What a night! ...We couldn't beleaf it!!!

We were leafed out in the cold :-(

Well we have news for you universe , we can too handle a 10km run on top of a task! However if you think thats too much for us to take on we'll do sprints and a fitness session PLUS the 10km run instead....ain't no one gonna POUND us down to the ground (We might reach down and pick up a Euro though eh Chris and Eva!!)

18 runners braved a complex warm up under the romantic setting of a single street light on Richmond Green before running near 5km to Whitton Youth Zone. 'Just go straight, cant be that hard right? We have been there before', well lets just say everything looks different on a dark winters night. As the middle group were deciding which turning was the right turning, Kate came to the rescue and did indeed take us along the next right turning. Thank you Kate and well done to Laura for Backmarking as well!

Right, OK, we are here and looking forward to pulling that Ivy, digging up those weeds and getting the garden area ship shape BUT 'Whitton' see this coming, what happened? We were there, Mark was there, but the task owner wasn't. After trying to track Mandy down it was clear we were out of luck. Had our run become 'Undone' - there was some deliberation about new task verses run verses fitness session but we did what we do best and still managed to find a way we could do some good. We rolled up our sleeves, put on our gloves (and some of us held our noses) and rid the car park of leaves, rubbish and some unsightly objects.

But thats not all! We do good but we also get fit , so, not only did we run slightly shy of 5km back but some of us teamed up to sprint segments of it AND once back on the Green we threw ourselves into Marks creative and impromtu fitness session.

It may not have been the night we were expecting but we ran, we did good, we got fit and we did it together!

Well done Jane and Georgia on your 2nd run!

Look forward to seeing you all next week guys!

Don't forget there is a mission up for grabs for next Monday https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/furniture-move-from-upstairs-to-down-and-vice-versa There is a Fulham 10km this weekend https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/adidas-city-run-fulham10k-race-volunteering And a few community missions too on the horizon - one this Friday and look out for following Santa for Spear too!

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 ; - )

What a great run, a great task, a great charity, in a great building but most of all what a awesome bunch of people I run with! Shame about their pun though!!!!

We warmed up after greeting Emma on her first GG run and welcomed back Jason and Yesim on their 2nd good deed with the team. Our warm up was outside Wholefoods and kept to as brief as could be so we could maximise our time on the road and at the task. Catching the very last of the sunset on the river, headtorches bobbed along the towpath, past Ham House and over Teddington Lock (did anyone else smell that lovely chimney as we passed over the bridge) to The Landmarks Art Centre. A Community centre in a grade 2 listed 18th century building. It is run by a charity that house so many great activities and functions for the community of Teddington and beyond. We were met by the lovely smiling face of Sian who is a trustee for the centre and made us super welcome before joining us as we got stuck into the task of Ivy removal.

Ivy had overstayed her welcome and infact branched out just far more than could be tolerated anymore so secateurs, loppers and bins in hand we went to get her off the railings around the centre. Still charged from the 5km run to get to the site we carried on with the same tenacity to remove as much we could in 20 mins or so and left the railings looking all the neater for it. We pulled heaps away but there was just that one that we couldn't pull out (wasn't there Anita) as time had run out

Deep breath and in good tempo we made the 5km back look easy

GG Richmond you were as ever fantastic tonight - I know as Iv-y seen it with my own eyes - well done all

News and things we mentioned before the run are as follows

Broadgate tower run up 840 steps - Interested then mail me and I can forward you some more details GG social in London is here https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-social-the-birthday-edition-again if you would like to attend

Next weeks run is closed now for sign ups - but if you missed listing and still want to attend please mail me and I will see what we can do!

Mark threw it all at us tonight – yoga, karate, tempo runs and a long hill climb up Church Road towards the Star & Garter before freewheeling down to Petersham Farm. The view at the top of Richmond Hill was a pretty good reward for the steady climb up Church Road, or at least it would have been if my vision hadn’t been blurred by the lack of oxygen to my brain after I had puffed my way to the top.

Which way???? #Richmond #goodgym #running #mondayfun #warmup pic.twitter.com/QczClHya7O

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) September 10, 2018

Tonight’s task for the 20-strong team of runners who set off together from Wholefoods Richmond was litter-picking. We donned some very attractive high vis jackets, heavy duty gloves and the GoodGymer’s weapon of choice, the litter picker, courtesy of our lovely task host who had stayed to meet us and direct us into groups in various different directions. I do love a good litter pick, especially in the dark: torches bobbing through the undergrowth accompanied by the sporadic exclamations of gleeful surprise when someone pulls up something particularly curious. Wombles of Wimbledon eat your heart out.

Here they come...oh no! There they go! #goodgym #runningdrills #fitness #volunteering pic.twitter.com/cT4IqDYZC3

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) September 10, 2018

We have sometimes been disappointed by Richmond borough’s lack of litter on our litter picking tasks, but tonight it didn’t take us long to amass a good few bags of rubbish (which was satisfying but disappointing for a different reason), leaving just enough time for a low-light ‘guess who’ group photo at the end and a nice downhill jog for home base.

Welcome to our three first time runners, Yesim, Gemma and Leah, and lovely to see everyone else returning along with our regular GoodGym Kingston visitors.

Good luck to all our runners doing the Richmond Runfest next weekend. We definitely need to see photos of your pirate costumes. (I really hope you get a parrot, Jenna…)

Next week we’re back at one of our biggest task supporters, the ETNA community centre in St Margarets, for some green-fingered goodness. Bring your head torches and a pass out for pub grub and drinks in Richmond after the run. And do bling it up with your running medals, all you racers from Richmond RunFest this weekend. Bask in the glory of your well-earned pirate treasure. Ooh arr me hearties.