This event was a one off special for Imperial university student.

Emma, a warden in Falmouth halls had put together a term of Sunday night activities that all help to improve student’s mental and physical well being. She had ask goodgym to come and host a run for the students.

We had organised to help deliver flyers promoting the UK’a first recruitment centre for disadvantaged young people and adults. You can find more about them here.

We delivered around Chelsea Manor Peabody estate and Lawrence Street Peabody estate in Chelsea. This took us on a lovely 5km run past the V&A, around the streets of Chelsea and down to the river and back.

Flyering on the fly

With our task for the night cancelled just hours before we were due to meet for our regular group run, I had come up with a new good deed for the gang to help with. Thankfully a couple of our runners had helped out a local arts charity called Uthink for last two weekends with some painting and already had some leaflets from them for us to deliver. But this pile wasn’t going to be enough, so I arranged to pick up more on our run. And so the night unfolded as follows:

We started off our night with our usual welcome speech and an unusually vague “wait and see” briefing of our night’s task, (as I still wasn’t totally sure until we arrived at UThink). Following on from this we headed outside for a warmup and then headed off to pick up the flyers.

Once we arrived at Uthink’s gallery space on the corner of Winslow road we met Viv there a volunteer who’s been helping the charity organise their program of events. She gave us a little introduction about UThink and the H&F art festival they would soon be hosting. Our task for the evening was to deliver their flyers about the art classes they run and the art festival into local shops, cafes and pubs up the Fulham Palace road. So we did just that and also delivered some in the Hammersmith shopping centre too.

After losing people and finding them and then losing some more people and find them... we head off to the river for a bit more of a run and a fitness session.

Ring of exercises

This week’s fitness session was devised by the group. We all stood in a group and took turns picking the next exercise. It ended up including a lot of pressed-up related exercises (no-one can blame me tomorrow for achey arms).

At times on the run it felt like we’d barely run anywhere except around in circles but we actually clocked up 5.77km in the end. Thanks for sticking with it guys! #dogoodgetfit

Well that’s what we thought the loud dog was trying to say to us when it was making all that noise during the warm up outside Wholefoods! After a quick briefing from Mark we got on with our stretching and lunging paying particular attention to our leg muscles today. Tibialis muscles and gastrocnemius to be specific as well as those that lead down into the foot. This is our second week into exploring some strength exercises specific for running.....guess we just need to start incorporating them into our routines. Definitely by February anyway once the Jan Challenge is complete!

Jason and David started us off at a brisk pace straight away and we all somehow managed to keep up as we raced through the streets of Richmond and East Sheen. We were greeted at the door of Thomson House School by the very lovely Jeremy, who wasn’t expecting so many of us to turn up ready for some physical education! After a brief moment of disbelief he swiftly put the kettle on before handing out cloths, mops and all purpose cleaner. There was heaps to do in this 200 year old (approx) converted Church which now houses some of the older years in this growing Mortlake school. Before long the muddy shoe rack had gone from NO to GLOW, the windows from SMEAR to CLEAR and the floor from NEIN to SHINE. We mopped, we hoovered and we polished, stopping only for a cup of tea and a chocolate digestive. Except for Vicky, who didn’t even stop, but continued with a tea in one hand and Henry hoover in the other. Time was up, and if Mark hadn’t told us that, the confused zumba class that walked in definitely meant that we were on our last number. Turning our backs on the empty mugs and dancers, off we headed back along Upper Richmond Road and back to Wholefoods in another fast-paced jog. Seems the biscuits were fuel injected judging some of the speeds we were seeing.

Welcome to Aran on his first run and what a pace too! Also Sundara and Jules joining us again on the second run out to do good with Richmond ....great stuff!

News and updates ... Last call for anyone interested in a London Marathon Slot running for the Poppy Factory! Let me know if interested

Next week is leaflets with a difference..it's a race 3 teams - 3 locations and we race the clock and each other. Speed training for all levels!! (ooohh so exciting!) Please bring a head torch and a small back pack will be most useful for you - or a coat with big pockets - Your call!!

As it stands we sit at 51 deeds out of a 120 target....this will be at 65 by end of today. I thought we were slightly further along so all hinges on next week...bring a friend eh! Also we are at 556km's and target was estimated at 840. We still have 10 days so log every step you take Richmond ; )

Have a great week Richmond and happy running!

3 Thorns Down - Hack and run

This week's run broke a record for the amount of new people along on my watch! They even out numbered the regulars. Welcome Rebecca, Anil, Athene, Jules, Emma & Claire.

Do the fox trot

We started off the night talking about the different ways to do Goodgym, our running total on the January Challenge and then the hilarity of multiple health and safety mitigations for our task including foxes, darkness, thorns and pot holes. After a head count took us to 13 people, we headed outside to do a dynamic warm up.

Welcome to the bramble scramble

Our task for the night was to revisit for a third time a garden in Fulham. The elderly residents at this council owned property were no longer able to handle the garden and as a result enormous brambles had taken over. We had been asked to help chop them back. Each time we’ve visited the gang have got a vast amount done in a short amount of time. Working really well as a team, swapping tools and taking turns holding the batlights for the others to see. Once our time slot was up, we grabbed a team photo and headed on our way.

Ian, the housing manager from the council, who had arranged for our visit said "we can't thank you enough for you effort and time. It's made a massive difference”.

Whistle workout

On the journey back we added an extra kilometre to the run by going by the river. Plus to warm us up and give our legs a good workout we played Indian file. Each time the whistle was blown, the runner at the back of the group had to speed up to the front and then set a comfortable pace.

Once back at base, we did some static stretches to cool down and had a reminder about the social after the following week's run.