Opening night for GoodGym Barnet was a huge success; 23 incredible GoodGymmers ran almost 4km to rake hay at a local nature reserve.

We were welcomed by our wonderful GoodGym Barnet base, the Phoenix Cinema, and joined by the mayor, Councillor David Longstaff, as well as councillor Sachin Rajput and Age UK representitive Sian Jones.

We ran a mostly downhill route through secret footpaths all the way to Long Lane Nature Reserve, where we were met by Harriet and Wayne who had tools laid out waiting for us. In what proved to be the speediest display of raking and carrying, the Barnet GoodGymmers cleared two areas and built the biggest pile of hay we'd ever seen.

Everyone got stuck in, including councillor Rajput – getting his very smart suit a little dirty!

I then took the team through a quick strength and conditioning workout, smashing out some incredible squats, jumps and lunges. We then ran ourselves back to base (all up hill, surprisingly!) and had a quick stretch.

Oh BONUS: The Phoenix has offered to reward GoodGym Barnet regulars with free cinema tickets. Log 10 tasks in Barnet to get a pair! Brilliant evening. Thank you to everyone who came!

We'll be back next week - see you there!

19 Hackney GoodGymers ran a speedy 4.5k to the Wilton Estate community Garden to dig, cut, plant and water our way to a stunning running victory.

On a night of almost ideal running conditions we were lucky enough to welcome back a few regulars from holidays, 3 amazing GoodGym newbies and an array of GoodGym glitterati.

We started the evening after a pressurised head count and pulse raiser with a series of mobilising dynamic exercises to get our key running muscles and joints ready for action. Once the joints were fully WD40ed up we moved onto some running form drills mixed in with a range of important lower body strength exercises. With our form tight, our core engaged, strength amped up and our running efficiency off the charts we ran 1k to Wilton Estate through the Hackney backstreets.

Arriving we were met by the always amazing Debbie who tooled us up and divided a range of great tasks to help maintain the ever expanding Wilton Estate community garden. With groups cutting back tree suckers, watering entire gardens by watering can and a hose, lifting and repositioning huge wooden planters, filling them with compost, trimming the orchard and finally planting hundreds of bulbs.

The gardens were a buzz of activity with the GoodGym crew flying around get Good done well, completing all the tasks in 35 minutes of top draw action.

A quick tidy up and we were ready to head on our way, but not too far as we explored the Wilton nearly 500 raceway. Lap 1 we got our running legs back under is, Lap to we ran hard along the short sides, Lap 3 we worked hard for half a lap before collecting ourselves for a monumental full lap timed effort on a super speedy Lap 4. A top lung busting effort by everyone and hope that we can see some speed improvements when we go back the the Raceway later in the summer!

A short chilled floaty run back to base followed by a series of static stretches saw us finish off a top notch evening of running fun!

Next week we are off to Bootstrap to lift, shift and team manoeuvre some big barrels. Please sign up here.

As I said in the into be great to have you all along to Hackney Marshes ParkRun on 9th of July to test out our Saturday morning Speed! For all the info and to sign up click here.

Until next week

Smooth Sprinting

Joel

Twenty Three Spring heeled Hackney GoodGymers ran 7k or 6k to clear Daubeney Fields of rubbish and fly tipping.

On a super sunny but craftily chilly April evening we we gathered at the E5 Bakehouse ready for some serious running action. Following a dynamic, muscle engaging formation warm up we set about the longer than usual 3k run to Daubeney Fields lead expertly through the central Hackney back streets by Clare. Maintaining a solid pace we worked our way towards the river while talking about earning our post run food rewards. In seventeen and a half minutes of consistent running action we arrived to meet Bruce and his team from Hackney Parks. We donned our protective gloves and grabbed our pickers then split into two units to attack the woodland and remove anything that should not have been there.

Many bags were filled and a lot of weird and wonderful items were removed (some lets say were a little suspicious). The squad worked really hard to complete the task and get the park ready to be regenerated by Bruce and the Parks team with any number of flowers plants and trees in the next couple of weeks. After 35 minutes of perfect picking action we had won and celebrated by splitting into our Speedy and Sexy groups for the run back to base. Jack lead the Sexy group the 3k back maintaining a solid pace while working on the teams endurance. While the Speedy crew scorched through the streets of Hackney zig zagging our way the 4.5k back. We worked our speed endurance pushing our anaerobic threshold to new heights!! 4 two minute intervals followed by a kilometre of lamppost dictatated fartlek action saw us rounding into the final straight for an epic sprint finish.

