20 people ran 5k to Birmingham Vernon Sea Cadets to help clean boats and stock take life jackets

Tonight we welcomed Beth, Mark and Axel to the group for the first time. Axel is from the GG Central team and is flying from Birmingham to Doha tomorrow on an exciting two week running trip! Once all the introductions were over and the exciting news that our first Birmingham Mission was going ahead tomorrow was announced we were on our way to a brand-new task.

Sea cadets, but weres the sea?!

You may wonder if you are reading this report how is there a Sea Cadet group in Brum when the sea is so far away, well you would be surprised, there are actually a few groups in the city. The group we were visiting were based by Birmingham Reservoir, so it's not quite the sea, but plenty of water to take their boats out to. On arriving we got a great view over the water with a pink sky (see the pictures) as darkness was falling. Jenn also warmly greeted us. Once on with the task the group had to work as a team to tip the boats over and move them. Everyone showed great team work, whilst a few of the group did the stock taking of the life jackets. I got a great vantage point for some pictures, by walking up the stairs onto the roof, initially it didn’t do my acrophobia much good, but I survived!

Sam got his big hose out

While most of the group turned the boats over Sam and Annie looked very excited to use the power hose, cleaning the boats off! Once done we were on our way back. We stopped at a quiet road no cars could drive down to do some interval work. What we missed in traffic we also missed in lighting meaning the group had to go a little slower than usual. I also had problems taking pictures as I thought I couldn’t unlock my phone, only realising I was trying to use Aaron’s phone which I was also carrying in my bag! Doh! Once nearly back I added in one more sprint up a hill, getting the groups heart rate right up before we finished. Once back it was time for a quick stretch off and we were done.

Next week we will be out doing good again and my mistake we aren’t going to Birmingham Mission Care Centre we are going to do a litter pick on the canal, I forgot that I had bought it forward a week, so we could make good use of the last of the light! sign up here.

16 people ran 5k to sort clothes, organise tinned food and feed the homeless at the Birmingham Mission Care Centre

Tonight, we welcomed three newcomers to GG Brum! Step forward Ken, Dave and Aaron. Thanks for coming chaps! Tonight, we were on our monthly visit to Birmingham Mission. Annie kindly did the back marking and I led the way. Once there we were warmly greeted by John who said there was a lot to do tonight, so the group were split three ways. One group went in the kitchen to help serve the food and wash up, one group helped sort the clothes and another group sorted the tinned food by itemising it all. The task took a bit longer than usual, especially all the clothes sorting, but as Dave said the strap line ‘many hands make light work’.

More rain?!

Last week most of the runners got a soaking on the way to GoodGym, tonight it was on the way back. The wet stuff was falling pretty heavily as we left the care centre so it was probably just as well the task took a little longer! But a bit of rain didn’t deter our runners anyway! We headed off at a good pace. Before stopping at the bottom of a hill to do a bit of HIIT training. A nice mix of lunges, tuck jumps and high knees running got those hearts racing and metabolisms fired up! Then the group did a ‘sustained effort’ rep……a hill climb, straight into stair climbing in front of the town hall, once at the top a sprint to some crossroads. The group put in some great work. Dave led the way with Neal chasing him down. Simon and Philip worked hard all the way, Abbie, Kate and Morwenna pushed each other, driving hard through the rain. Once done we pushed on back to 1000 Trades and that was another run done 😊

GG Birmingham race

Remember it is our first official GG Brum race this Saturday, the Cannon Hill Parkrun, meeting at the bandstand at 8.45am ready for the 9am start. Followed by a coffee afterwards. It would be great to see as many people as possible from any GG group sign up here.

Next week I will be on a sunbed in Majorca, however don't worry Aidan will be 'me' next week, so don't worry you will be able to do good once again sign up here.

A strong and determined group of GoodGymers completed a killer workout.

Some say I'm sick, maybe I am. But if anything is infectious it's just a love for good training and building strong, injury-proof legs.

It was a massive shame our task was cancelled tonight but instead we did good by treating our bodies to some quality run conditioning.

A proper warm up

We spent some time learning proper warm up drills and exercises to prep the muscles and the cardiovascular system ahead of races or big training efforts. Then we went through a good warm up ready for..

