GRACE of spades

With a chill in the air and a spring in our step, 27 terrific runners took on 5km of running, two tasks AND a time trial

Thank you this week to Lucy, for our sublime title pun, that somehow manages to encapsulate both of tonight's tasks, skills! Thanks also to Ollie, who has graced us with his pun-wizardry throughout this run report.

What's been happening? Well, Nykolette only went and shaved off all her hair! To raise hundreds of pounds for MacMillan, she 'Braved the Shave' and I think we're all agreed she looks just amazing! We've had some interesting challenges in the past, to raise awareness and funds for charity, but this has to be the most original. In addition to this, there was a general air of celebration this week, as we welcomed back Chris, who has been on the other side of the world for the past few months, what a treat to see him bouncing in this evening! We also welcomed new faces, with Will joining us for his first ever GoodGym group run and Maddie joining us from GoodGym York, Lewisham Love to you both.

The biggest celebration this week though, was Marta getting her wings, as she completed her 100th good deed! Marta has been with us since March 2017, but those good deeds have mounted up quickly because she visits GoodGym Greenwich too most weeks (I really did try to find some statistic that could tell me she has been to us more, so we can claim her as our own, but...). Just recently she has also started going on missions and sharing her goodness at the weekend too. Well done Marta, we're very proud of all you have achieved with us.

Tonight was a double-task week, with most of the group heading over to Beecroft Garden Primary School with me, with a smaller group joining Conroy at GRACE (thank you Conroy). Before we went our separate ways, we did a little warm-up, with jumping and bobbing, squatting and fact gathering (I thought it might be fun finding out where our friends come from, even if we have known them for ages and especially if we have only just met!). With Conroy and co heading towards Lee Green, with Bradley and Marta back-marking, I took my group up to Crofton Park, with Jacqueline keeping everyone together at the back.

At Beecroft Garden

Here we had a few tasks to complete, with one group stepping up the effort to dig hard and form the steps that will lead up and around the sensory garden. One challenge though, was the removal of a tree that was slap bang where the steps were due to go. We were loath to just kill the tree, so there was a treemendous effort to dig it out, roots intact - amazing work on the tree-conservation task team! Also in this area is a newly installed shed, that will become a space for relaxation, with lights and textures to enjoy away from the noise of the playground. Here we had top painting pros Helen, Vic and Jacqueline, giving a lick of paint in a nice relaxing shade of blue and feeling a great sensory of achievement. Around the front of the school were a crack team of weed smashers, tugging up dead plants, weeds and roots from the raised beds, making space to grow more plants over the coming months.

Over to Conroy for some words about...

Gracious Grace

It’s the turn of the season and our friends over at GRACE needed our help in changing their shop display. Ten runners ran to their help, we divided into two groups. Group one began to sort and hang the winter wear, while group two were busy taking the summer wear of the hangers and packing them away in bags. Usually our visits to GRACE would unearth a few treasured undergarments but not this visit. There were a few sexy summer dresses and a great big red jumpsuit, but time did not allow for us to get glammed up into the party numbers. We were on a mission to get those summer wear off the shelves/racks so that the winter wear would be out in time.

In true GoodGym professionals style, we all arrived back at Glass Mill at the same time, like a well-oiled machine of goodness. With a few minutes to spare and some energy to burn (yes, really), it was time for our not-really-monthly time trial. Some opted to take on one, some two, some three and some all four laps of Cornmill Gardens, to sit themselves firmly on the Strava segment leaderboard (which Kim is still topping...). After a stretch and a chat, we tucked in to some chocolate biscuits (I will bow my head in shame here and admit I bought them from M&S and didn't lovingly hand-craft them at home. Gasp).

• Good luck to all those taking on everyone's favourite local 10k trail race, complete with samosas (Petts Wood 10k) on Sunday, have LOTS of fun!

• Join us next week as we head off to a brand new task at St Peter's Church, Brockley

• Hang around after the run too, to enjoy some pizza at Mama Dough in Ladywell, to feed Kim after her longest ever run and to celebrate a few birthdays (please let me know if you're coming, so I can keep track of numbers).

See you soon, lovely people! x