Our first Mix Tape Train rolled out of Alley Pally Ice Rink with a quartet of runners, which turns out to be exactly the right size for a debut. We warmed up with belly breaths and dynamic drills, then jogged to the Phoenix Pub, ran down the slope and tackled the stairs, pace: moderate up, walk down and fast up, before crossing into the park for speed play.

The hill runs were a lovely challenge, and the collaborative Fartlek lived up to its name: our “Leader of the Pack” and relay had the back runner sprinting to the front, and the "Landmark" callout gave us landmarks to intermittently sprint to until we got to the gentle hill runs. The playlist delivered some bangers, from “Feel Good” to "GO (feat. Q-Tip)" and on to “Ain’t No Stopping Us”, though I would say the music was quite good as the resident DJ, finally getting to 'play out' beyond friends’ parties after 20-odd years of owning decks. It was a joy to see other runners out training too, and one of our sprints was cheered on by some sitting spectators, which made me smile. :)

Pickers, bags and hoop were ready for the final stretch, but we were having so much fun that we ran over time, and the park looked almost pristine there was barely anything to pick anyway. We were thwarted by tidiness, and we’re not complaining. Thanks https://www.goodgym.org/v3/profile/helen-patchett, https://www.goodgym.org/v3/profile/julie-fisher and https://www.goodgym.org/v3/profile/dave-mansfield for a really fun session!

Today's crew took on Margaret Hill House for a spot of garden surgery because apparently the trees and bushes hadn't received the memo about keeping out of way!

Dave and Sarah started their journey with a running session while Imantha, Niamh, Mark, and Helen gathered at Margeret Hill House.

Our main mission was to tackle some branches that had become a bit of a nuisance for the residents. We got stuck in with the cutting and trimming, giving the trees a much needed haircut and removing the branches that were causing trouble.

We also cleared away plenty of dead branches from the bushes, which had been hanging around doing absolutely nothing useful so it was time for them to go!

By the end, the garden was looking noticeably tidier, the troublesome branches were no longer troubling anyone, and the deadwood had officially been retired.

Another GoodGym job done: we came, we saw, we cut things back… and thankfully nobody asked us to do any actual gardening afterwards! 💪🌳