Celebrations all round this evening as Hayley reached 50 good deeds.

We also applauded all those who ran the Great East Run in very warm conditions on Sunday, with extra kudos to those who made it to Goodgym tonight as well - Nicola, Robin, Kerry, Keith. Appreciation was also expressed to Hayley, Eleanor and Paul who had supported out on the course with the Goodgym flag.

We were straight off on the run aiming to get to St. Marks with as much of the fading daylight left as possible. The 1.5 mile run out made a little more challenging by the prospect of Belstead Road hill, which splintered the group. The loop back by the front runners was perfectly timed to completely miss the rest of the group taking a direct route along a narrow lane - however all was well as the group arrived almost simultaneously at St. Marks school.

We were met by Vanessa and Clare who were already hard at work in the planned forest school area. Vanessa explained the task, focussed on two areas within the "forest". Clear one area of overgrown vegetation and level off to prepare for a possible fire pit. Clear a second area and install a circle of tree trunk seats then lay a wood chip base and path between the areas.

With the light pretty much gone particularly under the trees our head torches and bat lights proved essential - this was our first "dark" task for several months.

As usual great team work and effort saw two groups getting stuck in with one group lopping, digging and clearing at the far end, deeper into the forest area, while a second group levelled off some ground and shifted logs to make the sitting circle, which was then layered with a soft, spongy wood chip floor.

It was amazing to once again see a big task gradually take shape and see a very clear end result. Hopefully the children will get great enjoyment from learning and playing in the forest school area.

The slight drizzle didn't dampen spirits on the run back to the Waterfront with an optional "hard effort" on the last half mile making just over 5k total run for the evening.

On the week that GoodGym is celebrating a decade of doing good 13 GG Ipswich runners came out to play and party!

A looping run of just under a mile took us to one of our regular task sites at Brickmakers Wood where Rob was waiting for us, eager to get going before the light faded too much.

Our task was to remove several sections of large fencing - by sawing through the plastic clips holding them in place and then carrying them down the narrow steep path way to the warehouse. This would help clear a pathway that will be created for wheelchair users visiting the wood.

Armed with gloves and saws the team set to work - the sawing was vigorous and energetic and a lot harder than it looked initially. Once the fence panels were released groups of 3 carried them down along the path - again a lot more physically challenging than it looked!

With lots of elbow grease and lifting and carrying teamwork we managed to complete the whole section just before darkness set in. Once again what looked like a big task that might not be possible was achieved. Rob estimated the job would have taken him at least a day to complete without Goodgym!

We then completed a pairs shuttle run/circuit session under the college floodlights incorporating a final set of wall sits holding the #GG10 flag, before heading to the pub to celebrate 10 years of GG.

Good luck to everyone running the Great East Run this weekend - look out for Hayley supporting out on the course with our giant Goodgym flag!

After a few weeks celebrating a run of 50 good deed milestones, we had a quieter night welcoming THREE people making their Goodgym debut and there were biscuits to celebrate my 100th Goodgym deed!

WelcomeRebecca, Miranda and Ayse

Tonight's task was just a short run to Brickmakers Wood where Rob met us and was eager to get going on a fairly significant task.

Brickmakers Wood has a gigantic indoor warehouse area and the electrics had malfunctioned leaving virtually no lighting. An electrician would repair the lights but needed a scaffold tower to reach each of the lightin units. However all along the path the scaffold tower needed were huge amounts of wood scrap metal and various other treasures being stored.

Rob needed a clear runway created so the electrician could move from unit to unit, This did look like a big job..... but in Goodgym style the team got stuck in moving everything from furniture to iron fencing and celotex boards to logs and pallets.

The runway was created in super quick time with Rob phoning the electrician while we were finishing off to tell him to come tomorrow! Rob estimated it would have take more than a day to complete and Goodgym sorted it in less than 30 minutes including time to eat the celebration biscuits!

