They huffed and they puffed and they chopped the tree down! - The Story of the tree little twigs

Tonight was a run like no other! 23 runners showed up in spite of the rain to get fit, do good, socialise and have an INCREDIBLE time at GoodGym Cardiff

After a day of no rain it was all too coincidental that the rain should start at 5.30pm - This was going to test all those willing to push all limits and run in spite of the rain! We also had TWO new runners with GoodGym this week, Megan and Marie - A warm welcome both of you :D As Marie was brought along to GoodGym by Martin, this means Martin earned himself 1 red lace - Woopeee!!! #LifesGoals ... Martin was holding the red lace for the remainder of the run looking at it at various times saying "my precious."

• Megan is our parkrun star this week. She was the only runner who took part in Parkrun on Saturday... Come on people we need more of you getting involved in parkrun!
• A HUGE well done to trainer Ben who ran a PB marathon on the weekend in Valencia - He definitely practices what he preaches! A sub 3 hour marathon - Blimey!

Our headcount involved saying our name, headcount number and a brilliant suggestion by Ellen got everyone stating what their favourite race is that they have ever done or what they would like to do; Wine lovers said "any race where there is wine." It is safe to say that there will definitely be runners from GoodGym Cardiff heading to compete in the Medoc Marathon next year!

After getting warmed up it was time to run to St Edwards Church by Roath recreational ground... Off we go.....

zoom zoom zoom crossing over roads and after running through Cathays and Roath we had made it...

It's lovely to see you all again GoodGym

Kathie, from the charity Forget-Me-Not greeted us with the loveliest of welcomes. She told us all about the wonderful initiative Forget-Me-Not is and how it tries to help people find comfort who are older and lonely, who have dementia or who have suffered a stroke. Kathie told everyone about the wonderful project we are helping out with and explained that they are trying to start up a therapeutic gardening project at the church that they need our help with.

It was really beautiful to hear about the wonderful charity and the good they are doing and we were all really inspired by what Kathie had told us and this really motivated us to help them out as best as we could. Our task this week was to cut down a big bush that had become overgrown and cut back another bush that was encroaching onto the pavement next to the church. We were also tasked with sweeping the leaves up in the church grounds.

Marie and Megan were both getting stuck into their first GoodGym task, making light work of the branches! Jess was pretty epic holding the portable floodlights with her arms outstretched - This must have been good training for your arm strength (This helped ensure everyone was safe carrying out the task). Matt and Ellen were working as a team tackling one of the bushes that had begun encroaching onto a road and path. Lydia said "leaf this to me", before grabbing a rake and raking the leaves on the grass into a pile. Matt and Welsh Dave were breaking up branches and bagging them up.

After 25 minutes of helping out, making light work of the tree, we had completed the task!

Thank you everyone for coming to help us out tonight - You are amazing, you truly are

Kathie thanked us all for helping out. She also gave us all a biscuit to replenish our energy reserves for the run back. Thank you so much for asking us over to help and giving us an amazing #ReasonToRun

Ben, that's not the way!

Ben began leading everyone in the direction away from town... "Uh Oh" everyone said, "what does he have in store?" Ben led everyone along a route to the bottom of a nearby hill with a steep incline. He explained that everyone was to run up the hill as fast as they could and then jog down at a very slow recovery pace and when they reach the bottom to go again.

You did wonderful everyone! The extra fitness activity this evening was 'well' received. Ben explained the importance of hill training and told everyone that back in 2012 when training for his first ever marathon he would do hill sprints on this very hill!

It is time to run back!

With no time to waste it was time to head back to Big Moose. To get back we crossed roads, ran through student areas and over bridges. When we got back we then did a warm down and gave one another high fives to celebrate a great run!

EXTRA BITS TO MENTION

• Would you like the opportunity to write a run report reflecting on the Tuesday evening run? - Let me know and providing nobody has requested to do it already, then you can have a go at writing the run report :)
• There is a GoodGym run on the 5th December to help put up the Christmas decoration in the Tenovus Charity shop on Clifton Street. Click here to get signed up
• There is a run this friday daytime to help fill shipping containers with donations that will then be shipped off to Sierra Leone. Click here to find out more
• Don't miss out on next week's run!! Click here to sign up to the fun!
• CHANGE OF DATE FOR ICE SKATING - It's now taking place on Thursday 13th December. Click here to get signed up