Last night eight runners ran 2km to help the Chatsworth Residents Association tidy up the litter and cut back the bushes from outside the residents assisted living flats.

The first signs of the warm weather of spring we saw on Monday evening were washed away by the wet and chilly evening of Tuesday night, but we were still able to enjoy the added hour of sunshine after the clocks changed at the weekend. It is so good to be back to doing GoodGym in the daylight!

We gave a very warm welcome to Emily who joined us for her first GoodGym task. We warmed up and then broke into two groups to run and walk to the task, arriving at very nearly the same time! Josi met us on Chatsworth Road and showed us what we would be doing. It is a small patch of land with thick shrubs which, after closer inspection, were hiding a wealth of tin cans and beer bottles under their branches and roots. Armed with garden shears, Emily and Conroy proved very skilled at pruning some of the overgrown bushes back so that everyone could use the litter pickers to dig out shiny treasure from underneath. Although they were destined for the bin, the satisfaction of retrieving them from the tangle of roots and branches was very rewarding. We tidied up all the green waste and the litter bags were collected by the bin men just as we were finishing up.

Satisfied that the area was looking a lot smarter than when we started, and Josi delighted with how quickly the transformation happened with the power of many GoodGym helpers, we headed off to our monthly social in BoxPark for some tasty food and a catch up.

Sign up for our task next week when we will be helping out in Croydon

Its the first Tuesday in February and the new year magic is still working, tonight we welcomed first timers Gaj and Alex

Despite being his first group run Alex have been quite busy since joining GoodGym with his cycling and running every day he pops up into my feed for either a ride or run, its been so regular that today I mistook him for a regular member visiting us from another area. Don't laugh ask the group its always one thing or another with me. That said he got a warm welcome but not the glossy bits that's normally reserved for people I know who are joining us for the first time. Mistake spotted and I rolled out the red carpet ensuring that he was given the full GoodGym new member briefing.

It's a celebration Ingrid and Ros are completing their 50th Good Deeds tonight with us!! Congratulation to you both, it's been an absolute pleasure having you apart of the team.

Tonight we ran/walk just under 2km to assist Chatsworth Residents Association (CRA) clear the path at the end of Eden Road between the two elderly people homes. On arrival we were met by two members of the resident association who had tools, bags and a tree waiting on us to come and spruce up the area and plant the tree. Because of the two elderly peoples homes on either side of the road the resident were concerned about the over growth of the bushes/plants as they created the perfect hiding spot for anyone wanting to get up to no good. the group was split up into three, we had pruners, litter pickers and tree planters.

As we got stuck into the task some of the residents in the elderly homes watch us from their windows, one lady even took time to wave at us, although we couldn't tell if she was smiling or telling us that we were disturbing her, I think she was quite pleased with what we were doing as she stood an watched us for a while.

What a wonderful thing to be doing on the day when they are celebrating their 50th good deed, at least they'll alway remember their 50th run, they were fortunate enough to plant a tree. What did I do on my 50th deed? Hell if I remember!

At the end of the task we were offered a choice of teas, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits Josi, and the CRA laid on a nice spread for us from the booth of Josi's car. See photos they pulled out the stops. As nice as this was we were quick to let Alex and Gaj know that not all our group runs are always like this where task owners feeds us upon completing the task, but at least it gave them an idea of how appreciative the organisations we help are for the work we do.

While enjoying the refreshments provided by the CRA, we also took the opportunity to celebrate with Ros and Ingrid some more, who were busy walking around offering chocolates to everyone.

Comfort break over we said our goodbyes and headed back to our start point. Since the start of the year the lovely staff at Solutions has allowed us to use an area in the gym for our fitness sessions and stretches. Today we did planks 30 secs hold per side, mountain climbers for 30 secs then a few floor stretches before finishing off with our regular stretches.

Announcements

January Challenge was a success, we ran twice around the world (83,954km) and completed a record breaking 6,000 Good Deeds.

Don't fancy running 13 miles in the Big Half? Run The Little Half with family and friends on Sunday 10 March, a family-friendly event that takes place on the final 2.4 miles of the half marathon course on the same day. The Little Half starts in Southwark Park at 12:45 on Sunday 10 March and follows The Vitality Big Half race route all the way to the stunning Finish Line by Cutty Sark in Greenwich. It offers the perfect opportunity to take part in an officially timed running event with friends and family – entry is FREE to runners under 18 years old and just £5 for all other participants. Everyone who completes The Little Half will receive a souvenir medal to mark the achievement, plus free entry to The Vitality Big Festival in Greenwich Park – a post-run party with the best food and music in London!

Fancy volunteering at the Big Half? Yes

Next week we are off to the Scouts sign up here!