A big old to-do list

26 runners gathered tonight to head back to Oxford House, to our first visit after the summer break, as the weather on our first September run didn't disappoint.

We were looking forward to an evening of varied tasks, as Deborah, our task owner for tonight, had warned us there was plenty for us to get stuck into...

On arrival at this beautiful community arts centre, we were split into four teams:

• One team headed onto furniture clearing
• ...another to window shining
• ...and another to stairwell cleaning,
• ...while another crew went to clean and clear the dance studio
• ...and two groups headed outside for weeding and litter-picking

There was plenty for us to do, but as usual, highly productive and industrious GoodGymers finished most tasks early, and so it was a big crew who headed outside to finish up with an almighty litter-pick.

Lots was accomplished and by the end of the task, a very grateful Deborah was saying her cheerio, expressing heartfelt thanks at all the runners had achieved, explaining that the furniture that needed moving from one storey of the building to another was a job that had needed doing for ages.

Indeed we were pleased with what we accomplished, not least because as we waited in the cafe for the final furniture-removal runners to finish, we focused on some balance moves. Nothing like a bit of active recovery.

And so to Weavers Fields, for our fitness session of the week. I had promised the runners that The Weavers Workout would be a total body workout, and so it was. Scorpion push-ups were blitzed along with MMA sprawls; prisoner lunges beautifully performed, as were the cycling crunches. The runners were on fire. And before we knew it it was 8.25pm and time for us to head back to base.

Another glorious GoodGym evening. Well done everyone and thank you.

Big Monday shout-outs

• Thanks to Liz and Dave for backmarking.
• Thanks to Dave for topping up our pics.
• Thank you to Dharmesh for amazing tech know-how and helping the report picture process (you offered game-changing advice - thank you)
• Welcome to Rohan and Emma, our first time runners. We loved having you join us - thank you for tonight's vast contributions, and please come again soon.

What's coming up...

• This Thursday there's only one place to be - yep, it's the GoodGym social in town, so take the night off, come and join us here
• Next week, we're back for another glorious gardening task at beautiful Meath Gardens, so do come and join in next week's fun with us here.

Until then, have a wonderful week, everyone, and hope to see you reeeeally soon.

This evening at GoodGym, 24 runners ran to help Mackintosh Community Gardens

It was beginning to look like a wet one, however the Welsh weather did not let us down and we were blessed with glorious sunshine for our run.

The warm up began with a game that helped runners improve their agility and balance. They got into pairs and had to tag the knee of the person they were partnered up with without getting tagged themselves. What followed was a game of captains coming. Runners got into 'pirate mode' and warmed up by scrubbing the deck, climbing the rigging and walking the plank.

Before heading to this evenings task we participated in a headcount. To make in more fun we also said our names backwards... What? Really?... Yes, really! No new people tonight so I am holding onto the red laces for a little longer! #LifeGoals #BringAFriendAndGetARedLace

Time to head to the task

Carol was waiting for us at Mackintosh Community Gardens so there was no time to waste! Ben led the main group whilst Emma Wilkins led a walking group. We crossed streets, ran around churches and up hills until we reached the task site.

Welcome to Mackintosh Community Gardens

Carol greeted us with open arms and a warm smile. She was ever so happy to see us. She told us about the wonderful gardens and explained that before she acquired the gardens it was completely overgrown and it was a gargantuan challenge to try and clear it all up and get it into the condition that it is today. She told us about the plants that grow there, the habitat that live there and how they make it into a community space.

Carol then explained to us the tasks they need our help with. She explained that there used to be a brick path which has become overgrown with long grass over time. It was our job to clear the overgrown grass and weeds and make the path visible once again! Knowing how hard and quick we work, Carol had another task for us to do. At the back of the gardens were piles of soil which needed shifting to the other side of the allotment. This was a task for 8 runners... and it wasn't going to be easy! Whilst this was going on we SAW A TOAD! It looked so cute.

Anyway, enough about the frog/toad, or whatever it was, we had work to do! 8 runners jumped on the piles of soil and began shifting it into wheelbarrows and moving it to the other side of the gardens. The 16 other runners, armed with gardening tools, began pulling up the grass that covered the brick path.

During the task Lowri shared her new found love of riddles and requested that riddles come back to GoodGym Cardiff on a regular basis because Ben's riddles are THAT GOOD! To satisfy Lowri's request, Ben came up with two riddles; 1.) What has 4 'eyes'/i's but cannot see? 2.) What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

Runners continued to work hard at the task whilst trying to solve the riddles. Everyone put so much effort into the task that within just 20 minutes the task was done!

