Welcome to the hose of fun

On a balmy Tuesday evening, twelve tip top runners tackled almost 6km of running and a whole load of watering.

Lots to talk about this evening, before we set off!

• It's Volunteer Week! Yesterday we had our annual MASSIVE volunteer session from City Hall. In attendance and representing were Hannah, Stuart, Emma and Clare, all tackling varied and interesting tasks, well done!

• Dino Dash! Our neighbours over in Lewisham seem to be ready to descend en masse for this race next week! Why not get together a team of three, or join up with some of the wider GG family, to make up a mixed team?

• GoodGym Shindig, our annual gathering of members, to talk all things good, alongside some running, walking and socialising. Let me know if you want to go along.

• The BIG 5-0! Yes, our first 50 good deed milestone has been reached! Well done to Tim, who did have a head start with all this goodness, having come along to Lewisham for a time and also through coach running. We look forward to seeing you in your special black t-shirt (which you need to claim, don't forget!).

All together now!

Tonight's run over to Forest Hill allowed us the chance to warm up in the park, avoiding that slightly awkward and cramped hopping about on the pavement, winding up commuters thing. Hoorah! A quick game of stuck-in-the-mud, with Hannah as 'it' (cue a chorus of 'But she's really fast!'), everyone ran around avoiding being tagged, helping each other out when they were 'stuck'. We then went on to play a lovely little game that encourages us to work together, to communicate silently. I have played this before, but you really never know how your runners will interpret it. How wonderful then, to see a variety of weird and wonderful movements happening and everyone following suit!

Spire and spire

Enjoying the evening sun, we skirted up and around the park edge, emerging onto the road and the route to the station. We always say you can't avoid a hill around here and tonight was proof, with a widely undulating run, taking us up and over to Forest Hill, pausing here and there to regroup (and for Tim - with help from Louise - to tell us about a house with a Wren spire as a 'garden ornament'...really!). At the station, we were met by Bradley and Paul and were very soon grabbing watering cans, forks and bags. Louise and Clare got busy with the hose, while others weeded and litter-picked the planters. Meanwhile, on the station platform, a team set-to with tidying and watering, whilst taking care not to get swept up by commuters and ending up back in Crystal Palace. It was a fairly quick task for our super-efficient group, allowing us enough time to talk about mushrooms and also caves in Hong Kong (our conversation topics are as wide and varied as our tasks!).

Silence is golden

We will pause here for a moment, to contemplate the fact that Stuart managed to render Tim speechless...

Witness the fitness

Yes, all this and we even had time to tackle a short fitness session. Short but intense! We do enjoy a good plank here at GG Bromley and we're quite partial to a relay, so why not combine them for some added fun?! Yes fun! Really great work everyone, it's a tough game. I did treat you all to a sit-down stretch though, I'm not that cruel :) Next week is Cator Park week, where we will be running over to use a whole new set of tools - what a treat! Sign up here to join in with a 5k run and a lovely outdoor task. As it's been a while, we will also top off our evening with a drink and something to eat at our start point.

See you then!