Hills and Boon

Ten tip-top athletes ran 5km to help out at Sydenham Community Library.

Excellent work by Hannah with this week's title pun, a contender for the International Pun of the Month, surely?

As you can see from our photos, we had quite the medal haul this week. It's been a couple of weeks since Jenn and Ben ran the Beckenham Half-Marathon, but this was the first time we had seen them. The conditions were incredibly challenging, with torrential rain and flooded areas to negotiate, so a very big well done to Ben, who managed a six-minute PB and Jenn, who found herself on the podium as second woman! Wow! Our other medal marvels were Louise and Clare, who both took on the Petts Wood 10k for the first time on Sunday (this was also Louise's first 10k race). The conditions couldn't have been more different, with bright blue skies and crisp, cool air. Both said they loved the race, with its super-friendly atmosphere and post-race samosas. Great work, all of you.

Before we set off, we also talked about a couple of upcoming community missions - these are tasks that take place outside our group runs, where you make your own way to the venue and can spend a little longer helping out.

• Baxter Fields - this Sunday at 2pm, a bulb planting and railing painting session (stay for as long or little as you like)

• South East London Orchestra - next Thursday, the 18th, at 6.30pm, helping at a concert, selling tickets, handing out programmes and enjoying the concert!

We were off to Sydenham Community Library this week, where we were met by Ilse, who told us all about the events that have taken place since our last visit, a few months back. The library has been host to an exhibition and, at the weekend, a Fun Palaces event. This week we were to focus mainly on cleaning the bookshelves, which become very dusty and grimy, due to being so close to a busy road (and having some high windows that don't quite shut properly!). While a team of book-lovers got busy with the wipes, Louise and Clare were taken to a small room, that was filled with 'stuff'. Their challenge was to pull out lots of boxes, Christmas trees, Santa's grotto, more Christmas trees and maybe a couple more boxes, to access two hanging shelves that needed taking down. These shelves were wholly impractical and will be replaced by some more solid shelves to house the many boxes. Armed with their screwdrivers, they carefully dismantled the glass shelves, then returned everything that had been pulled out.

Meanwhile, our book team were busy pulling out stacks of books, some (Hannah and Bradley) getting distracted by the 'saucy section' (Romance), with its selection of large print fiction. At this point I thought it was about time I revisited The List.

What are we reading right now?

• Bradley - Adele's run reports (!)
• Stuart - Madeline Miller 'The Song of Achilles'
• Darryl - McNae's Essential Law for Journalists
• Louise CW - Anthony Horowitz 'The Magpie Murders'
• Jenn - Cordelia Fine 'Delusions of Gender'
• Ben - Charles Mingus 'Beneath the Underdog'
• Hannah - Ingeborg Bachmann 'Malina'
• Louise C - Simon Reeve 'Step by Step, the Life in my Journeys'
• Clare - André Aciman 'Call Me by Your Name'
• Adele - Kate Bowler 'Everything Happens for a Reason'

What a wonderfully varied selection of titles!

Once we had wrapped up our task, we said our goodbyes and headed out for my planned fitness session at the outdoor gym. Sadly it was in complete darkness, so we took advantage of some of the street furniture instead, this sudden darkness is certainly keeping me on my toes!

Running back, we chatted as we went, as we always do but, with it being #RunAndTalk week, this seemed particularly appropriate, as did our post-run social. We talked a little about our Christmas social, with a few ideas being thrown around. We do need to make a decision and book a space, so please let me know if you have any thoughts! Next week we will return to Melvin Hall. It's been many months since we were last there, so I look forward to seeing the changes they have made in the meantime and to cracking on with painting a small room (don't wear your favourite leggings or shoes!).

Good luck on Sunday, to Clare, Ian and Kat, who will be running the Royal Park Half-Marathon. Run strong and don't forget to bring your medals next week!