Thank you so much everyone

Carol and Gareth thanked us for our help. She said she couldn't even have imagined how long it would have taken her if she did it by herself. She wished us well as we continued our run and waved us off as we left.

1 KM Sprint - WHAT!?!?

After completing the task we headed over to Roach rec. Ben ran 1km and told everyone to run until they met him after a 2 minute delay. Mikey finished the km sprint first and the rest of the group followed closely behind.

Well done everyone... It's now time to run back

The run back was at a social pace. Runners had earned the rest! Conversation moved on to talking about what people were having for dinner after the run... Many people didn't actually know (It was all I was thinking about!).

It wasn't long before we were running down City Road, across Richmond Road, back to the city centre and the final stop, Big Moose!

It really was an AWESOME run this evening. We then did a cool down, spent time reflecting on the evening's run and Lucy Darren and Mikey told everyone about the upcoming group runs and community missions. Click here to look at all the exciting runs coming up in Cardiff!

The Tweet Off

Marie is taking no prisoners at the moment. She has gained 3 points on the tweet leaderboard over 3 consecutive weeks - Marie is unstoppable! Or is she... Tune in next week to see whether she makes it 4 weeks in a row.

• LM 9
• MG 3
• MO 3
• DRN 3
• EW 3
• NS 2
• MJ 2
• BA 1
• NI 1
• AG 1
• WD 1

What a jolly good run. This evening, 24 runners turned up in force to get fit and help the Samye Foundation - Great job!

An INCREDIBLE 5 new runners turned up to this evening's run! A HUGE welcome to GoodGym Marissa, Lynsey, Rachel, Sara and Jamie! Rachel was brought along to GoodGym by Amy... that means Amy Wildgoose has ticked an item off her bucket list by bringing a friend to GoodGym and earning herself 1 red shoe lace! Alice, a runner from Tower Hamlets brought two of her friends, Jamie and Sara, to GoodGym for their first ever run with us - A GOODGYM CARDIFF FIRST - Alice earned herself a pair of shoe laces #LifesGoals. Alice, for your benefit, the shoe laces actually make you run faster... try them on, go for a run, and let us know how much faster you go!

We also congratulated:

• Darren, Pete, Ellen and Martin for participating in the Swansea Half Marathon
• Aimee and Emma for doing a mission run on the weekend

It was hard to believe, but nobody who turned up to the GoodGym run took part in parkrun over the weekend ... Come on team! Parkrun every saturday morning at 9am... YOU'VE GOT THIS!

Get into your group!

Welsh Dave led the speedy group this evening and Ben led the sexy group.

Let's get our run on - Lorraine from the Samye Foundation is waiting for us!

With a click of the button that started the trackers on our running watches we were off! We ran down Queen Street, past Cardiff Castle and continued at speed down Cowbridge road.

Welcome GoodGym Cardiff, my favourite people in the whole wide world!

Lorraine greeted us like an old friend, with her arms outstretched and the warmest smile on her face. Lorraine told us the tasks she had ready for us this evening.

• To paint the inside and outside of the plantation bed
• Paint the eternal knots of the metal fence and gate gold
• Fill an empty plantation bed with soil
• Move 3 bags of sand to the fern garden at the back of the centre
• Weed like you've never weeded before

To make the tasks foolproof as Lorraine had to rush in to lead a mindfulness class, she had written all of the tasks on flipchart paper - Great idea!

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Riddle for the run

During tonight's task Ben gave runners the following riddle. Can you solve it? The answer is at the bottom of the report.

I am taken from a mine, and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost everybody. What am I?

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Within 35 minutes the tasks we had been set were completed - Woah... that is good going. Lorraine came out of her class to thank us for our help and to wish us a safe run back to Cardiff city centre.

What an EPIC run

Firstly, well done to all of the GoodGym first timers - You ran awesomely! It was a warm and humid evening that made the running conditions challenging.

The Tweet Off!

After the run we headed to the Glassworks Pub and got ourselves ready for the tweet off. It's safe to say, the winners of the tweet off go down in history!

Well done Emma - You've proved that you are still a force to be reckoned with in the Tweet Off! Here are the current standings on the tweet off leaderboard -

• LM 8
• MG 3
• DRN 3
• EW 3
• NS 2
• MJ 2
• BA 1
• NI 1
• AG 1
• WD 1

Answer to the riddle

Pencil lead