A steep running curve

25 people ran 8 km to move sand and compost for Eastern Curve Garden and Secret Seed Society in Dalston

3 tasks for 2 tonight!

We set off on a Progressive Run, 4 km to the 2 task venues next to each other in Dalston. A Progressive Run is exactly that. You get faster gradually through your run, eventually practising your race pace and faster.

It's a way of training to help maintain pace in longer runs (lots of GoodGymers are training for Run Hackney and it was down as a run on GoodGym's training plan). It's a toughie, but the idea is you finish faster than your race pace.

With 4 clear stretches ahead, the team set off. Chatting easily in the first stretch to no chat, no nothing (apart from running of course) in the 4th stretch.

Puffing and panting, after the last stretch, we gathered in Dalston Square (waiting to split between the Curve Garden and Secret Seed Society at the Print House) where we were met by a vision, named James Moed, offering us all a range of refreshing ice lollies before we started the tasks.

Brian, from the Curve, split the garden group into 2. Using shovels, wheel barrows and bags, group 1 lifted 1.5 tonnes of sand 50m to an empty pit for a children's summer beach.

The other group had to dig an access trench in a huge pile of compost blocking one of the garden's rear entrances using forks and mostly glove clad hands.

So while these guys shifted, dug and scraped, the 3rd group nipped round the corner to fill 30 bags with compost for community compost giveaways.

With 3 in 2 tasks done, another 4 km Progressive Run home ended another fine group session.

Ade Aboaba GoodGym Hackney Co-ordinator