I’ve been helping out with GoodGym at Odd Down Junior Parkrun for more than five years now and you’d have thought I’d have got the hang of it by now. But it seems there is still more to learn. In a good way!

It’s great to encourage the young runners as they make their way round the cycle track with a high five. We celebrate their achievement so far and encourage them on their challenge but, until Sunday, I had no idea that there is so much more to a foam hand. By that I mean the magic of the “power-up”. Just like in a computer game, a touch of the marshal’s hand can give a welcome energy boost and see the athletes onto personal bests. How good is that?

Thanks to Tanya for joining me in the magic of marshalling. Together with the other Parkrun volunteers we saw 127 children meet their 2km target - with the odd power-up helping them on their way.

Goodgymmers were welcomed by blue sky and a spitfire flypast at Brickfields parkrun so it was already a great day before we'd even got going! Having been assigned our marshaling points the run director gave us brief instructions, all while an inflatable birthday cake was getting ready in the background - a bit surreal for a Saturday morning. Out on the course we cheered a record number of participants along their way, including the aforementioned cake which arrived at the finish line to much applause. A happy couple of hours well spent in great company helping a wonderful health initiative. Volunteering at parkrun is very easy and everyone is welcoming and supportive, so why not give it a try next time, it's a piece of cake!

Many hands made light work at Grow for Life's Walled Garden when 6 Bath Goodgymmers arrived to help tackle various jobs in this wonderful walled garden used for therapeutic horticulture sessions. The hedge line was cleared of weeds ready for trimming, compost was turned, a mountain of woodchip was tamed and there were many trips to the dead hedge across the lane in the orchard with all of the debris created! Thanks to all and congratulations to Daniel on your first official Goodgym task too!

Did you know that jelly beans and flat coke are ideal for long distance walkers? Apparently they are highly effective budget-friendly rocket fuel. The cola is flat to provide a quick energy hit without the bloating associated with fizz.

Clearly, the organisers of the Alongside Circuit of Bath fundraiser had done their research. You could tell by the way the event was planned with 4x4 drivers and paramedics at hand and manned checkpoints along the 20 mile route circling Bath.

GoodGym Bath has supported the charity formerly known as Julian House for a number of years but this time was different. Firstly it now has a new name - Alongside- to reflect the way it comes alongside people facing homelessness and domestic abuse. Secondly, it offered a mini-route more suitable for families at ‘just’ 11k long. Thirdly, everyone went one way for 2026 - clockwise. And finally this year runners were also invited to take part. This is one of Alongside’s biggest fundraisers for the work it does and the organisation must be hoping these changes will bring in more money.

GoodGym Bath’s role was to join one of the checkpoint teams - in this case the penultimate one at St Gregory’s School. We clapped the participants in, took down their numbers and made sure they were fed and watered. My job was to stamp their maps to make sure each achievement was registered. Quite a few dogs took on the course, including Bailey in the photos. Maybe next year they’ll get their own medal.

After a few hours volunteering I obviously had to test the power of the beans (a few times) and I can say they definitely fuelled my walk home.

Inspired by the Slow Ways initiative that aims to verify a network of thousands of walking and cycling routes across the UK, Goodgymers from Bath donned their walking boots and took to the Kennet and Avon canal path from Bath to Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire.

It's arguably one of the most beautiful "Slow Ways" in the country. Meyrick, who selected the route, was accompanied by Cosmo, Jer, Mary, Ruth and Jane and her equally beautiful dog, Ted, who had more energy than all of us.

Along the way we enjoyed fantastic views. There were narrowboats with amazing paintwork and names, reflections in the water, wonderful scenes and lots of other towpath users, including four swans.

Jane, who is a boat dweller herself, bumped into quite a few people she knew too.

The main danger - apart from the fact that you are heading alongside a waterway - was probably from cyclists but they all used their bells - and one whistled - and we travelled without incident.

We think this was a record length of mission - more than four hours. It provided an opportunity for us all to get to know each other better and was time well spent.

I know I started to flag a bit in the second half of the journey and the prospect of making our way home but I brightened up at the prospect of a lift home. Big thanks to Meyrick who drove over to Bradford first thing and then came back on the train to meet us at the start.

There is a bit of a mystery in that the Slow Ways walk was advertised as around eight miles, yet, according to my Strava we walked 11.4 miles. This might have something to do with the detour we made along the Somerset Coal Canal for a light lunch at the Angelfish cafe.

We did lose one Goodgymer along the way but she went on to greater things. Mary, who is in training, left us near Avoncliff to do the journey back to Bath on foot. She could have gone the distance but was put off by the prospect of it getting dark.

Well done to Meyrick for organising the mission and Mary for her impressive contribution.

Note: You may wonder why I'm wearing a fez in the pictures - I'm taking part a fundraising challenge.

It seems that after the driest summer since records began no one expects a downpour but Sunday was that day. St Philip’s Church in Odd Down, Bath organises a special “One-2-One” meal for people in the community to combat loneliness. GoodGym Bath helps out by delivering takeaways to vulnerable residents who can’t make it to the church.

This month we were given five roast turkey dinners to deliver across the area - a trek of more than three miles and, with the rain pouring down, it was a case of #dogoodgetwet rather than #dogoodgetfit.

Everyone was really pleased to see me and didn’t even mind that the paper takeaway bags didn’t survive the torrents. They say the roasts are a thing of wonder.