Our regular Thursday Achilles session took place at Paddington Recreation Ground. The cool breeze and the freshness brought by the morning rain made the run much more comfortable after London's recent heatwaves. There was an excellent turnout, with 16 runners and 14 guides attending the session. Three of the guides were volunteers from GoodGym, and we also had additional volunteers helping by looking after participants' bags, which was greatly appreciated. The session offered a variety of options to suit everyone's goals and abilities. Some participants chose to do interval training, others focused on sprint sessions, while some ran at a specific pace. There were also runners who preferred to run without a distance target and simply see how they felt on the day. In addition, some participants opted for a walk rather than a run. It was incredibly rewarding to see how happy the Achilles members were to have someone to talk to and guide them through the busy surroundings of Paddington Recreation Ground. The sense of support, companionship, and inclusion continues to make these sessions such a positive experience for everyone involved.

Eight GoodGymers helped out with packing away tables and sorting through rotting veg after a busy evening at the food hub.

Loved the random assortment of food up for grabs including some vegan train food. Some of us went home very well stocked which is always an added bonus.

Nice to see some new faces and hope you got a good taster of what we get up to.

Another lovely evening session with Achilles UK. Great turnout with loads of VI Runners, Guides, 2 wheelchair athletes and 2 dogs.

As usual, we introduce ourselves and say what distance and pace we are going to do in order to match up. We were happy to see Peter back with us in his wheelchair after a accident a few weeks ago during a challenge - he is on the mend. We also had Ben, a wheelchair athlete and when it was his turn to introduce himself, he said I am Ben and tonight I am going to zoom...so he was going to go fast. Maybe because he did a PB the previous night on a 10km race. In the downhill I could not keep up with him.

David and I arrived at Mr M's to be met by his wife who explained that all she needed doing was moving a sofa bed from the living room (to create space for her husband's hospital bed) into the spare room next door, which she had worked impressively hard to clear.

Being self appointed "experts" on bed moving, we quickly sized up the challenge, removed the loose cushions, turned the sofa bed on its side, and got as far as the living room door where we discovered it wouldn't quite fit through...so not really experts after all.

Not to be deterred, we removed the cover, foam mattress and blanket, which slimmed the sofa enormously, and we were winning.

With the sofa bed reconstructed in its new location next door, and all cushions replaced, we asked Mr M's wife if she needed anything else shifting, but she seemed happy with our work, and that anything else could be pushed aside as and when the hospital bed arrived.

Mr M was honest enough to admit that when he'd first considered digging up the two "plants" in his front garden so that they could be moved a few months ago, they really were just "plants"...as opposed to the small trees they'd become now.

Armed with a great array of tools, most of which were needed as the ground was rock solid, we got to work on the living tree that he does want to replant in his back garden, and after a bit of judicious digging, cutting of a few roots and much brute force, it came loose and we had it bagged and moved.

The second tree, now sadly expired, but still needing to be removed, proved an easier task as the soil was a bit softer around its roots, and by now we were experts with the tools and the level of force that needed applying. Again after much pushing and pulling and cutting, the roots came loose and it lifted out ready for disposal.

We levelled the disturbed soil, brushed the pebbles back over, and you'd never know they'd even been there...

For those of a certain (pre-screen) age, and to while away long car journeys, you used to play a game where each player in turn added an item to an ever increasing shopping list...until someone's memory failed them and they were out.

Today was a return to that game for Mr M - "I'd like the same as last week, but one more vegetable soup, and this particular loaf of bread"...of course I could have noted it all down on my phone, but where's the fun in that...