location - Vivo Sports & Gym Club, who have very kindly let us use their lockers (and for a small fee test their beer and possibly the odd muffin or two!) on Tuesdays for the foreseeable future.

We were going to head back to BBC Bristol's wildlife garden but there was a rather large problem in the way; Park Street. When we meet at the Folk House we're already halfway up precipitous Park Street but starting from the bottom and heading to the top in one go was a tall order. So we didn't run that way, we run, jogged and walked up the less intimidating but actually longer (yes!) Jacobs Wells Road. It was a hot and sweaty run due to the humidity (again it was a rain free run!) but we made it to the BBC in one piece and met up again with Jules who with effortless organisational finesse got us going on several tasks which would continue to transform a once bland and featureless strip of grass into a wonderful world of wildlife that could be used by local schools to introduce young 'uns to the amazing environment we have.

There were many many bags of woodchip to shift, a hulking great load of top soil to cart from one place to a flower bed in the making, more hedges to plant, watering, tear shape bed making (hence the name of the run!), more watering, and more digging.

The team set to work, Work occurred in swift and typical GoodGym fashion - relentless, fun, messy and full of random chat about all manner of things as well. After about 25 minutes we'd done a lot and it was time to head back - there's still more to do so I'm sure we'll return another time.

We left the wildlife garden and headed down Park Street - oddly a lot easier on the way down than the way up, and then made an unscheduled pit stop to have a group photo with one of the many Shaun the Sheep sculptures that have flocked to Bristol recently. Photos done, we got back to Vivo for a good stretch and cool down and some beer and muffin tasting may have occurred too.

Smashing work everyone, and a big welcome too to all the newer runners. Hopefully see y'all again soon!

35 (yes, 35) runners came to the Folk House on Tuesday for a double task run. Task one was the advertised run to a food bank to help sort cans, packets, bottles and jars for people in need of food aid in the local area. Task two was a last minute addition from the BBC (oooh, fancy!) to help them in their garden. By the way, if you just want to look at all the pictures, please do!

After warming up and introducing ourselves, we split in to two groups. Group one had a long flat run ahead of them. Group two had a short but very steep run up Park Street ahead of them.

Group one ran to the Safestore warehouse in Lawrence Hill and got stuck into what looked like preparations for a zombie apocalypse but was in fact a food bank. The team worked hard to sort, shift, weigh and stack loads of donated food, working really hard right up to the buzzer. One of the best tasks ever!

Group two headed off and shortly but out of breath-ly got to the top of Park Street, then ran past evening shoppers on the Triangle. In no time at all they were in front of the mighty BBC Broadcasting House.

We met up with Jules - a Keith Floyd type bursting with energy and only lacking a glass of fruity red- and were told about the plans between the BBC and the Avon Wildlife Trust to increase places for wildlife to live - a little green oasis in the concrete desert. They hope to make a garden suitable not only for wildlife but also for groups of school children to come and learn more about the natural world - fitting as the BBC Natural History Unit is based in Bristol!

Jules was very organised and quickly split the group in to several teams - waterers, hole diggers, woodchip spreaders, soil turners, topsoil movers, and the gang set to it, but first after trying to find adult sized gloves in a box of teeny tiny child sized mittens. We had to do the following:

Plant a row of beech trees Shift a ton of topsoil Empty as many large bags of chippings as possible out of some large bags and scatter them across new plantings Turn soil over to prepare a bed for planting Water EVERTYTHING!

Did we do it? Of course we did! Whilst there were still a few big white bags of chippings left, the amazing GoodGym runners got stuck right in (literally for the hole diggers who got a bit muddy!) and the garden gradually developed. There's still more to do but in such a short space of time a massive amount was achieved.

Last Tuesday 33 keen runners assembled at The Folk House for one of our longest runs of the year - we were heading out to Ashton Court to attack the invasive Himalayan Balsam, the scourge of biodiversity everywhere!

It was a warm evening so it was really important to make sure everyone was hydrated and for once the health and safety talk had a bit more seriousness to it - Ashton Court is home to deer, deer are home to deer ticks, and the ticks can be home to Lymes Disease. So it was agreed that we'd check each other to ensure we didn't have any unwelcome guests!

We headed off and it was a lovely evening for a run - it was mostly off road and flat, although there was a mighty hill near the end! We met up with Neil and then it turned out we had more running to do - not that much further but there would be more hills on the way back.

Because of the length of the run, we didn't have that much time so the team attacked the encroaching invader with gusto. The plant makes an appealing popping sound when you snap it in half, and to prevent the balsam from regrowing, you have to basically mash the stem, so there was a lot of popping going on.

All too soon it was time to head back, and we all had a quick check for ticks - luckily we were not taking any passengers with us back to the Folk House!

Our run back was steady and accompanied by several hot air balloons that set off from Ashton Court at the same to as us. We made it back to the Folk House just after 8 where we had a good stretch. There's still more balsam to bash so it's really possible that we'll be back there some time soon - I can't wait!

Thanks gang!