WOW, WOW, and WOW. What a brilliant evening at Goodgym Bexley last night. Not only were all distance running records broken it was possibly the most unusual task we have done to date. As deadline for arriving at Crooklog arrived, 13 Bexley Goodgymers were on the start line. Some looking a little nervous, some ready to get out there and conquer. By conquer i mean we had a mountain to climb to get to our task. That mountain being Shooters Hill!!! Big hi 5 to Ashley for joining us for the first time. We hope you had a blast. Let me tell you, there's nothing quite the feeling of belonging as you head out in our group weaving in and out of the commuters and shoppers all eager to get to our task at the Oxleas Apiary That belonging became really important when we reached the bottom of Shooters Hill as we coached and encouraged everyone that needed it to the summit.

That belonging became really important when we reached the bottom of Shooters Hill as we coached and encouraged everyone that needed it to the summit.

On arrival we were greeted with massive smiles from John and friends and shown to the Apiary and the big task at hand. After a quick drink it was down to work. We were all offered bee suits but everyone declined. I'm not sure if that was due to not wanting to put people out, or just bravery on everyones part but we started working suitless. It wasn't till around 4 minutes in when Neil took a sting that everyones bravery subsided and it was suits on, hahaha.......... I would just like to say that this wasn't just a brilliant task, it was an education lesson. John couldn't of been a better host as he filled everyone with knowledge about the bee world. It is really so fascinating and we left the task with a massive new insight into the world of bees. Thank you. Well just as we were finishing the heavens decided to open up and after getting 16 people into a shed (another task conquered :-) ) to try and keep a little dry it was decided it was time to brave our run home in the rain. Before i sign out bee fact Bees have around 3 to 5 days of life left when you see them flying around. When you see them exhausted on the floor they are coming to the end of their life. Giving them sugar water etc will not make them better or live any longer. Well thats was it. We all made it back in one happy peace. All very chuffed we had run up and back down Shooters Hill. Well done Bexley Goodgymers, you rocked!! Tonights Heroes........ JANINE, NEIL, LIZ, LUCY, PETER, TANYA, SHARINE, SARAH, SUSAN, ASHLEY, FIONA, ROSE and ME.......

As the nights draw in (yes, really) 21 runners covered 7km, swept away sycamore seeds, shifted, lifted, pulled and painted and enjoyed the view.

Every so often we get all excited and plan ahead for what we might do to celebrate a fellow runner's milestone, but sometimes someone might like to quietly put their head down and get on with it, without saying anything. Tonight Jacqueline did just that and completed her 100th good deed!! I only know this now, from looking at her Strava entry, 'My 100th GoodGym at the Seniors'. She's a cheeky one, sneaking that past us without saying. We're fond of a celebration here in Lewisham and WILL NOT be letting this one go without a knees up, so a social is now on the cards for the week after next. Congratulations Jacqueline, we're all very proud and very surprised at the same time :)

Thank you to Steve for the excellent - and apt - title pun!

Lots of our regulars are off enjoying the sunshine elsewhere at the moment, but very kindly keeping us updated, with daily photo updates of sunrise/sunset runs, poolside relaxation and red t-shirts on tour. Those of us still here in a slightly grey south east London (possibly due to the eclipse?) were undeterred by a bit of gloom and were all set for some hills. Joining us this week, all the way from the east was Ian, the trainer for soon-to-launch GoodGym Ipswich. We love welcoming new trainers and showing them the sights, so really put Ian through his paces by appointing him back-marker, along with Sean and Stephen, who are very familiar with the route to Seniors.

Before we headed out to warm up, we had a little celebration of milestones, with a grand presentation of three lovely black 50 t-shirts to Helen, Kim and Stephen, who have been waiting patiently to be able to show off their achievement. Well done you three, I can't wait to see you wearing your tops with pride.

The run over to Seniors is a longer one, but we love the extra opportunity to chat and catch up on the weekend's gossip. It's also a hilly run, but we ran hard and it was great to see everyone picking up the pace to reach the top, even if it was just 'to get it over with'. At Seniors, we were met by Cathy and Norma, who had a few different tasks waiting for us. Cathy went through the various jobs for tonight and everyone found a role and got stuck in. As you can see from the photos, the garden is vast, so there is ample opportunity to spread out and find yourself an area to work in. Tonight's jobs were painting the garden chairs (there are still many more to complete, but what a joy to see some (three) chairs being finished!) and sweeping up sycamore seeds - these pesky fellas are very good (and quick) at taking root and, before you know it, you've got a sapling to deal with.

At the far end, a team of gardeners set to, pulling up the bindweed, which had wound itself around anything that lay in its path, covering a whole area of ground around the raised beds. Along the side of the building were some pallets, which were carried over and laid down next to the existing beds, creating a foundation for some recycled art-handling containers, now destined to become raised beds themselves. In the middle of all this was a shed with a barbecue in it. This barbecue needed pulling out and, to do this, Sean and Michael pulled out everything else and had a jolly good spring clean along the way, great work!

That's an awful lot of work, completed in just half an hour, creating little pockets of transformation throughout the space.

Our return leg took us up and over (again, really well done on the hill climbing everyone, sterling work!). A trip to these parts wouldn't be complete without pausing to enjoy the view of a lit-up London from the top of Blythe Hill, just gorgeous!

Next week we will head out to Crofton Park Community Garden, to work on some more digging, shifting, weeding and so on. I will be away, so this run will be led for the first time by our run leader Conroy. Why not sign up and join in?

An amazing 8 braved the weather to run 5k all the way from Willesden to Wembley and can...Someone call the 'Plum-ererrr, we got flushed out!!

