For the second week in a row, we had a last minute task cancellation, and once again, our triumphant taskforce overachieved by pulling a trio of tasks out of the bag to replace the original one.

We welcomed Rachel to her first Goodgym task and Marianne to her first Goodgym York session, and congratulated Mitch on his epic PB at Kielder half marathon yesterday.

Then, after a Mr Men themed warm-up, we split into three teams:

Delightful Dom took his team of four around the corner, a whole 140m away, to continue weeding at Prospect Terrace.

He said: A small group braved the 140m run to Prospect Terrace, continuing on the good work started last week. Local councillor, Pete, brought us a heavy bag to fill and we got started.

Four of us cleared weeds from the beds, making space for a wider range of plants and pollinators in the spring. We spent a good chunk of time, and pretty much cleared the beds of all the 'weeds', meaning more plants will have a chance at growing - to the benefit of the humans and pollinators of Prospect Terrace!

We then went on a gentle 1.6km run to cap things off before heading to the Ackhorne

Marvellous Mitch took his team of 8 to meet Valiant Vicky at Park Grove School

(His legs were a bit worn out from his epic run yesterday, so Pete actually led the run, while Mitch pedalled slowly behind!)

Mitch said:

We arrived at Vicky's school and faced the large pile of soil we needed to shift. The task was to barrow and shovel this soil and fill in some raised beds.

In GG fashion we got stuck in. It may have been pitch black, some of us may have forgotten our headtorches, but after 40 minutes we made a massive dent in the pile!

One more session and we will have this pile cleared!

Legendary Leanne took her team of 7 to Fishergate Triangle to continue to prepare the ground for creating a wildflower meadow (aka weeding)

She said:

St Nicks were pleased to find that we could offer an extra session this week which may very well bring us closer to victory in the war against those remarkably resilient weeds. Fortunately they're much easier to dig up nowadays due to our previous efforts, and we managed to (re)clear two significant sections of the triangle. Our task owner, Maeve reported that there should soon be a delivery of woodchip which will be spread over the soil to slow down the regrowth and give the wildflower meadow a chance to get underway.

On the mention of a triangle-based fitness session on the way back to base, a trio of goodgymers mysteriously remembered they had some urgent business to attend to back home, so didn't run back with us. The last four standing made our way to Tower Gardens where we ran some intervals along the sides of the triangle there, and threw in some skipping, lunging and galloping for good measure.

Another successful trio of tasks completed. See you next week for more Goodgym York adventures!

👋 20 GoodGymmers met on a sunny evening for our group run. We were thrilled to welcome a few new faces. Beattie was visiting from London while Paddy has recently moved up after doing a few sessions with GG Bristol. Ivana and Rachel both came along for their first GG sessions tonight. It was brilliant to meet you all and we hope we’ll see you again soon.

🍝 We named, numbered and warmed up while discussing our favourite nostalgic food from childhood. Macaroni cheese was a surprise hit, along with various snacks and the like. We were soon ready to run off for our task.

🍎 We were headed to Leeman’s Park Community Orchard where we were helping Abundance York with various jobs. Mitch and Rich immediately nabbed the litter pickers to form “Team Apple”, also nominating themselves as bad and good apple respectively. Their job was to pick up any windfall apples and assign them into the good or bad apple boxes. Sadly, there were significantly more bad apples than good apples, but that was apparently to be expected and even the bad apples were making their way to the wildlife area so will hopefully help some wildlife.

🍓 Meanwhile, “Team dead raspberry” were cutting back dead raspberry canes to help them regrow and produce more raspberries next summer. Others were tackling the big bramble and thistle patches, with scythes, loppers and forks. Louise was delighted with the progress there, and Paddy seemed equally delighted to get to use a scythe for the first time 💪

🏃‍♀️🏃Lots of progress was made and it was soon time for a group photo before the party pacers started their slightly more leisurely jog back to base. The rest of us did a quick relay-based fitness session (accompanied by a very enthusiastic small dog) before heading to the river towards base.

