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!