Tarting Up A Dame

19 fresh faced runners headed off from Roll for the Soul to Dame Emily Park in Bedminster, and some headed on to South Street Park too!

It was a beautiful day for a run - the springlike weather put a spring in our steps and we bounded like spring lambs to the park. We've been to Dame Emily Park before and it was great to see the flower beds that we'd previously cleared empty apart from a hefty load of manure/mierda (for our Spanish runners), and now waiting for planting.

Half the group stayed in the park. Our task was to clear a narrow path down past the tennis courts that the park group hope will become a running track one day. We soon discovered that this is the prickliest park in Bristol! There were bushes with thorns the size of toothpicks. Luckily that plant was not too overgrown, and we are pros at destroying brambles and buddleia which were the main cause of path blockage.

The other group ran a little further and headed to South Street Park which was very much in need of litter picking. With typical GoodGym gusto, they set to it and had the park looking a lot more spick and span in no time, although a hidden stash of firework remains escaped their eagle eyes! Once they were finished, they came back to Dame Emily Park and helped tidy up the amazingly spiky cuttings and trimmings.

With both tasks done, the group ran back to the city centre but not without a couple of laps of Queens Square which is a perfect square and makes an excellent interval training area. Some were fast, some no so, but everyone ended up hot, sweaty and breathless and perhaps wishing that it was slightly colder again. We walked it off, stretched out and everyone gets a big thumbs up for the warmest run of the year.