There was a little bit of Monday magic in Wandsworth last night as 33 runners took on a huge painting challenge....

• We welcomed Ava, Annabel, James and Cheryl to their first run - great to meet you guys!

• Well done to all the racers this weekend, including Hanna and James who did the duathlon in Hampstead - nice one!

• This Thursday is the GoodGym social at 6:30 at The Court in Tottenham Court Rd. Sign up here for a great night including all the news, heroes, GG hero of the month and international pun of the month!

After a warm up and a poll to find out our favourite sports person - Roger Federer and Serena Williams came out top, followed some way behind by Mr Motivator and both Brownlee brothers - we set off for our task.

Our massive painting job was at Doddington and Rollo community association, and we picked straight up where we left off last time. We had a series of corridors to paint to help out this community organisation which was set up to provide opportunities for education, training and employment for local people, and to provide facilities for community activities.

Dust sheets down, rollers at the ready and we were off. Every week it's always incredible to see what you guys achieve, and it was particularly evident this week. In the time we were there you managed to give the place a proper makeover (who remembers Changing Rooms?) - it's amazing what 33 pairs of hands can do in even a short length of time.

We finished off the session with fitness in the hall, and this week we took on the EMOM (every minute on the minute) challenge. It was six minutes of seriously hard work as we knocked out burpees, press ups and squats, and we still had the run and that hill to contend with - as usual you all rose to the challenge!

Next week we've got an interesting new task helping create an amazing area for a community festival. To find out more and sign up click here. Until then, run happy!

28 runners smashed a MASSIVE job for Doddington & Rollo community garden yesterday, managing to shift 6 tonnes of top soil in 45 minutes - now that is a bit of GoodGym magic!

As our lovely home at the BAC is shut for a refurb for the next three weeks, we started off the night outside with a bit of news:

• A very big welcome to Ameen, Lucinda, Hannah and Beth who all came along for their first GoodGym group run - give them a cheer and a high five next time you see them!

• Can you believe that GoodGym is going to be a whole ten years old soon? From small beginning in Tower Hamlets we are now all part of something huge and wonderful. We want to know what GoodGym means to you and your community, please have a look at this link as we’d love to hear your story.

• If you fancy a cheap place in the Big Half next March then drop me a line.

After playing a short game of bag tetris trying to fit all our stuff in a titchy car, we did a warm up and set off for Doddington & Rollo roof garden, a beautiful community garden that has been transformed from a disused carpark roof to somewhere that local people can use.

We arrived to find the challenge in question - an enormous 150 bags each full of 50 litres of compost. Our job was to carry them up to the roof garden, but to make things even more interesting, the lorry that had come to deliver them earlier that day had to drop them quite a distance away from the stairs.

We had decided on a human chain which quickly fell apart, but slowly and surely the pile got smaller and after 45 minutes of some serious lifting, every single one of those 150 bags and the pallets they came on were up at the garden. That is 6 TONNES of compost you guys lifted last night. Superheroes, every one of you! What took us one evening would have taken the volunteers at the garden several days, so well done on harnessing that GoodGym muscle for good.

We decided after that hardcore session that we didn't really need much in the way of fitness so we stopped briefly half way home to do a bit of core work with some ab triathlons. All that was left was the short run home and some stretches. Great work everybody!

Along for the run last night we had Beth along with a little bit of radio magic - hear her report of what we got up to here on Wednesday night and see if you made the cut!

Next week we're back to the Doddington estate for another big job - this time we're painting the many corridors in the community centre. This is a real biggie so do come along if you can make it! You can sign up here. Don't forget that the BAC will be shut the next three weeks so do try and avoid bringing too much stuff or anything precious if you can. Until then, happy running GoodGym!

Monday is undoubtedly the best day of the week when GoodGym is involved and last night was no exception. We spent GoodGym Wandsworth’s 3rd birthday doing what we do best, running hard, working hard and celebrating our accomplishments as a team

New runners Lauren and Jo joined us for first time last night and I’d like to extend a huge GoodGym Wandsworth welcome to you both. Go ahead and give them both a cheer

NEWS

• Over the past 3 years GoodGym Wandsworth have complete 202 group runs, 306 missions and currently have 11 coach partnerships. In the last 12 months alone, we’ve completed 1969 good deeds. This represents a massive amount of support to the community. Each one of you should be proud of your contribution towards our success and the impact we’ve collectively made supporting our borough

• The GoodGym Olympics took place on Saturday with Captain Sophie leading the Wandsworth Warriors to a podium place for the 3rd year running. Our team of 11 athletes finishing in 3rd place with amazing performances from everyone who took part, you’ve all superstars! Other highlight from the day were the marching band complete with GoodGym anthem, flag parade, the bake off competition, the veg carving competition, temporary GG tattoos and pin the tail on the runner, to name a few. We’ve already started strategising for next year, watch this space...

