So tonight we learnt what a Cat Creep is!

One of the great things about Goodgym is getting to know the nooks and crannies of the place you live and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who, before this task had never been to the Roundhill Cat Creep. The 116 steps (you counted them!) lead steeply from the bottom of Roundhill Crescent to the top of Wakefield Road and it has to be one of the steepest alleyways in Brighton. So a Cat Creep is a local term for an alleyway.

So thanks to regular Goodgymmer Steffania for linking us up with the Roundhill Society, a neighbourhood group who had organised a community clean up to tackle all the vegetation growing over and up the Cat Creep. With plenty to do they were delighted to have 15 extra pairs of hands to scrape, sweep, lop, cut and bag up all the greenery overhanging the alleyway and nearby Wakefield Road.

Apparently the Cat Creep provides a crossing point for toads between gardens and to prove this was the case we saw one!

Once the stairway was clear it presented the perfect opportunity for a fitness session of 2 ascents, with fast feet touching every step so 232 in total!

In other news…well done to Frannie, who ran a 10km race without walking on Sunday and good luck to Oz who is meeting his new coach for the first time this weekend.

Hopefully see lots of you at our Preston Park park run meet up on Saturday and next week we will be celebrating 10 years of Goodgym! See you then!

Eight perfectly formed Goodgym runners gathered at the usual spot on a pleasant sunny evening to do good and keep fit.

Unfortunately our scheduled task was cancelled at short notice but as ever Tara wasn't going to let that stop us. After an initial warm up,which due to Brighton festival preparations had to be held in Pool Valley next to the bins, we then proceeded to run the 2.5km to the lifeguard hut just past the King Alfred Swimming Pool.

After turning round we headed to Hove Lawns where Tara had hatched a demanding but enjoyable fitness session of continuous reps such as star jumps,squats,sit ups,press ups and the dreaded burpees which rose in number as we jogged to each lawn ending in 10 reps of each. We also had to plank until the last person had finished the set of reps but because I was the slowest I wouldn't know about that!

We finished off on the lawns by playing a game of tag...the first person...Tara in this case,had to catch someone by tagging them. That pair then joined hands and did the same and so on and so on until the last person stood. Well in this case Roy and Paul both evaded capture so we called it a draw.

We then jogged to the West Pier and carried out a quick beach clean which even in ten minutes filled a whole bag sadly and then headed back to base and on our merry way.

Just like buses, we haven’t had any for ages and then 4 come along all at once! A big welcome to Katie, Beth, Emily & Nipun’s friend (who didn’t write his first name on the form & I can’t remember it!)

In other news we congratulated Roy on his Istanbul Half Marathon and anyone who ran, volunteered or cheered at Brighton marathon and 10k at the weekend.

For our task tonight we were back in Hanover & Elm Grove where we split into sub groups all taking on a different task to make the ward nicer for local residents. Yet more artless scribbles were covered with base coat by one group, whilst another wall got its top coat after a rubbing down to remove the last coat of flakey paint. Another group did a general litter pick in the area and another worked on the land in front of the Percy Wagner alms houses. Here amongst the usual detritus of bottles and cans we found several pairs of pliers as well as several pairs of pants! Also a doll’s head and torso which we eventually identified as Rapunzel from the film Tangled who judging by all the empty booze containers had been partying hard and hence tonight’s pun!

With the ‘doing good’ done a fitness session on the Level involving a relay of cone collecting and various exercises ticked the ‘getting fit’ box and we headed back for our stretches.

See you next week if I don’t see you at Preston Park parkrun on Saturday. Have a great week’s running!

Ahhh yes we may be in British Summer Time (David was sporting shorts to prove it) but April was determined to show its fame for showers on our first run of the month. Nevertheless 12 runners rocked up ready (if a little soggy) to get fit whilst doing good. Miraculously the clouds cleared as we started our warm up outside the YHA and blue sky started to appear as we dodged puddles on our run up the North Laine hills to The Community Kitchen - Brighton and Hove Food Partnership. We met with the ever-smiling Jo who gave us a quick update of all the amazing courses and activities that have been going on at The Kitchen since we last saw them, she added that they turn One in May - what an incredible first year they’ve had, we’re delighted to have been part of it!

Armed with sponges and cloths we set to work on our task of cleaning surfaces, windows and chairs (which needed a good clean after The Kitchen hosted a group of sticky-fingered cake-creating little’uns on Mother’s day!). The tunes went on and we got to work singing and scrubbing as a final shower squalled outside. Tabitha was caught on camera delivering a great Abba rendition (and you can catch her singing live this Saturday as her choir performs at a fundraiser for the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership) and the rest of us hummed along happily as we got the kitchen back to it’s spotless state. Once every bit of dust and grease was banished we bid farewell to Jo and headed down to the sea front for a fitness session.

In quixotic April fashion the evening was now clear and beautiful, the sea a deep aqua and gulls in pairs heading out towards the silent silhouette of the West Pier. Tara set out a course of 8 different activities from Russian twists to box jumps, stair sprints to toe taps. We paired up and set off doing 90 seconds on each activity under the spire of the i360. The view of the evening light on the sea was peaceful and beautiful, we we’re slightly less peaceful and beautiful as Tara kept us at our exercises, explaining what each one was good for and keeping a watchful eye for slackers!

Fitness over we ran back along the sea front with an occasional sprint up and down the ramps to keep warm in the now chilly evening and returned to the YHA for some welcome stretches in the last of the light before heading home, slightly sweaty but full of the joys of Spring!

Here's the links to Soul of the City choir. There's a show at 5:30pm: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/467109 and one at 8:15pm: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/467107