A collaborated effort was made for our run report for tonight with many runners adding to tell the tale of GG in the cemetery on Halloween eve, eve!!

Wholefoods were rubbing their eyes in disbelief as every runner that entered the store had heads turning to do a double take as we donned the ghouls and monsters outfits in keeping with the season. As if this was not spooky enough our task tonight took us to the edge of Richmond Cemetery where lots has been hidden for many years and tonight was to be revealed by our own good hands.

It was a devilishly good run, we began to warm up with scary moves up and down, both legs and arms. Richmond's shoppers were treated to goodgym answer to Thriller... we scared ourselves at least!

👻🎃 Screaming good fun! pic.twitter.com/IoGyxu68lR

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) October 30, 2018

We were all dressed to the nines in our spooky clobber, skeletons, witches, devils, pumpkins and cats...the streets of Richmond were in for a fright.

The "thrill" of lunging! 🎃👻 pic.twitter.com/aFOmQaUjkD

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) October 30, 2018

We arrived at a spooky graveyard, welcomed by the warm glow of a head torch glimmering in the dark distance as Steve the task owner waited for us. It was great to catch up since our last visit and hear about the great works still happening at the cemetery where to date the oldest stone discovered is dated back to 1760 I think he said! Interestingly of all the work that happens at the site, any stone currently on show now has been made to happen by our own good deeds so it is great to feel we are contributing to such a project in the community where history is being rediscovered at times. Lots of this means us unravelling stories hidden underneath poison ivy and spiderssss.

HOLD on did we mention that we lost 4 runners .... Oh no that is far too spooky to include here!

Having revealed a fallen cross from beneath one section of thick brush, one team raised it to it's former glory on its plinth, only to be instructed to dismantle it again. Unfortunately no ghosts or badgers were seen although the air was reported to have turned cold at one point for some and a rustling in the bush took place but the cause UNKNOWN!!!

Towards the end we teamed up to pile up the sticks and vines and brambles we'd cleared and braved the dark paths to add it to the spooky habitat!

Dead wood....🎃👻 pic.twitter.com/slBpKJ659x

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) October 30, 2018

We bid Steve a fond farewell and thanked him for looking after us to set out into the cold night to embrace OH NO not another HILL!!!

A big welcome to Gemma on her first run who quoted 'It was my first run and It was frighteningly good! Not many can say they spent their Monday evening in a graveyard making new friends'! (AND finding the 4 lost runners eh Gemma ...YAY!!!)

We all made it back for some warming food, great company and maybe one or two drinks to take the chill off - All in all a great run / night! Thanks Jenny for organising the social and Mark for the back marking!!

Don't forget we mentioned the missions that are available now so look up the slots if you feel you might be free The community mission for our start location is now taking place this Sunday 4th November at Wholefoods 5.30pm (thanks Samia for sorting) Also there is a GG Christmas party to be had in London area on 1st Dec - Details here https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/goodgym-london-christmas-party-2018

See you next week ; - )

With the Chief and Jenna on holiday, half-term breaks, illnesses, injuries and visitors to host, Richmond folk appeared to be a tad elusive this evening. Sat alone at the usual hub of a table in Whole Foods, Samia has made it on time (for once!) and wondered if she’d be leading herself and herself only on the run... but then the fabulous four arrived in force: Madurai from Kingston, Ed on his first GoodGym run, and Mark A and Imogen. Already dark by “run-off” and the clear sky meaning a crisp, cool evening, we did a quick warm-up outside Whole Foods and opted for the well-lit, albeit slightly less scenic route to ETNA.

After a gentle 3km there, we were met by the biggest of bags, full to the brim with four different leaflets for us to flyer. What would we be spreading the news about? Well...:

1. ETNA's halloween feast and fun day on Saturday 3rd November, featuring food from the Real Junk Food Project.
2. ETNA's call for pledges to support them to build their community kitchen.
3. What's on at ETNA (and boy, their timetable is jam-packed!).
4. Richmond CVS' speed networking, info and "become a Trustee" event on Thursday 15th November

Not only that, but the wonderful ETNA had compiled a challenge for us this evening with our very own instructions sheet and leaflet orienteering maps. The mission: to leaflet as many streets as possible on map 1, moving on to maps 2 and 3 should time permit, and recording where we had been on the aforementioned map.

With a runner per type of leaflet and the run leader armed with the map and marker, it was time to embark on Extreme Leafleting. There was talk of strategy, huddles to rethink efficiency tactics and route planning.

This was flyering like nothing else.

Huddles and rehuddles led to Mark’s masterplan of the inaugral leafleting relay. A little confusing at first and almost culminating in some kind of leaflet avalanche on the streets of St Margaret’s, Team GoodGym Richmond nailed the 4x4 relay. There was no baton drop, nor any lane infringements, they were a well-oiled machine with a cox barking directions (and either a dog or small child barking through the letterbox at one point, we weren’t entirely sure which).

As addictive as this game became, we accepted that we couldn’t deliver quite as many leaflets as hoped, but took pride in having created a team to be reckoned with.

A just-over-3km run back, we arrived safely and soundly at Whole Foods for some stretching (yes, my top 5 stretches all featured!).

Well done on your first run Ed and thank you for backmarking, Madurai! And don’t forget next week’s Halloween themed run, followed by our social after... - fancy some fancy dress?