• The next GG monthly long run is going to be a tour of the Docklands area, which takes place on the 25th August. There are 3 distance options, 26km, 16km, 10km, details and sign up here

• This months GG social will be held this Thursday the 8th August on the Southbank, if you would like to attend all details are here

• Have you heard the latest ‘Reasons to be cheerful’ podcast? It has no other than our very own Ivo Gormley as a guest and is definitely worth a listen, head here to listen now!

• If anyone has any tales of inspiration from Team GB athletes and would like to share them, please email rebecca@goodgym.org and tell us who inspired you the most

DO GOOD

Our tasks this week was at was at our local branch of the Salvation Army in Balham. The Salvation Army hold children and toddler's group on every Tuesday and Wednesday morning, which relies on voluntary help to keep going. They also have a garden space that is completely overrun with brambles. Both the toys and garden required some of our GoodGym magic

GET FIT

Not only was regular warm up area unavailable, but this week the Battersea Arts Centre was unexpectedly closed as well. With some quick thinking and rallying from the Wandsworth Taskforce we had WhatsApp messages, changing locations and car boots available for baggage, disaster averted, well done team!! After an alfresco briefing we warmed up using the pavement area outside BAC, working through a series of low impact drills, which was wrapped up with a quick birthday themed poll on everyone’s favourite type of cake. Shortly after we set off for the first leg of our run covering the first 2.5km of the night and arrived feeling fresh and raring to go

We were greeted at the Salvation Army by Andrew and after a short welcome brief got stuck in to our tasks. Our first task was washing toys for the children and toddler's group and it took no time for a production line of washing, drying, sorting and stacking to begin. Our second task was in their garden and car park area, where we tackled some unruly brambles in true GoodGym style

After 45 mins the toys were squeaky clean, organised and sorted for the next group of children to enjoy. The brambles were cut and bagged, a serious dent was made to the overrun garden and the car park was tidy and free from overhanging brambles. All that was left was a quick tidy and a thank you from Andrew, before setting off for our 2.5km uphill push to BAC. Great work team Wandsworth!!

CELEBRATION

The night didn’t finish there, as we headed from BAC over to Clapham Common for a picnic to reward all our efforts over the last 3 years and to celebrate how far this group has come in that time. What a great way to mark the occasion

I’d like to thank you for all for the awesome effort you’ve put in over the last couple of weeks, it’s been an absolute pleasure leading while Ana’s been away. You all make GoodGym so special and I’m very proud to be a part of and to have led this group

COMING UP

Next week Ana will be back after her time away and leading us for our task at the Doddington roof garden, sign up here

Happy Running!!

Update: Photos are now ready: Please click this link for the wonderful pictures of the day taken by Tom Hunter and Sarah Rajabalee Photos

Well what a day, on Saturday 3rd August I checked the weather forecast and was relieved to see the chances of rain was limited, however what they failed to say was just over Hampstead heath, there was going to be from 12 o’clock onwards flashes of red thunder would be seen. The local residents should have been warned a sea of red was heading to Hampstead heath armed with cakes, carved vegetables, frying pans and bags full of energy, witnesses said that it was very infectious.

So after lots of emails and badge/medal making the third GoodGym Olympics took place. Over 160 folks from all over the GoodGym community came to London to compete in the annual sports day. Events on offer were classic running events such as the 400m and elimination mile to more novel but just as serious ones such as the egg and spoon and a first time entry the Bucket stilt relay. The day was amazing and brought together some fantastic competition and lovely fun sprint. We saw photo finishes on so many races including a tense 100m to a mass final lap on the 5,000m, the energy and sprite was amazing and just sums up GoodGym.

This years event had a marching band created from a competition I set up to create an Olympic anthem, James and Laura from Lambeth created two entries and Mark, Lambeth leader, joined them together to make an amazing effort and brought together a number of musicians to create a marching band for the day, it was beyond words. Alongside the events we had a loads of lovely baked goods taking part in the bake off and some amazing carved vegetables in the veg competition. I have included a few pictures as they say it better than my typed words. Loads of new things were introduced this year from medals hand made from clay, amazing village games, area badges and temporary tattoos which all look great.

I have organised this for the last three years and every year folks contributions and enthusiasm amazes me and makes it all worth it, although this is a lot of work to put it together there are a number of people whose effort and ensure the days goes on without any hitches, from the first aiders to the commentators, timing team, village games organisers, start of the day setting uppers, marshals, bake off helpers and bakers, loads and loads of people. Also mega shout out to the areas that travel far and wide to come, you made such an effort and it was lovely you made the effort, shout out to Colchester, Bristol, Brighton, Oxford, Portsmouth and York

When I can compile the results I can find I will make them public as with when more photos come available. Anyhow, thank you so much for coming and getting involved it was truly a great day and everyone contributed to it. Next year as we have had three years in London, I am looking for an area outside to host it, stay tunes for announcements coming up in the next few months.

Nice one, Tom