Welcome first timers Tim, Alicia and Catherine joining us this evening.

A late cancellation meant that instead of heading back to Ealing Road we went flyering around the streets of Hounslow to let locals know that GoodGym is happening nearby.

Members Andy and Lily ( in brand new red t-shirt) led teams of three for a bit of a leafleting competition. Points were awarded for getting rid of flyers most quickly.

With local streets covered we turned our attention to some fitness and another chance to win some points.

First the step-up challenge. Who can do 40 steps the quickest? Andy gained a point for his team when we led with the right leg but Donna came out on top for Team Lily when it was left leg first.

With the scores at 4-2 to Andy's lot we had a go at a couple of relay races. Team Lily grabbed victory for the first round while Andy's came out on top for round two.

The prize? Andy got to cut Simon's leftover birthday cake back at base.

We had a munch and a bit of a stretch, left some leaflets at reception and headed home.

Great night of getting fit and doing good.

We are definitely at Ealing Road Baptist Church next week. See you there!

Simon

Back and ready for action this week were Simon, Andy and Deepa. And joining them on her first trip to GoodGym was Lily, who'd spotted one of GoodGym's tube ads on the Victoria Line. Welcome, Lily.

Our task this week was aother 2.5k run over to Ealing Road Baptist Church for more clearing. A small and dusty room that was filled with... pretty much evrything you could imagine, had to be cleared out.

We set about the task, removing pots of paint, pumps, tools, shelving brackets, poles, magazines, old books, tool boxes, curtains, clocks, lightbulbs, screws, brick mortar and lots and lots of dust.

Then after shifting a few fold-up tables we were done.

Deepa took us through the "Sun Salutation" yoga moves again, Roger gave us an assortment of food to take home (tuna, Indian sweets, Jaffa Cakes, biscuits, and a pot-noodle-wannabe) and we were off.

En route we conducted a little experiment to work out if health food or junk food was better for running. The test was a four-person relay first using a tin of tuna as the baton, then using a pot noodle as a baton. Tuna time came to 1 minute exactly, whereas pot noodle saw us smash that with 55 seconds.

There you have it. Eat junk and prosper.

Thank you Roger for hosting again.

We are back next week for more of the same.

See you there,
Simon

On the last run of 2016, 6 intrepid runners ventured all over Southwark to deliver Christmas leaflets for Time and Talents.

Despite Christmas Party season being well underway and, supposedly, half of London out boozing, we met up at Old Spike anyway. A quick check: one cold and one hangover but lots of enthusiasm between us all.

We were leafleting for Time & Talents, a brilliant community organisation based in Rotherhithe, who run projects for vulnerable people with high levels of need in the area and building a strong community with all of their amazing activities. Jemma gave us the leaflets with a giant hug of gratitude so it was ace to do a task that meant so much to an organisation as our last task of the year.

We had a group who ran the longer route to deliver up to Russia Docks Road Estate and around - an epic effort given that the hangover and illness resided in this group. They totalled an incredible 13.5km GoodGym run...

Superhero Christmas Elves

The second group still totalled an impressive 8.5km around Southwark Park Road and got to admire all of the pretty Christmas wreaths and the view of London's skyline from some of the higher blocks.

Given that it was 14th December, we all arrived back very sweaty but pleased with our efforts. A quick stretch off and then it was off The Rye Pub for our Christmas social. Not so raucous as the Big GoodGym one but a time to be grateful for a wonderful year or running, volunteering and making new friends.

GoodGym Southwark Runners: you rock

xxx

An amazing 23 GoodGymers ran between 4-10km, delivered 150 leaflets for Abbey Community Centre and shifted two tons of gravel for Skip Garden!

Welcome along to Sian and Harriet whose first time it was at GoodGym, great to have you along and seeing you get stuck in!

In the news this week: 1. Well done to all the Regent's Park 10k-ers and Tom Benson for doing the Grim last weekend! Some amazing PBs, first-timers and mud in there! 2. There is the GG London Christmas Party tomorrow and the GG Camden Christmas Party next Wednesday, we are planning to go for a meal after the group run next week. Please sign up by tomorrow so we can book a table. 3. Tom Benson and GG Race Team are organising the first monthly time trial at Battersea Park on Sunday! It's gonna be great! Sign up here

Onto the reports from last night. Skip Garden report below:

After an active warm up 12 of us headed to Skip Garden, which is managed by Global Generation, to help shift 2 tons of (not so pea) gravel around the garden.

Not pea gravel, bean gravel?

Gwen from Skip Garden explained the task and the need for the gravel to be spread over the garden in preparation for their FIRE FEAST this Friday. We particularly had to focus on the entrance, between the skips and around some of the buildings. We split into the following teams - shovellers, lifters and rakers!

Everyone got really stuck in and we were done after 30 minutes of shovel, carry, rake, repeat! Before leaving Gwen explained the amazing work Global Generation do with providing projects for children and an alternative perspective of life in the middle of King's Cross.

Onto to the fitness session, it went something like this:

1. Progression run around Granary 'Rectangle'
2. Three conditioning exercises using the benches
3. Interval run around the fountains
4. Two balancing exercises that engage the glutes
5. Final progression run around Granary 'Rectangle'

Abbey Community Centre report by Pritesh:

On the penultimate GoodGym Camden of 2016 we headed up to one of our favourite places – Abbey Community Centre. Close to the outskirts of Camden borough, ten of us headed out knowing we’d get 10k under our belts tonight and we were going to a party too!

We took our usual route heading over primrose hill, stopped for a breather and took in the view and made it with good time to the centre! Abbey were having their volunteer Christmas party and amid many offers of snacks, water and other more ‘fun’ drinks we found Laura who had our task ready for us! We had 150 leaflets to deliver to a local estate letting them know of the upcoming activities for 2017. We decided we would head on our way and get the task done before we partook in any merriment

Party!

Steve had leafleted on the Rowley Way estate previously so he told us the best way to go about getting the leaflets out and we split into pairs and were off. It didn’t take us long to get them all delivered and after a few photos (including in front of the best Christmas display ever!) we headed back to the community centre.

Christmas display

One of the community centre volunteers told us how much of a difference the work we did for them and that they had seen a number of new faces at the centre since we had helped with some leafleting drives previously – so good to get feedback and to know that we are making a difference.

We had a bit of time so took in some refreshments and then headed back to base! Excellent night and a pleasure to lead as always.

Thanks to everyone that came, next week is the last GG Camden of the year and our Christmas meal, sign up here.

PB out.

8 runners executed an energetic and explosive full body fitness session

A wonderful wintry night in East London. We were without a task on this occasion, so a fitness session was embarked upon. Ensuring that future good deeds were completed by fitter and stronger GoodGym demi-gods.

Starting with a pace management interval session around a picturesque loop in the Olympic park. The aim was to get 5 or so secs quicker each rep. All executed with aplomb and smiles. Useful session for staring a race wisely and then gently ramping it up...to really squeeze the most out of your roaring v8 engines.

Then onto some explosive jumping work. Practising our vertical jump height, see pictorial evidence of excellent hang time. After we contrasted it with some lighter agility work, training coordination and quick feet.

Finished off with some horizontal leaping, one leg hops and core work via the wonderful inchworm and side plank shuffle.

A proper meal was earned by all, over to the canal we went and feasted like warriors who had just left a battle, victoriously.

Another terrific evening in Newham, thanks for making it a hoooot.

See you all next week, it's over to Boleyn rd, sign up

Have an excellent weekend y'all