2 GoodGymers met up for a very sweaty interval session.

It's no secret that interval or Fartlek training can be incredibly helpful for developing speed. It doesn't make it any easier though !

This Wednesday James and Alexandra took on a the rolling inclines of War Memorial Park for a tough 6x800m session. It might not look like it, but those inclines really get to you after a few reps!

Meeting up at the Memorial monument, we decided on an 800m warm up to map out the route as there was no doubt that James would be miles ahead at the word "go". Dodging between puppies and toddlers, we made it past the car park to the park's main opening, taking on a tough incline in between. The first 3 minute recovery went by much much too fast and we were off back the way we came. Reps 2-4 were very much an uphill battle with Alex just barely keeping James' red GoodGym t-shirt in her sights, giving him an extra few seconds of recovery while she made up the distance. The final two reps meant one big uphill and one big downhill and plenty of huffing and puffing to finish off. Surprisingly, target pace was maintained throughout and it made for a genuinely good workout (and if you include the warm-up, we technically overachieved by 1 rep).

An exhausted static stretch and short walk to the car park later and we parted ways for a restful evening. Sessions like these are a good reminder that it doesn't get easier, you just get stronger!

This was part two of our efforts to shift the remnants of the Christmas tree chippings into the maze on behalf of Myton Hospice and Pass the Smile for Ben. It was a lovely day at Russells Garden Centre and the perfect day for some hard work!

After meeting our task owner Tim at the greenhouse, it was time to head down to the mouth of the maze with wheelbarrows, rakes and shovels in tow. Faced with two mercifully smaller piles than the last visit, we set ourselves the challenge of filling as many wheelbarrows as possible before our 2-hour session was up. After making the first trip, Laura made the discovery that the weeds were much (much), taller than the last visit and some new stinging nettles had also made an appearance. Navigating our way through the growth while also trying to remember the route in and out of the maze was beginning to prove difficult, but we powered through and before we knew it, we were at 18 barrels.

Just as we were beginning to slow down, Graeme arrived to give us a much needed boost. Often carting one wheelbarrow on top of another, Graeme had our trip numbers shooting up while the chippings pile got smaller and smaller. As the session drew to a close and we emptied our 35th wheelbarrow, we took a satisfied glance at out handwork before snapping a quick selfie and returning our equipment to the greenhouse.

It's always a lovely time at the Garden Centre and there is plenty more work to do so look out for future sessions at Russells if you think this might be of interest to you!

2 Goodgymers tested their endurance with the Coventry Sprint Triathlon.

Katherine's start time was first so she had completed her swim before Nigel entered the pool but appreciated his support from the balcony.

Having been chilly before the start, adrenaline kicked in as we moved from the swim to the bike with no chance to get cold. This year there were a few additional sets of traffic lights due to HS2 which unfortunately Katherine got caught in 3 times and Nigel twice, but this will be taken into account for the final times.

Despite jelly legs for the first half of the run - the downhill on the way back gave us a bit of a boost for the finish, along with the great support from the marshals all the way around the course. Many thanks to Coventry Triathletes for organising such a great event.

Final results TBC once the traffic light delays have been taken into account!

Loved seeing a partially sighted competitor taking part on a tandem - this really is such an inclusive sport and I would encourage anyone who hasn't done a tri and fancies it, to give it a try! :-)

This Wednesday's session was hill focused and we felt it for sure!

We met at Abbey Fields car park to take advantage of the very steep hill and lovely views. After a post-marathon catch-up with Allan, we were off through the park to the bottom of the hill. We began with two acceleration drills, aiming to ensure that we focused on form on the hills and sidestepping a few puppies along the way.

After 4 rounds of each drill, we were ready to up the intensity and start sprinting. Each rep consisted of a 15 second sprint up the hill, a one minute pause and then a 15 second steady paced run down the hill, keeping the knees and ankles stable. Although short, this session was enough to get to really get the heart rate up while working on power for those last few strides of the race!

Once we managed to catch our breath, James led us back to the car park where we stretched gently before heading home. As the weather gets more accommodating, there will be plenty more fitness sessions listed!

3 Goodgymers ran to help tidy the gardens at Guys Cliffe House.

Another day, another Guys Cliffe Group Run!

After a quick stretch at St Nicholas' Park, we were off on the 2km run to the site with James bravely leading us up the hill. On arrival, we were handed rakes and other tools and tasked with piling up the loose blades of grass from the freshly cut lawn. Despite the wind NOT being on our side, we worked as a team to gather up as much as we could and load it into the tractor for disposal. After an hour of back-bending work, we were satisfied that the pile looked satisfyingly large, we headed up the hill for our group photo before we were back on our feet for the run back. For a second post-surgery run, Alexandra managed to keep up (just about!) and the group made it back to St Nick's for a good stretch before heading off for the evening.

Always a pleasure to be back at Guys Cliffe and we'll definitely be there again in the next few weeks !

3 GoodGymers ran to help clear up the green spaces at the Kenilworth Centre.

What a wonderful day for a first run back! Having taken a month off exercise to recover from back surgery, it was lovely to get the legs turning again for a Group Run. And what better way to do it than alongside Katherine and our newest member Jelka.

After a quick chitchat in the Abbey Fields car park, we were off up Abbey Hill at a brisk power walking pace to ease Alexandra back into some cardio for the first time in a while. On arriving at the centre, we saw that everything was laid out conveniently for us and got stuck in. With Katherine on litter picking duty, Jelka and Alex tackled the overgrown shrubbery around the shed. Despite the deceptively cold weather, we made quick work of the trash and the weeds, disposing of everything in the appropriate bins.

After one final trip to the compost heap and depositing the keys into the letterbox, we made our way back towards the car park. Feeling empowered by a job well done, we even braved a light jog down Abbey Hill! A final stretch and some outdoor clothing recommendations later and we went our separate ways.