After a few muscle relaxing static stretching we congratulated ourselves on a top night of running and picking action. Before 10 of us headed out to refuel at our monthly night out.

Next week we head to the Claudia Jones charity for women and families in difficult relationships to totally revamp their outside space!! Please sign up here

Until next week

Smoothly does it

Joel

Thirty One yes 31 Hackney GoodGymers ran 5k to shovel tonnes of compost at the Rhodes Estate Food Growers group and clean the outdoor play equipment at Gillett Square.

On a fresh and breezy Hackney Evening Team Hackney were out in force! A new GoodGym attendance PB for me of 31, what an awesome turn out well played 👏🏽👏🏾👏🏻👏🏼👏🏿.

It was a very special evening as we had some double task action and some amazing visitors from the wonderful athlete connecting platform of Strava.

We took to the streets Lead by Clare on mass heading towards the beautifully lite warm up area by the Hackney Council offices, where we got to work mobilising those key running joints with a series activation drills to get us nice a warm and ready for the fun ahead! After some brilliantly balanced hip circles and leg swings we got into Hokey Cokey formation and Lunged Squatted, hopped and Jumped towards and away from each other.

With our legs pumping after some big time jumping we were lead through H-Town by another of the brilliant Hackney TaskForce team Cecilia who navigated the Squad just over 2k to our tasks in Dalston. We dropped of King Kev's compost crew for their task in Rhodes Estate Food Growers Group Before turning the corner into the Urban Amphitheatre that is Gillett Square.

We were met by Clarrisa who was excited to have Team Hackney along for the first time! We got straight to work splitting into 2 teams, the bulk of us unloading the colourful oversized outdoor play equipment from a huge shipping container. While 4 arty types began to restore the information board by cleaning and painting it, taking extra special care of the intricate lettering. The play equipment came out quick while there were a few bucket filling sprints to bring over the warm soapy water and cleaning kit. We got to work systematically cleaning the array of play equipment giving the weird and wonderful shaped apparatus names as we went, the "Cones" proved to create the most varied assortment of names (let's leave it at that). With photographer Kate clicking away to get some great snaps we got into a production line, cleaning and re loading the equipment back into the container at speed ⚡️⚡️🔥🔥. With the notice board re painted and looking gleaming in white a last push saw the equipment stashed away. 35 minutes of epic action and top job done by all!

Meanwhile the Compost crew were hard at work! Kev and the guys shovelling like crazy filling a big transit van fun of compost at a astounding rate!! 15 minutes of speed shovelling saw the van filled to the brim! Then came the glitch in the plan!! As the van drove around to the other side of the estate there was a Dalston traffic jam to contend with!! The Compost crew made up the time and even had to shovel the compost right to the back of the raised beds to add to the difficulty. To dominate a tough task in record time! A little late for the laps Kev lead the guys on a speedy 3k loop back to base to round off the evening!! ...

After a heartfelt thank you from Clarrissa we were again lead by Clare down to the World Famous De Beauvoir Track for Four of the hottest laps in town 🏃🏿🏃🏃🏽🏃🏻. In pairs we hammed a first lap with Walking Lunges thrown in then two tempo paced laps broken up by Tuck Jumps and Jump Squats before we High Skipped into a Max Power final lap which saw some Top quality effort and performance 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿.

We then ran the 2k back to base including a final sprint finish to round of an excellent evening of GoodGym action!!

After few static stretches and huge round of applause for some top quality effort we headed home for a well earned feed.

Next week sees the Last GG Hackney Dance of King Kev before he leaves us for pastures new in the West Country. Please sign up hereand come along next week to rip up a barbershop Floor (as you do!) afterwards we will after much debate be heading to the Weathspoons on Mare Street for a Drink and Food to see Kev off in style. See you there!!

Powerfully Smooth

Joel