Our planned task tonight was cancelled as the task owner was ill so the focus was more on fitness than doing good, although good was done!

After speeches and warm up we spent a few minutes picking up litter from the New Steine where we do our weekly warm up. After quickly filling a carrier bag we set off to the seafront for the first instalment of the night’s action packed fitness fun, a one kilometre time trial. I gave myself a head start to ensure I was at the finish to give you your times which was just as well as there were some pretty impressive times, with a few of you coming in very close to the 4 minute mark. Remember your times so you can see how much you’ve improved when we do it again in a few weeks!

I’d planned for us to spend a few minutes picking up litter form the Peter Pan playground, but there wasn’t any! So we got on with our Hunt the Cone game where team White convincingly beat team Yellow but you were all winners as you all got to do loads of exercises to make you fitter and stronger!

After popping in to say hello to the fantastic Sussex Homeless Support Bus, who I hope we can help out with a task at some point, we set off for part 3 of our night of fitness fun! This included a technique focus on arm drive which you all put into practice excellently on the 5 ramp sprints. Although arms become less important as you slow down its still good to get into good habits and keep those elbows driving backwards to propel you forwards.

The final instalment of our fitness extravaganza was a 10 minute abs blast pinched straight from the Bodycoach so here it is if you fancy another go at home!

Next week, normal service will resume and we will be gardening at the almshouses at the bottom of Elm Grove in DAYLIGHT!!!!!

It’s always such a relief to get to Goodgym and see pun generator Roy Hill! Thanks Roy, for another corker!

It’s equally fantastic to meet a couple of first timers to Brighton GG such as Julie (previously from Westminster) & Chloe, who jump right in with boundless enthusiasm for the concept, the task and the fitness! You are both very welcome!

In the news we bigged up

• Helena - for being most cheered, most cheering and most good deeding for February
• Michael for running the most k’s in February
• Tabatha for running a race in the most exotic location…Tanzania!!

Our journey to our task tonight involved a bit of a hill(!!!) which you all coped with admirably. On arrival at St John the Baptist School we split into two groups to ensure all got a chance to both do good and keep fit. The do-gooding involved weeding and digging over the school’s educational garden which is used as a learning resource, and thank you all for managing not to fall in the pond! The keep fitting involved 2 rounds of a smorgasbord of 8 exercises for 30 seconds each with just 15 seconds rest. Again top marks for all for giving it your all!

Task complete we headed to the playground for a group photo in what must be one of the best views in Brighton. I told you the hill would be worthwhile!

On arrival back to base a few of us went on for our monthly social where we chatted about loads of interesting stuff such as the joys and benefits of Goodgym, changing attitudes to consumption, run technique, university connections and the price of avocados in the Open Market (£1 for a box of 14!!!)

Next week’s task is still to be confirmed but it will involve doing something to get you a little bit fitter and make the world a little bit better - so sign up now

A big welcome to Amber tonight, joining us for the first time and well done to Emma, joining us for the second time but the first since she completed Brighton Half a week or so ago.

Better weather tonight, practically mild as we headed up to the Craven Vale estate to help local residents keep the borders tidy. Jobs included weeding a border to keep a path clear, cutting back lavender (lovely smell!), weeding some steps and digging over a grassy area to start a kitchen garden for the community centre.

Nick was delighted with what we achieved and hopefully we will be going back to help them out some more in the coming months.

Task complete we headed off to Queens Park for a fitness session including press ups and plank with renegade rows, focussing on keeping the arms going straight back, as that’s what they should be doing when you run.

Next week we’re going to the school garden task that was cancelled in last weeks snow. Sign up here . We’ll be staying for our monthly social after.

And monthly parkrun meet up will be at Preston park on Saturday. Let us know if you’re coming here.

Apologies for lack of pictures. Just spent a very painful hour uploading these 5!

Keep on running!

It was back up Hangover Hill aka Meusli Mountain almost to the top of Brighton via Albion Hill tonight to finish off what we started way back at the beginning of January.

But first we warmly welcomed Emma & Lauren for their first GG experience, and also to Brighton native but Greenwich Goodgymmer Sarah. We love having new people and visitors so we were very spoilt tonight to have 3 of you! We also congratulated Michaelon equalling his PB at Hove Prom parkrun on Saturday and Helena for getting a course PB at Preston Park parkrun. Well done!

Before we set off we continued our focus on good running posture. Sometimes doing it wrong helps you realise when you’re doing it right so we played a game of rocks and feathers where you pretended to be carrying a heavy backpack of rocks to contrast with running light with a backpack full of feathers. And we carried our pretend feathers all the way up to the top of Hanover, which didn’t seem to cause any of you any problems at all. Awesome stuff!

Viv and David met us and set us to work clearing vegetation from a narrow path and bank at the rear of the council run property. This will enable the residents to access the garden and washing lines much more easily. We chopped back shrubs, pulled up dead grasses, swept the path clear, bagged up the debris and Jamie was a demon litter picker and filled an entire bin bag with rubbish. The final challenge was, like last time, getting all the vegetation into the back of Cllr David’s car! It was a tight squeeze but we just about managed it.

We squeezed in a quick fitness session focussing on glute strength with some short hill sprints, one leg deadlifts, lunge kicks and glute kickbacks before heading back to base where we wished Michael & Emma the best of luck with the Brighton Half marathon on Sunday. I’ll be there looking out for you to give you a big cheer, and of course you can give them a virtual cheer on the GG website.

Next week is our first visit to a school and this one has fabulous views over the city so sign up here.

(Apologies for lack of photos, various excuses incuding phone batteries, unfamiliar technology, dark and small spaces!)