With the job complete we had a quick tour to revisit areas we had worked on previously inculding the pond and ampitheatre area - really beautiful on a lovely sunny evening.

We then headed into Alexandra Park for some relay intervals on the flat and with a a few hill efforts too - oh how we all laughed!!

Then a short run back to base for a quick stretch - another top night with GG Ipswich.

Next week we are helping Ipswich Soup Kitchen - find out more and sign up HERE

Tonight's run was a very short distance to Brickmakers Wood - the wood that sounds like a pub....to me anyway!

Prior to setting out we celebrated some races from the weekend with Kerry and Robin both doing 2 5 mile races with 48 hrs, as well as the the Goodgym natinal partnership with the Great Get Together - celebrating kindness, respect and all we have in common!

During the run we "collected" a few of the Elmers Big Parade elephant sculptures in preparation for next week's task.

On arrival Jo had things arrange so we could dive straight in - splitting into two groups - one to clear an large area near the workshop ready for trees to be felled in the next few weeks and one to saw huge chunks of ivy away from another set of trees at the to end of the wood, Given the option, all the boys plumped for grabbing a saw to cut back ivy!

There was a tremendous amount of work done by the girls group in clearing piles and piles of logs using wheelbarrows and also dismantling an old wildlife area comprising of pallets, bricks and old wood. Meanwhile the boys were battling with huge swathes of years old ivy that was enveloping and strangling trees.

It's always an enjoyable task at Brickmakers Wood as it is usually very physical and contributes to the fantastic work they do in a lovely setting.

After tidying up we took a very short run to the park next door for a pairs relay challenge, where there were some outstanding efforts......funny how a little competition and working in a team pushes us on!

A thoroughly enjoyable evening ended with another brief jog back to base picking up photos with two more elephants on the way.

Another great turnout for Goodgym Ipswich on lovely warm evening.

We really had two tasks tonight........ one was to paint the exterior hoardings of Gusford School swimming pool and the other was the run to get to the school and back - just under 3 miles each way with some challenging hills thrown in.

Well, the group splashed it. .... making the outward run look easy !

The last 200m was a deep end descent down a steep hill to the school, where we met Rebecca and her team, who showed us through to the pool area.

It looked like a very big task but everyone dived in enthusiastically grabbing sand paper, brushes and rollers.

Everything was going swimmingly and the tatty old boards were quickly turning white.

Water difference a coat of paint makes

The team managed to get virtually all of the exterior painted which will be the base for our task next week when we return to paint a second coat in blue. It's amazing how much can be achieved when everyone one pools together!

Then it was time to wave goodbye and the return leg of the run ....... starting with the climb up deep end hill. Liz tried to rally our spirits with a marine style sing song as we headed to the summit....... the chant quickly faded as we ran out of breath as incline increased! But everyone one dug in and floated to the top

Afintastic evening with a great task and tough but enjoyable run out and back.

Goodgym Ipswich - Water Magnificent Group !!

We had a debut and a tourist joining us tonight for the long run out to Castle Hill.

It was great to meet Belinda, a Goodgym Worthing centurion, was staying in Ipswich for work. Her hotel was literally a stone throw from our meeting point - good planning or what!!

Lizzie's first Group Run was slightly unorthadox in that she missed us at the start due to problems locating a place to park. Lesser people would have put this down to bad luck and headed home....but Lizzie drove to the task location, pulling up just as we arrived! So the welcome was not as structured as normal but brilliant to meet you.

Prior to setting out we recapped a busy weekend of events and races people had run - including the Woodbridge 10k and Kerry had raced a train in Norfolk (and beat it!)

The task was at a familiar location and involved some weeding in a small area and also cutting back a massively overgrown area - this was hampered by the availability of tools (only a saw and a set of secateurs . Robin and Kerry took these and set too on the shrubs with Lizzie and Nicola picking up off cuts, while the rest of the team weeded, dug and swept.

