Dock and load

It was a dark and damp night across London yesterday but as all the run reports on the website have shown, there's no holding us back! We kicked off with the fireworks of Diwali as a backdrop against the night's sky. After some heart-rate raising exercises we went round the group, and in honour of the festival of lights, each guessed how many street lamps there are in the whole of the London. It was Christina who came the closest, with a whopping 2.8 million brightening the streets of the capital.

It was great to welcome Zita to her very first group run, which last night was at Doddington Roof Garden. This community space has been made into a flourishing garden for local people to use, and we have helped out here for the past few years. Our job for the evening was originally meant to be sanding down the benches so they could be repainted, but given the imminent rain, we decided against that job until the skies cleared. Look out for a weekend mission soon!

Instead we got on with various other tasks, including emptying and shifting a huge cupboard, digging up and moving different plants and getting rid of the deep-rooted dock plants that were springing up all over the place.

Jobs done, we headed downstairs for shelter just as the heavens opened. As the rain came down we debated long and hard about whether to do a very soggy fitness session, to brave the showers and run straight back, or just to wait and see whilst knocking out a few squats. Ultimately, we opted for a mini fitness session in the comparative dry, trying to beat our reps each time. Despite some very sketchy counting, there was some great effort with press ups, tricep dips and power squats, so it looks like we made the right decision after all!

Some dates for your diary! This Saturday we're looking for some more pairs of hands at Paradise Cooperative Garden as they're having a big delivery of bark chips which they need help spreading. Sign up to lend a hand here, and don't forget Wandsworth beer festival is happening afterwards just across the road the same day!

Next week we have our annual spooky run and social for Halloween - all welcome! Here are all the details for the frightening fun ahead. Hope to see you there!