Mrs M’s garden hadn’t had a cut since last summer and was in need of some TLC. I got stuck in and in just 90 minutes I had cleared 5 bin bags of overgrowth from the garden. Mrs M was extremely grateful and can now enjoy her garden during the summer.

It takes a special sort of person to give up their bank holiday Monday to help out a local community association, but that's exactly what eight GoodGymers did yesterday! What a bunch of holiday heroes.

A few of us met at our regular spot at the BAC. It had been pretty drizzly but we were optimistic the rain was going to stop....any minute. We should have known better - it was an English bank holiday after all!

We ran down to the Doddington Estate where we were met by an enthusiastic bunch of local people who had already made a head start. It was a bit like beautiful chaos, with a huge store room of donations needing to be sorted and laid out for people in the community to help themselves.

It didn't take long for us to get stuck in. Outside the team was folding and categorising all the clothes and toys, whilst inside the store room there was a lot of shifting and carrying to be done.

Despite the increasingly heavy rain there were plenty of passers by who were delighted to find just the right things ready for them to take home. Before long the place looked a lot more organised, but there was just one last job to do - and it was a big one!

We were tasked with moving the huge cooking station complete with many panes of glass right across the estate to the community centre. Luckily it was on wheels - well, at least it was to begin with. There were lots of bumps and pavements to contend with, and a couple of the wheels fell victim to the terrain. Still, we managed to make it there in one piece and with all glass intact. Amazing job!

Next week we're back to normal timing and we're off to de-bramble a local school. See you there!

With bright blue skies and a nice big group of us, we were all set for our monthly trip down to Doddington roof garden last night. We kicked off the night with strides. This exercise is 20 or so seconds of running, growing incrementally faster, and are a great warm-up to help get the blood flowing to your legs and your heart rate elevated. Wee did four sets of these, with some of the group opting to increase the intensity by including a bit of hill - great effort!

We took a nice steady run down to the garden, which is a huge space run entirely by volunteers for the benefit of local people, so there was no time to lose! Malissa met us at the bottom of the stairs, giving us our first job of bringing up some heavy tiles for use in the garden. We then took a whistlestop tour round the space, with tasks being given out as we passed the relevant spot.

There was loads to do, but the main job was getting the raised beds built up with top soil and compost so that vegetables could be grown. There are big plans to increase the produce, which will include carrots, brassica, potatoes, tomatoes and so much more, all to feed the community.

The place was soon a hive of activity, sped along by the discovery of a lightening quick way to crack into compost bags. No more fiddling with trowels and keys trying to break into the sacks!

The beds were filled, cardboard laid, compost shifted, and we even learned about a new planting process called the Milwaukee method. Every time we come we learn more and our fingers get just that little greener!

There was just time to shift that infamous marble table a few inches before we waved goodbye and headed downstairs for a fitness session that focused on glutes. That's right, it was all about that bass last night! We did sets of exercises focused on the major muscle group, which will not only help our form when running but prevent injury. Mixing it up between time based drills and reps, we gave those glutes and good work out.

It was also the monthly quiz last night - well done to our elite quizzing team!

Next week we have an earlier task at lunchtime helping a community association to empty and restock a storage cupboard. Hope to see you there.

We also have a really impactful mission coming up on 11th May to create a therapy garden at a nearby hospital for patients in rehab.You can find all the details and sign up here] (https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/support-a-therapeutic-gardening-initiative-for-the-rehab-ward-courtyard-at-springfield-hospital).

Have a happy week, GoodGym!