🦺 Unfortunately, our arrival back to base was delayed after a few eagle-eyed GoodGymmers spotted someone in the river. Some incredibly quick thinking and acting meant we were able to reach her with a life ring and pull her out while Abigail called for an ambulance. Our resident paramedic Lyndsay arrived on scene first and was able to liaise with the ambulance crew when they arrived. Thank you everyone for your heroic efforts that may well have saved someone’s life.

🍻 Once back at base, some of us decided that a pub trip was definitely needed, to end a very unusual evening.

🌦️ 17 GoodGymmers braved the risk of rain for our group run this evening. We were thrilled to welcome Louise back from London and hear about her GG and parkrun adventures down there.

🏃‍♀️🏃 Ed led half the group to Huntington and with a 4k run to get there, they set off swiftly. Here’s what Ed had to say about what they got up to:

🌱 After a lovely run along the river we were greeted by Maria from St Nick's who set us off raking up and disposing of nettles from the side of the river bank. Whilst everyone else armed themselves with rakes, Leanne and Ed became the resident drag act and shifted the nettles on sheets of tarpaulin to nearby wildlife areas. Several nettle stings later, we made our way back to the Priory Centre just in time for a spot of fitness.

🫘 Meanwhile, the rest of us named, numbered and warmed up (in a spot of drizzle) while naming our favourite beans. Baked, haricot, broad and jelly all featured.

🌉 Soon, it was our turn to head off, this time in the direction of Millennium Fields. A river route was chosen as the most desirable and most pleasant it was too.

🌺 We were greeted by Maeve who explained our task - removing all the hay that has been piled up, by putting it into bags/onto a big tarp and dragging it to the compost area. She helpfully explained the reasoning behind this, that leaving it on top of the grass would encourage the growth of docks and nettles rather than the wildflower meadow that is the aim.

✌️ With this understanding, we swiftly set to work with Martin C and Martin B (Martin squared?!) forming a particularly effective team.

🐹 Different approaches were taken to the task, with more or less hay ending up in the bag-holders faces. Debs had an effective rolling method, almost generating bales that were then shoved into the bags (with assistance as Debs basically turned into a walking hay bale and could no looker see said bags). Meanwhile, Abi perfected the flattening approach, lying on the hay to make space for more to be piled on top. She basically took one for the team as it didn’t look the most comfortable surface to lie on. Maybe Abi was experimenting what it feels like for her guinea pigs to lie on hay (whilst also regretting being unable to take it home for them so seeing if she could smuggle some into her pockets?!).

🐶 Not long before finishing, Debs uncovered some dog poo (and unleashed its incredibly strong smell), causing all of us to check our gloves and hands for any that we may have accidentally gathered.

🪿 There was some chat about how geese descend while flying. Most of us didn’t believe Dom’s fact that they turn their bodies upside down while keeping their heads upright, until he provided some evidence of the concept of “whiffling”. So now we’ve all learnt something.

💪 In a trick of perfect timing, we were able to finish moving all the hay at just the right time to finish the session. There was time for a group photo before heading back to meet the other group near our base for some fitness games. After a quick bean game and another of rock, paper, scissors (win you run, lose you lunge), it was time to head back to base and on to the pub.

🙌 Thank you everyone, see you again soon!

☀ 23 excellent GoodGymmers met on a beautifully sunny (if a tad warm) Monday evening. Our warm up question was going to be the best way to cool down on a hot day, so some of us discussed this en route (anything involving cold water was popular, or sorbet if you’re Mitchell, though we never did discover exactly what is done with said sorbet…)

✌ We had two tasks this evening, with half the group led by Vicky and Nick to Hull Road Park for an “emergency” soil-shifting session with Kristina from the council. Here’s what Nick had to say about what they did:

💪 Ten of us ran together at party pace to Hull Road Park to meet lovely Kristina who was waiting with a wheelbarrow for each of us. Leanne, Paul and Steve were fresh from yesterday’s Coniston Marathon so we’re looking forward to a nice light task. Instead we were digging top soil form a big pile and barrowing it over the footbridge and up the slope to fill two newly cleared heart shaped flower beds.

🏃‍♀ Vicky and Kathryn helped raking out the soil too and despite the heat there was some barrow running too.

