Last night 21 of us hung up our running shoes for one evening and celebrated our GoodGym Cardiff Christmas Party in style and what a fantastic evening it was!

At 7.15pm GG group members arrived at 29 Park Place, all ready to get merry and drink in good faith with one another. Martin, lead singer of the band 'Zimbando', arrived early so to confuse the paparazzi. We all took our seats, pulled our Christmas crackers and began taking photos with all of the cool selfie prompts and disposable cameras which Lucy had kindly purchased for the party. It was lovely to see everyone could make it, including Alison who hasn't run with us for a while owing to injury but hopes to come running again soon :).

As the night got underway our food was brought out and the quiz begun. There were 4 rounds to the quiz: Round 1: GoodGym Related Questions, Round 2: How well do you know your GoodGym trainer?, Round 3: Christmas themed questions, Round 4: Riddle Round. There were 4 teams; Team 'Baz, Team' 'Christmas Crackers', ‘Good quizwenclas’ - Epic team name - and ‘We’re going to sleigh you’.

This quiz not only tested peoples’ knowledge, but also provided valuable learning opportunities as everyone who attended now know what Ben’s favourite song is! Lucy didn't do well in this round - we will be having words and she will have to resit this test. Everyone was pleased to learn more about the history of GoodGym too! The winning team was Team Baz with 14 points – Well done Mikey, Adam, Lexi, Martin and Tom!!!

Whilst this was going on Claire and Lowri broke out into song on many occasions. Their album in the new year will feature 'Don't let the venison go down on me' and 'Creme Brulee' (with three different versions of this song) - If you missed it then ask them to do it again for you when you see them next.

Between the main course and dessert it was time for Bingo Dollar Challenge. Lucy gave everyone bingo cards and then began pulling words out from a bag. Words included; RunPunStiltskin, Weeding, Missions, Group runs and more!!! Although Ben was the first to get a line, he decided that just that being acknowledged in itself was enough and the prize was given to Craig who was the next person to get a line – Well done Craig! Ellen managed to get FULL HOUSE and won herself a flashing running arm band which she can run use to keep her visible and safe on her winter night runs .

To finish, Darren and Aimee had to do a pose off in order to in order to establish who could ‘pose the best. As Aimee’s attire wasn’t appropriate for her pose, they did each other’s poses – check out the photos!! Despite Daz's pose being featured in the South Wales Echo Aimee won on this occasion.

LOTS of acknowledgements, so here we go!

• Emma – who organised the Christmas function fantasicially!
• Mikey – The other GoodGym run leader
• Jack – soon to be another run leader at GoodGym Cardiff
• Lucy, Samina, Fliss, Jack, Daz, Martin – The taskforce of GoodGym Cardiff
• Lowri – Supporting with the social media and keeping GoodGym Cardiff bilingual
• Lexi – Returning to where her routes are at GoodGym Cardiff
• Nathan – Setting himself an awesome 2017 new year’s resolution and allowing us to be part of it.
• Ellen - For keeping everyone updated with the latest runs
• Those who have helped find tasks we've done in the community
• And everyone else who runs with GoodGym. Without you this wouldn’t be possible. You help shape GoodGym to become the way it is.

After food we put our dancing shoes on and headed to Buffalo Bar where we danced the night away, some of us until 3am - Eeeekkk!!! :)

Our next social is on THURSDAY - I know... Soon eh!!?! and it is ICE SKATING ! Click here to find out more

Nadolig Llawen pawb

Fourteen runners ran 5km to Bloomfield Allotments (the seedy end of town) to help Virginia move some compost.

Frost things frost...

No new runners on this cold winter evening, but there were plenty of familiar faces this week, including Emily visiting from London. The run was led by Sam who's enthusiasm for squats was matched only by his determination to get us lost. We ran up the Holloway (again), which at least kept us warm in the almost freezing temperatures.

Lettuce Begin

We managed to find Virginia in the darkness, she had several tasks for us, and we split into groups to tackle each. Emily, Sam, and Steve found building a new compost bin more pallet-able than shifting the smelly tank of compost tea. Joe, Mark, Chris, and Dan set to moving some flagstones - Mark managed to break his second shovel in three weeks, well done Mark. Mary got her hands on a saw and the rest of us moved the compost tea and built a new fence with the remaining pallets.

Coming Up

The Christmas Party is coming up on 16th December, so get signed up.

Everyone's been booking flights for Budapest, it's not too late to join.

Eighteen runners flew up the Holloway to hand out flyers in Bear Flat. We were feeling the bear-n at the top, but there was no drama on Shakespeare Avenue as we started going door-to-door. Fur-ever Friends is looking for Bath Half runners to fundraise for the RUH's new cancer unit and Transition Bath is advertising for the Bear Flat Christmas Market.

The Rain was No Bear-ier

No new runners today, but Ollie was back from Athens, Pascale ran (another) marathon, and Emma and Mary ran the Bath Skyline 10km - with a PB for Mary, so well done to Mary and well done to Joe who sold her the shoes she raced in.

Steph is still a bit sore, but backmarked with fur-bear-ance, and Pascale led the run with a few stops for squats and lunges.

Full of En-door-phines

We went letterbox-to-letterbox, flyered all of Bear Flat, and had enough leaflets to leaf at the local cafe on our way back down the hill.

Don't Fur-get

We've got a special Sunday-edition group run this weekend; we're going to the Bath City Farm.

The Christmas Party is coming up on 16th December, so get signed up.

Calendars are still on sale, bring £10 next week for Steph.

A soggy 8k run this evening with a “Gert Big” hill thrown in for the lucky 14 who braved the weather showing true grit to keep fit.

The Task

To paint some community banners at St Phillips and St James’s church in Odd Down and emulsion a wall in this rather large room.

Welcome Christopher ... wow!!! Another great runner in Bath.

A few announcements before we took to the hill Well done to Pascale who ran a marathon in Majorca last week... Hip Hip!! Good Luck to Ollie who’s running The Athens Marathon on Sunday .. Hip Hip!!! Cllr Goodman though you guys were great last week... so fab stuff for doing what you do every week.

Superman Sam was leader of the pack tonight with Lovely Mary back marking on one of our longer runs out to a task so no time for that extra fitness stuff for us this evening. We had a lot to get done.

Indoors

Andy was our host this evening and he was ready and waiting to direct the troops to their allotted task and a wall in need of a coat of paint or two.

Some intricate work needed on the community banners, the boys on the blue and the girls all yellow and must say you can tell who applies make up with some nifty brush Work going on. You can just make out the crib with baby Jesus in amidst the rays of sunlight, the local school children will be finishing them off tomorrow.. Fabulous stuff!!

We also enjoyed a little history lesson before leaving on how St James’s Church was bombed during the war and rebuilt in 1956. St Phillips was unaffected.

Thankfully the run back was a downhill affair but I’m sure they’ll agree that strava elevation looked mighty impressive and let’s face it the rain was very cooling tonight. That stretch out was much needed back at the leisure centre with a chat about the group pun, Thanks JOE for some great looping back and tonights edited pun.

The group enjoyed hearing about Bowen technique from Steph so here a link to explain, I really recommend http://www.bodyinbalancetherapies.com/

A reminder our Goodgym Charity Calendar is now on Sale, just £10 with profits going to the new cancer centre at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

Christmas party is now up and listed so don’t miss a fun night and get signed up, a casual night of glowing balls and festive drinks https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/a-very-bath-christmas