University Challenge

GoodGym York led a starter session in conjunction with the University of York.

On a gloriously sunny afternoon, 8 of us met at Goodricke College on the University of York East Campus. We had been set a task by Gordon to clear a bank of it's dried grasses, twigs and weeds.

After an energetic warm up, we each grabbed a fork and made our way across to the bank. The bank, unfortunately, was almost the only place in the entire area that was in the shade, but the far side was still in the sun so that was our incentive to move as quickly as possible.

We had 45 minutes to clear all the debris and fill the enormous rubble sack, but the sack was already filled after only about ten minutes. Huw volunteered to get in the bag to compress it as much as possible, and he did a good job with his giant feet, turning a full bag into a half full bag.

Ellen and Amber had teamed up over on the sunny end and had come up with an innovative method of fixing fallen saplings. The method basically involved re-siting the stake and banging it back into the ground using the handle end of the fork, which Amber managed to do with quite amazing accuracy.

We've saved a tree! - Amber

Barbara and I also had a go at this but think we might have accidentally 'saved' a weed. Only time will tell.

The bag was well and truly filled so we started creating huge piles instead, and after 40 minutes we'd raked and forked up all the debris on the bank. The final job was to move the big piles down onto the pathway where it could be easily collected.

With our good deed done, we dropped off the forks and went for a gentle run across the campus, stopping at a wide section of pathway to complete some sprint intervals and conditioning exercises including:

• Reverse lunges
• Squat burpees
• 180 degree squat jumps
• Forward to back lunges
• Power jacks

Our gentle team run back to Goodricke College finished with a lovely stretch out in the sunshine.