On Wednesday 6 GoodGymers, Adam, Anne, Ben, James, Kirsty and Wayne, ran to the Woking Run Company for the monthly litter picking mission done with the local council’s support.

It is always a great opportunity to meet other runners and, while plogging, to introduce them to GoodGym and suggest they join one of our group runs.

The 5 kms “triangle route” was not covered with rubbish, we usually fill up many more bags. Mind you, it was dark and one of the main long roads, unlit, was practically without any cars because of roadwork. In winter the lights of the car help supplement our head/chest torches to find litters.

Ben was missed last week when we did some gardening in Brookwood as he was working in Cornwall. Ben is going back there next week and will run up and down the Cornish hills. James is taking part in Wokingham half marathon this Sunday in preparation for the Surrey Half when Adam will join him.

Wayne is doing lots of circuits training and cycling when he is not running. Kirsty is back running too and trains with Lauren for different 10k events they have signed for.

On Sunday, the Woking junior parkrun volunteers ‘s roster is rather bare. If you could spare some time, please do sign up and join the best Woking GG team ever!

Next week we will welcome Rob, a new GoodGymer, when we do another session of litter picking in the local area.

Happy running to everyone.

Remember Blazin' Squad? The 00s hip hop group with at least 10 members.

That's what GoodGym was like on Wednesday night as the whole crew descended on the food bank to undertake a community mission.

The popularity of the food bank mission is obviously due to the fact it is tangibly doing good in the Woking community by alleviating food poverty. It may also have something to do with the fact it is indoors and warm on a dark and cold January evening.

Nevertheless we all got stuck in to the various jobs in perfect hip hop harmony. Adam, Ben and New James did a fantastic job of cleaning the floor.

Wayne and Becky had the mucky task of cleaning out the fridge including a split bottle of milk.

Anne and Lauren cleaned the baking area followed by the toilets with the assistance of New James. Mia hoovered the entire ground floor. Holly took the role of lead singer and kept us all in check (including Jack and Indy).

Not quite sure what James did. Perhaps a backing dancer? To be fair, he emptied a bin.

In any event, the result was a top 10 hit!

This evening’s task was the first of 2023 and it was a post New Years litter pick around Woking Park and the surrounding area.

On this blustery night 9 amazing GG Members met at Woking Park armed with litter pickers and black bags set out to find and remove litter from the local area.

We also had a special visitor Astrid the gorgeous little Sproodle 🐶who James is currently looking after for a friend she instantly took a liking to Lauren and Holly (Can’t blame her after 2 weeks with James 😄)

We managed to find various bits of litter around the Park before we headed out of the park and to the streets behind. While running and keeping an eye for rubbish we all got chatting about how we spent New Years Eve from parties to cozy nights in.

Half way up the hill the girls went up on a different route while the rest of us ran up the hill the the station were Ben found a litter haul in the middle of the road within no time our black bag was full.

We ran back down the hill to catch up with the girls who had found an amazing cache of drinks cans in the hedge along White Rose Lane.

Pivot and side step

Last night GoodGym Members met at the Knaphill Community Fridge to help move a gala marquee tent.

The marquee has been down for almost and year and with all the heavy traffic the marquee was now more of a mud bath inside and water was just running down into the middle. They have just had the fantastic news that they have been offered funded for new landscaping. To help get ready for the new landscaping we had the job of moving the marquee and matting to a drier patch on the grass. Some of the pegs were overgrown and was starting to become part of the landscape, with some force the matting was lifted and replaced in the new location.

Well done to Ben and Katie for running to the task.

The award for the smartest dressed GoodGym members goes to Rebecca! This didn't stop her from getting down and dirty at the task.

We were awarded with some delicious bakery goods from Gails! Thank you - I enjoyed mine for breakfast this morning.

Next week

Meet at Woking Leisure Center for some leafleting to advertise the Festive Run for Woking Hospice - sign up now!

We also have a social evening on the 7th of December with some bowling action

The last group run of the year will take place on the 14th of December - we will be at the food bank and making up the bags for donations.