The shrub proved stubborn and years of tangled growth made it tricky to make any real impact with the limited tools. However the boys gave it a good go, diving deep into the undergrowth to try and find the key branches/trunk to cut.

The main team did a great job of weeding (mainly by hand) the small plot, leaving it looking ten times better than when we arrived.

On the run home there were a only a couple of takers for the side street intervals - mainly due to exertion of races over the weekend! But a steady, even pace by all totted up to a round trip of 5 miles.

Starting off with a big thank you for Andrew for stepping in to cover the start of tonight's session due to traffic chaos on the A12 conspiring to delay my arrival

Also massive congratulations to the same Andrew in reaching the 50 task milestone - the 4th Ipswich member to earn the coveted black shirt!

So, when I (eventually)arrived the task was well under way....and what a turnout - probably the highest attendance since our launch. Everyone was getting stuck in to the job of painting a classroom. I've never sen so many goodgym t-shirts in such a small space!

The task was set up by Andrew (a different one to our new black shirted Andrew) the school Head Teacher with the aim of making the room much brighter for a new teacher at the school. With so many hands the job was completed within 40 minutes and we headed off to run back to base which included a fartlek interval session along the Waterfront and taking in part of the Twilight 5k race route many of the group had done on Saturday with great success.

Next week we return to Castle Hill for a long(ish)run - find out more here

A warm up game of tag set us up nicely for a run through Holywells Park to Cliff Lane where we collected the litter picking kit and headed into the Landseer Park woods.

The paths were pretty clear and litter free but we did come across a dumped supermarket trolley, which the black shirted Goodgym ninjas (Robin & Steve) retrieved from a bank just off the footpath. The plan was to leave the trolley where it could be collect by the IBC waste team, but also to use it to carry the bags of rubbish collected.

This came in really useful when we found several discarded bags we thought had been collected from a previous visit. We abandoned any further picking through the woods in favour of getting the trolley - now loaded with bags to a suitable collection place. This involved pushing the trolley out of the woods and along residential streets before we found an appropriate place to leave it inside Holywells Park near a bin compound!

We then had scenic run around Holywells park to drop off the litter picking kit before setting up a hill interval session, with everyone putting in great effort. Steve stunned us with his explosive turn of speed when he found himself at the front of the group as the "rabbit" being chased up the hill....I don't think anyone was even close by the time he reached the top .....Obviously hiding his talents by taking up the back marker position most weeks!

Next week we are helping out at the Ipswich Soup Kitchen - all the details and how to sign up are here

Massive congratulations to Steve on reaching 50 good deeds and earning his black t-shirt on tonight's task.

A big welcome to Jamie - Louise on her first group run and..... a very warm welcome back to Eleanor who had been travelling in New Zealand for several months but came back to Ipswich just because she missed Goodgym so much!

With all the festivities and chatter we almost forgot we had a 5 mile run to be getting on with

Arriving at Castle Hill Community Centre there was palpable disappointment when the scheduled outdoor task was replaced with indoor painting. However in true GG Ippo style everyone got stuck in and I tried to introduce a bit of competitive pressure by giving a time deadline to complete. This seemed to spur the team on with Mitch and Steve taking on the tricky recessed area above some lockers. In fact at one point it appeared Mitch had more paint on his hair than on the walls - luckily it wasn't paint but polystyrene from his head rubbing ceiling tiles!.

In super quick time - beating my time deadline - we were done and the room did look good for having this second coat.

On the run home there were some fartlek intervals on offer on side roads and hills , with most of the group (other than Alex and Mitch) ignoring them and preferring a steady pace for the 2.5 mile homeward leg.

We had a chat about the how tasks have become a little difficult to secure recently and if any charities or community organisations are reading this and could use some free volunteer manpower for any tasks on a Monday evening - get in touch!

We've also got the first ever Ipswich Goodgym Community Mission coming up on Friday 19 April - you can find all the details and sign up HERE