It was a wet and wild time down at Wembley community orchard for our tasking this week!! Thinking we'd been super clever and managed to dodge the downpour we arrived at our lovely hosts with 40mins to gift, after powering down the route in 35mins flat!! Oh yes, expect.... it was not all flat oh no... the route had us beasting off not one but TWO epic hills, through Dollis Hill and Neasden!! POW POW

Yes...We were a great little wolf pack, running in formation with 2 beautiful blokes in the 6 strong fruity female fold. Although we nearly didn't have our gallant gents in the mix - a last minute moment of doubt and email exchange between Dinesh and myself, had me persuading our lovely lad to absolutely come down no matter what the rains say!! Oh and Joe just made it aswell, by the skin of his teeth, no less....."I had to stop for doughnuts on the way home" he confessed! But thankfully the sugar-rush got him to the start line, just on time so he could patisserie-pate.

Upon arrival we were met by the wonderful team down at the site, who explained away the giant pile of mulch which needed shovelling into wheelbarrows and running across the fields to be arranged beneath the bases of the apple trees!! Easy enough... we thought.... Then, the heavens opened and what was a running session turned into a swimming one, as we battled the heaviest downpour I've ever experienced at an outdoor Goodgym task!! Eeekkkkk!!!!

But no fear, the rain made the team Water-Rapid and the barrows filled up fast with mulch getting delivered to its new homes, as promised!!

As always this crazy crew never fail to make me laugh and feel so proud: Jo, Eliza, Tabitha, Debs, Karen, Joe and Dinesh all laughing and joking the whole time, despite being totally drenched!!! Helping and supporting each other and just making the most fun out of what could have been a totally 'wash-out'! I love this crew!! Even when he was absolutely soaked, we had Dinesh sharing his water-proof jacket with the ladies!! What team spirit..... Although I think he was trying to make up for 'women driver' shout when poor Jo's wheelbarrow collapsed!!

After 40mins of shovelling and delivering I had to unfortunately call end on the task, despite the team not wanting to stop and me literally having to wrestle spaced from hands!!! Tabitha and Joe!!! Lol

But to our delight Stephanie and Daniella, our hosts had arranged a table of home grown goodies for our efforts!! Plums, blackberrys and the good old well known fruit - the biscuit fruit which Eliza tucked into straight away!!

After fond farewells and we will certainly be back!! We turned on our heels and ran the 1 mile jaunt up to Wembley Park Station. Time for some Training as we got to work on pull ups on the tube and Tabitha amazingly demonstrating her circus skills and backwards flip on the bars!!!! Wow!!!

Back home and hugs all round, what doesn't make you wetter makes you stronger!!! And my goodness did we bond in the rain and make the most of this wet and wild night!! Crew Love

So we'll see you next time familia!!!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE

A dozen GGers got down to some shifty business at Willesden's Old Cop Shop and did some hard time, smashing out a serious plyometics session to boot. Pow Pow!! All in a days work for Brent.

Beautiful scenes down in Brent this week where twelve familiar faces came to pay their dues at our on going mission to regenerate the Old Police Station, into a fabulous community base and artistic Hub. Hurrah!!

With housekeeping done and dusted, it took this swift crew of bandits no time at all to jog the short distance of Walm Lane to the task for the eve, of course with much merriment and catch ups chats along the way. YAY!

Greeting us as always with his usual flair was our fav host colin and all of his magical energy and crazy antics, this week included stopping traffic to achieve the ultimate team pic outside our task base!!

After the matrix style vehicle vanquish, the usual catch up tour got underway and the group were led around the site to be shown the already incredible achievements that had been continuing and ones that we of course had contributed to.

To our delight, the many rooms of the building were now clearing of of debris and rubbish and starting to resemble spaces fit for artists studios and community art education spaces! We were also informed by one of Colin's delightful helpers that there would be a screen printing press available for use in only 2 weeks, so fashion bods in the area too could come and get creative for affordable printer rental prices. Amazing!!!!

After the catch up it was quickly down to the tasks at hand which this week consisted of painting walls and floors which Sabina, Debs, Sean and Tabitha tackled with relish. While the rest of the gang took on a massive shifting operation of the last random bits of debris up in the top rooms.

Just to clarify, when I say random I really am not kidding!!!! There were chairs, boxes, tools, sofas.... Of course there was the odd moment of reflection, where Dinesh and I managed to maximise the fun to be had with a mirror. But for the most part it was game faces on and this motley crew got down to some serious shifty business up and down stairs for 30mins of hard-core graft!!

Holding my breath at one point as I witnessed strongman Simon, although as cool as an icebox, shuffling past me, down 2 flights of stairs with a FRIDGE!!! Forget the gym, that's what I call power-lifting!

After a back breaking 45mins the group reconvened together in the courtyard for some final fitness fun to finish the night.

• Crab Walks
• Tuck Jumps
• Comandos
• Burpees
• Partner pistol squats

Workout complete and were even rewarded with some delicious Colin Specials - His homemade banana shakes, sweetened with the honey made by bees on the roof!!! We were buzzing!! You can't get more organic than that!!

Final farewells wished we turned on our heels and flew back the mile run to base, fuelled by our fruity tooty tastes (but Tabitha trying her hardest to forget the dubious equipment it was made with)

Back home and it was stretch and reflect.... No we didn't steal the mirror! But look back and think of how much we'd really achieved in the Police station. It will be so awesome to see the finished base and delight in seeing our contributing names etched into the memory wall as well!!

See you next time fitness familia!!!

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE