Fleeing Double

It was double evening at Islington. We had double trainers with the usual Simon and new Hackney trainer Joel popping by to say hello, we had double biscuits with Double Stuff Oreos, we had a double debate by asking people who their favourite double act is and we had double tasks.

After Joel led a superb warm up to get us all toasty we welcomed first-timer Jo (who found out about GoodGym via the #useyourrun campaign), gave Steve a big round of applause for reaching 100 good deeds and went our separate ways.

The first group went to Caxton House. Steve explains what happened:

Six speedy self selectors (ok it was eight but the illiteration doesn't work) raced up the Holloway Road to deliver a get well card to Paul, the caretaker at the Whittington Community Centre, our first ever task venue, who is unwell at the moment en route to the Caxton Community Centre for Christmas related leaflet distribution.

Although many think London is relatively flat, Archway is not. To the top of Cressida Road we paced and delivered big bundles to the already Christmasy decorated dwellings of the area. Job done, we split into a fast and a faster group and sped back to Highbury Pool, with half of us going to the Emirates stadium for a sneaky lap and finishing back at base for a quick stretch, exhausted but satisfied with a job well done.

The second group visited Barnsbury Community Centre as Simon describes:

Our job was to fill raised beds with topsoil. We were delighted to see new spades were available for our use, but panicked a little when we noticed we only had one wheelbarrow. Alex came to the rescue by suggesting we part fill and drag an empty sack from A to B with soil, then we found another wheelbarrow anyway so we raced back and forth for 25 minutes getting nice and grubby and getting the raised beds rather full.

On the way home we split into two groups led by Simon and Joel and partook in a couple of favourites. Secret surges followed by Indian file with all manner of strange techniques used to run to the front of the group. Upon realising that a single Oreo remained we decided a competition was in order. Audio-expert Patrick M stood as judge while each GoodGymmer in turn ran by him as quietly as they could. Imogen was by far the quietest, although Patrick did admit that he sort of zoned out half way through. Oh well.

Back at the pool Joel stretched us out and we had a few groups photos including good, bad, crazy and backwards versions of ourselves. Something to do with being double-faced.

Suggestions for the best double act from memory since I lost the sheet:

Tom and Jerry, Morecambe and Wise, Reeves and Mortimer, French and Saunders, Philip Schofield and Gordon The Gopher, Andy Peters and Ed The Duck, Johnny and Denise, Zig and Zag, Hale and Pace, Shearer and Someone Else, Marx and Engels, Simon and Garfunkel. And finally, from Patrick, Fish and chips and Gin and Tonic.

Don't forget it's GivingTuesday this evening and Joel is leading his first run in Hackney tonight. Get down to one of them or you'll regret it in about ten years.

See you next week, Islingtoners, where in addition to doing good there will be a time trial and homemade biscuits!