An amazing 44 GG Yorkies ran to St Nicks for an epic log sawing task!

Paul came along for his first ever group run with us tonight so give him a big old cheer. We also need to give some massive cheers to Jeff because he came to do good with us on his birthday AND banned birthday squats, an unprecedented move but once which pleased lots of people.

If you make anyone exercise in my honour, I won't provide cake! Jeff

We arrived at St Nicks and were met by Maria who not only challenged us to saw many logs of varying shapes and sizes, but also challenged us to build a wood store using some planks, bits of wood and plastic sheets. It's fair to say her expectations of how the wood store might end up, were not high.

A team of eight created a project plan for the wood store construction whilst everyone else split into pairs or threes and grabbed a saw and a log. When there were no more logs, we sent people to get more.

If you haven't got wood, come with me!

New logs were arriving thick and fast by the barrow-load and everyone was working quickly to saw the logs into 30cm(ish) long pieces. There was an intriguing array of sawing techniques going on including lots of bum wiggling and Babs sawing whilst running on the spot to keep warm.

The wood store team were on top form and kept calling me and Maria over to proudly show us their perfectly measured sawn planks and their expert tongue and groove fittings.

Look at our diagonal strut! You should make up a 'diagonal strut exercise' to celebrate - Nick

Abigail and Lucy were trying to saw an especially girthy log with the shortest saw I've ever seen. The rate of sawing action was off the chart. Flying insect wings don't even move that fast.

Why are we doing this? Max

Good question Max! Maria explained that the donated wood will be "seasoned" (fancy word for "dried) and after a year or so it will be used as firewood to actually heat the Environment Centre, making it even more sustainable.

In just 30 minutes we had created a huge pile of sawn logs and I have to give massive kudos to the wood store team for creating and constructing something completely robust and very impressive. Maria's mind was totally blown.

After a group picture we split into two groups with an easy-paced running group heading back whilst a faster-paced running group stayed back to form a human log chain and get all those logs into the new wood store.

We're having a log of fun!

We finished up staying on the woody theme with a few planking exercises to finish a brilliant evening.

Next week is my last ever group run as the boss, let's make it a massive one!

An amazing 37 turned out to help with three tasks in the Groves

We welcomed along three brand new runners; the McAvoy clan of Nichola, Susan and Richard, one new-to-York and ex Norwich GoodGymer, [Rowena] who had met a bunch of the GoodGym crew whilst volunteering at junior parkrun and last but not least, an Adi who we all know from junior parkrun fame and had decided to come along and see what this GoodGym business was all about. Big cheers for all five of them!

Massive kudos to CENTURION CARL who did his 100th good deed tonight and shall run in the Centurion Cape next week.

Sadly our main bulb planting task had been scuppered as the bulbs hadn't arrived but there wasplenty to do and once we arrived at a central location, we split into three groups.

Group ONE headed to the Secret Garden with Jane

It's not that secret, I can see it from the street - Stef

Most of the team busied themselves planting crocus and daffodil bulbs in various flowerbeds whilst others dug up turf to make way for some new raised beds. Ed did the extremely vital role of leaning on a spade and initiating some debate about the plural of 'crocus'.

Group TWO weeded and extended the borders with Sara in the YUMI/Flower Power corner plot, cleared leaves and dug out borders around the trees.

Neatest border EVER (Izzy and Charlotte both LOVE a straight line)

Group THREE ran across the road to meet Vicky and Groundsman Gary in Park Grove Academy where they were tasked with cutting down a lot of willow which will be used by the kids to weave a giant wigwam.

Our walk leader and resident lumberjack Ellie was in her element, clambering amongst the willow and cutting down the biggest branches she could reach. Whilst half the team were sawing and generating a huge pile of willow, the other half dug up saplings and cleared the urban buzz garden so the wild flowers can thrive again next year.

Teams one and two finished a massive ten minutes ahead of schedule and were rewarded with a mini circuit of:

• hurdles
• press-ups
• tricep dips
• squats

...before running across the school field to help move the giant pile of willow. Anyone that stood still for too long ran back for a second circuit whilst the very last willow branch was being cut down. Tim was in charge of the circuit-zone and had added can-can kicks to the regime whilst Leanne added lunges for good measure.

That's the first time I've EVER done a lunge - Adi

We had one last run across the school field and attempted a group photo on the climbing wall before giving up and doing a normal one.

If that isn't enough good for you, there are community missions a-plenty this week so come and get involved!.