We'd lit(t)erally cleared this in minutes

What a great turnout tonight! Ten GoodGymers in their GG red tops came to Old Spike Roastery, all up for a run. No one was going to meet us at the task, which felt like days of old. #PrePandemic

It was a pleasure to welcome back Abie! As I always say, it's harder to come to your 2nd or 3rd task as you know what you are expecting and you compare it with the first time. So, thank you for coming all the way from Hackney area. Yet, I appreciate everyone who comes even Daryl, who lives around the corner from Old Spike.

As we get closer and closer to the end of the year, 14 weeks left (according Ed)...people are starting to get to their 2022 targets. It's going to be a big push, but you all got this! Nelly can't wait to celebrate your 50th next week!

After the GG speech and warm-up (in a different area), Sam asked the ice-breaker question, which was to do with the fact his Bake Off Sweetstake contestant was kicked off on GBBO and he has to bake a cake or goods for next GG Lambeth group run....he asked: What is your "go-to" bake / what is your favourite type of cake (if you can't bake)?

If my memory serves me correctly, we had lemon drizzle, Victoria Sponge, flapjacks, millionaire shortbread, cupcakes, carrot cake (maybe I made that one up), chocolate fudge cake, and mine were slutty brownies.

---

More of a fitness session than a volunteering one

It was a short 1.5k / 8 minute run from the Old Spike via Nunhead to Cossall Estate, where we met Alan, Abie and Emma who decided to take the shorter run there.

There were two tasks on offer, so Sam decided that those with head torches should go litter picking whilst the ones without stayed behind with the portable lights to clear the backyard of weeds and leaves.

Daryl, Emma, Mikhail, Nelly and Paulin had head torches, so they went with Alan on a litter picking adventure in Kirkwood Nature Reserve. Finding plenty of litter including a full-on door! However, the adventure was cut short to 19:30 (20 minutes litter picking) as it was getting dark and the gates were about to close.

The rest of us took around the same time to clear the whole backyard of weeds and leaves - filling two black bin bags.

Yet, the night and group run couldn't have possibly finish at 19:30. Thus, fitness instructor Sam came out with a 10 minute fitness blast! Focusing on legs, arms and abs. With pumping tunes from Sam's "Discover Weekly" Spotify playlist, everyone managed to get through to the end with a few aches and pains along the way. But, what's that saying "No pain, no gain".

It reached 19:50 and Alan was locking up, so Sam forfeited the 2 minute plank at the end as we ran off towards TRAID as some had signed up for a double dose of GoodGym on a Wednesday evening. The rest ran back with Sam to collect items from Old Spike.

---

Thank You to all the GG-ers

A personal thanks from me to all those who came out tonight! It was a shorter run and session, so kudos to all for getting involved with the HIIT session. It was hard, so thanks for sticking with it.

---

Thank You Jaki and

GoodGym is all about getting fit and doing good! We praise the runners/cyclists/walkers who come to get fit and help out, but we often forget about our task owner. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jaki who got in touch after informing me that they needed the backyard to be cleared and presentable for the Council meeting they are having next week. Always a pleasure to help out where we can.