🧩 We only stopped when the topsoil pile was exhausted and the beds full before a game of wheelbarrow tetris to fit all the equipment back in Kristina’s van.

🚸 Ed and Amy led the other part of the group, to St Aelred’s School where we were continuing to help them with their forest school area.

🌱 The first job was watering the thirsty young trees we’ve been looking after there, and checking they still had their protective guards. The watering job was somewhat extended (with great enthusiasm), to watering the raised beds (regardless of the state of them) and Mitchell 🚿

✂ Meanwhile, another group were cracking on with cutting things back in the fenced area, mostly brambles and nettles so not a job for the faint-hearted. Not to be disheartened by the amount of growth since we were last here, this team did an incredible job and made a huge difference.

🌳 The plan had been to spread woodchip on the freshly cut back paths, however events overtook and changed this plan. One of the teachers (Shelley) noticed that some of the wooden path edging was being kicked out by small (children’s) feet. As some of the wood had nails sticking out of it, this was a clear risk requiring mitigation.) Martin and Lyndsey relished the opportunity for a bit of destruction and quickly got to work removing the wood from the path and old raised beds.

🔨 Team Water then became Team Plank, setting up an efficient system. Plans with nails in were identified and separated, for the nails to be “bashed in” with a spade. Longer planks were broken up in a manner that resembled the caber toss of Highland Game fame (albeit whilst keeping hold of one end). This method was identified as superior over the alternative tightrope walking approach, which sadly didn’t work on the sturdier planks. Freya then asked for “saveable” planks to be separated for reuse, whilst David did a sterling job of transporting those not required to “the big pile”.

📸 It was soon time to down tools (which took some persuasion for some), gather everything and head to the playground for a group photo.

👏 Thank you everyone, it’s lovely to be able to help this project and we’ll be back soon, don’t worry!

👟 And then a run back to base and/or onto the pub.

🦸‍♂ Back at base, we had lots to celebrate. Ed (slightly belatedly, sorry) got to wear the cape of good deeds for his 300th good deeds recently. Understandably, he turned down the opportunity to run in it in the heat but did pose for it in the car park.

🥳 We also celebrated Jenna's birthday yesterday, with some delicious (and homemade) lemon and almond biscuits. So tasty 😋

☀ 26 excellent GoodGymmers gathered for our third and final bank holiday group run of the month. And a lovely sunny evening it was too.

👋 We were thrilled to welcome Michaela for her first group run, and to see Louise who’s visiting up from London.

🦸‍♂ Sadly, I completely forgot to bring the cape for Ed’s very impressive 300th good deed so that glorious moment/photo op is yet to come. Well done though 👍

🥔 We named, numbered and warmed up with a slightly ad hoc question (which fit with my slightly disorganised mind this evening). In honour of it being whitsun weekend, we offered our favourite comedian and/or potato dishes. There were some very reputable comedians cited but personally, it also just reminded me how many great ways there are you serve potatoes (dauphinois, hash browns, croquettes), which in turn made me pretty hungry.

🍎 Ed led the run to Holgate Community Orchard where we marvelled in the progress that’s been made in the 18-ish months that we’ve been coming here. The first part of the patch is blooming with wildflowers so we got stuck into the second. One job there was to lop nettles, dig brambles and remove bindweed. Meanwhile, another group got stuck in removing stones from a stony patch.

🧲 A third group were on random metal object extraction duties. Door handles/hinges and horseshoes were among their finds, with some impressive digging to get them out. More natural finds were a potato plant by Charlotte (which Helen thinks must have been there for decades) and a frog by Bernie. We can’t wait to see how this part of the orchard turns out and we’re particularly excited to hear more about the bee initiatives there 🐝

🗻 Some excellent work was done during our time there tonight, before we headed to Windmill Rise for some hill reps. We did these in pairs and included a warm up and cool down plus three higher intensity reps in the middle.

🍻 With that, it was time to head back to base and home/on to the pub.

🌺 We’ve got a few sessions coming up this week, including this one at North Street Gardens on Wednesday evening with Barbara so do sign up and join us if you can.