Naked 1km Time Trial!

Naked, of course, is just running without a watch or any kind of tech feedback. I did have to reiterate that there would be no stripping of actual clothes. Runners estimated their 1km pace and had to try to get as close to it as possible on a tough little course in Locke Park.

Josh came closest with his prediction (go on, give him a cheer) so he won a special prize which he could redeem later on.

Next up we boshed through some quick feet drills, ankle strengtheners and plyometric exercises using the agility ladder. Nobody fell over which was a huge bonus.

Circuit Time

We finished up doing a couple of rounds of leg busting circuits incorporating the ladder. The second round included team sprints to really finish off the lower body before we finished up with a pentathlon of a core set - where Josh could finally redeem his winning veto and chose wisely to avoid a couple of the hardest moves.

The pack returned at a nice, social pace and we had a really lovely, long stretch which was definitely needed after all that fitness madness. Legs should just about recover in time for next week.

14 people ran 6k to help clean at Sifa Fireside

Tonight we gave a warm welcome to Phil and David for the first time and it was great to have regulars Neal and Lee backin the fold after being away for several weeks. Tonight’s task was to run to Sifa Fireside in Digbeth and then do as much cleaning as we could in 30 minutes. We arrived at Sifa to be warmly greeted by Geoff, who provided the group with surgical gloves before some went into the blue florescent lit toilets and showers giving them a good scrub! It looked like Steven Gerrard had come to do community service in one shower cubicle…. I was mistaken though it was just Phil with his England replica shirt, with Gerrard sprawled on the back! We need to get that changed to a GG T-shirt ;-)

feel the burn

Once done, Geoff was very appreciative of our efforts suggesting one volunteer would take around two days to complete the work the group had done in half an hour! So, we were back on our way, there was a brief rain shower, but this gave the group some welcome respite from the rather hot, humid and overall sweaty Betty conditions! We then stopped in a car park and the group performed a tough leg burning workout…..walking lunges, Rob and Dionne were very good at these, then jump lunges to make the legs burn even more, followed by squat jumps and tuck jumps, Neal and Annie putting in some great work. After this we did a bit of interval running with a difference. A bit like the stuff you used to do at school….’when I shout 1, touch the floor with the right hand, 2 the left, 3 change direction and 4 sprint’, blah de blah, blah. This was tough but the whole group were fantastic as ever. Karin, Morwenna and Andrew worked hard together and Laura (fresh from her Parkrun PB at the weekend!) and Dionne showed great determination on the sprints

Do we really have to run back?!

After all that everyone was pretty much cream crackered, yet we still had to run the best part of 3k back. Neal, David, Phil, John and Laura, showed great endurance still managing to push on towards the end of the run. The rest of the group also weren’t far behind and showed great effort in what was a rather tough shift tonight, so well done to you all! Next week we will be out doing good again, it would be great if you could join us sign up here.

13 people ran 5.5k to clear the car park at the girl guide association

It was a warm welcome to Caroline, Emily and Dionne tonight who came to GG Brum for the first time. Great to have you on board! Once back and front markers were sorted we were on our way to the Guide house. We had a 3.1k run along the canal, finishing just before our task destination with a group wall squat. Once we arrived after a little confusion from the task owner, we got to work, sweeping the yard, and digging up the weeds.

Bootcamp

Once the area was looking spic and span, we were back on our way, stopping in St Paul’s square for a 10-minute-high intensity boot camp session! We had burpees (I love a burpee), Neal putting great effort in. This was followed by some backside/thigh burning lunges, Caroline and Charlotte showing great form. After this we had tuck jumps, followed by reverse dips on the benches helping to make ‘bingo wings’ no more! As if that wasn’t enough we then added some high knees, Dionne and Karin putting in a great shift and last of all we did a one minute plank jack, now that was a killer, but the whole group were awesome as usual.

Ready for a beer

After all that effort the group were exhausted, so it was a gentle run back to 1000 Trades for a drink. A drink wasn’t quite enough for Neal though as Rob caught him on camera tucking into some ‘beer infused’ cake, so he was literally drinking and eating beer. The next social will be in 4 weeks’ time, so mark it in your diaries.

Next week we will be out doing good again, it would be great if you could join us sign up here.