The workout...

Busy Ravenscroft Park was a delight in which to start tonight’s session, with a little pre-task workout.

No fewer than 6 runners gathered around the largest planter in the park to whizz through the obligatory dips, incline push ups, several different types of seated leg lower, and some new squat techniques.

The task...

After being met by task owners Ed and Liz, we all wandered over to Sivill House, to greet the rest of the group and get the lowdown on tonight’s task.

What were we here to do?

Spread woodchip!

Yes, thanks to a large donation of woodchip, the productive, committed Columbia TRA were keen to have some additional pairs of hands join their team (Ed, Ed and Liz this evening) tonight to help distribute this around the estate’s many young fruit trees.

(Used in this way, woodchip can help to maintain the moisture of the soil and reduce the volume of weeds).

Ed wasted no time in briefing the group as to how best to tackle the vast task of getting tonnes of woodchip to some of the furthest points on the estate. This included an informative short tour so we knew where we were headed.

And so to work we went, with one crew ready to distribute around one of the gardens to the back of the estate (already a fruit paradise with some very decent raspberries); another shovelling barrow after barrow of woodchip, and a third wheeling to designated fruit tree-hotspots.

With the main areas completed, Ed took one team off to another totally new area to finish the job for the night, a spot towards the Columbia Road, front of the estate.

By the time we’d finished packing away the last wheelbarrow and woodchip bag, it was after 8, so we said our cheerios, and headed home.

A brilliant evening of very physical activity – well done everyone (and big shout-out to Sree for tonight’s fun pun).

Next week, we return to the Cranbrook Community Garden to help Janet finish the The Big Gardening Job, complete with pre-task workout.

Until then.

Well, technically the sun was shining, but was it a warm night for fitness? Absolutely not.

Nonetheless a good-sized group of us gathered in Meath Gardens for tonight's fitness session. We welcomed Ben and Hannah who were joining us for the first time (you did brilliantly, and we really look forward to seeing you again soon!).

Background to the session

With some fabulous Spring tasks around the corner, a quiet start to April as we head into the Easter break made tonight the perfect opportunity to catch up on some fitness.

With playlist and mini bands at the ready, the little group of GoodGymers sped through some brilliant moves, warming up with walking lunges and band walks.

We rotated exercises, so just as one muscle group was growing a little fatigued, we moved onto another.

With most of tonight's participants being regular cyclists and runners, who also happen to enjoy the odd half marathon, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch up on those physio's faves, such as the time-honoured, single-leg squat and side-lying clam, not to mention an old school static stretch or two.

The time flew (well, I thought so any way), and as 8pm hit, we were looking up at a clear blue sky to finish, hamstrings stretched, ready for dinner, and pleased to have got the week off to such a productive start.

An excellent Monday evening. Well done team.

Until next time.