Blue sky, gentle breeze... - all the better for watering trees

A blue sky and a gentle breeze set the tone for tonight's wonderful two-task evening.

25 of us gathered on our hotel steps ready for a couple of mobility exercise before heading out to two great gardening tasks.

Task force member Bryon had saved the day leading a digging crew to the Kedlestone Community Centre in Hollybush Gardens, to meet Margaret, one of our longest standing task owners who needed some urgent digging.

The team blitzed the area, achieving a huge amount with small trowels and lots of weeds. They worked tirelessly along multiple borders, deftly ditching weeds of various shapes and sizes to help this dedicated community team keep the gardens pristine and pretty for the residents to enjoy over the summer months.

I, in the meantime, took the remainder of the runners to meet Joanna and Jane of Friends of Meath Gardens for a wide variety of gardening tasks in and around this huge park.

Teams were divided into watering tasks (one headed nostalgically back to the canal with the large trolley to tend to the trees with large pails of canal water; others filled from the tap and lugged oversized buckets around the park...). There were two other tasks beautifully tended to by our very proficient new runners: Lara and Nancy took on The Heavy Weeding Work, while Iffet and Lucy were responsible for getting some new seeds bedded in.

The Lower Body Blast workout

Before we knew it, it was 8.05pm: our fellow gardeners had arrived from Hollybush to meet us for tonight's fitness session and we were making our way over to Steve's chosen sunny spot for tonight's Lower Body Blast workout. After a hiccup with our playlist (some of Cardi B's lyrics proved to be not quite in keeping with the gentle feel of our evening), the runners blitzed all manner of moves from single leg combat kicks, to one-legged planks. Amazing work and, I say it every week, your balance is improving by the week. Well done everyone!

Monday Mentions

A massive warm welcome and huge thanks to tonight’s first time runners, Iffet, Tom, Nancy, Susie, and Maelle. You did SO well! We just loved having you on the run, and really, really hope you’ll consider coming back and joining in again very soon.

Thanks to Dave and Jo for lovely backmarking; to our wonderful task force member Bryon, for leading the Hollybush task, some great pics and for getting the crew back to Meath in terrific time.

Exciting things coming up…

So next week we’re at a new task, giving a sanding and lick of paint to some newly adopted large planters on Roman Road! It’ll be a fun one – guaranteed. So, have a look and see what you think.

And don’t forget on Saturday 27th July, we have the Tower Hamlets Planting Party, a mixture of our favourite activities to which everyone is invited. Do think about coming along, whether for a bit of planting, some running-and-Pilates, or a bite to eat at our picnic. Or a drink at the pub. Details and sign up are here.

Okay, that’s it for another week. Have wonderful week everyone: enjoy your running, enjoy our July sunshine, and we hope to see you very soon.

I would first like to give a big welcome to Chloe, Kate, Rachael, Victor, Lorhaine and Saorla. Hopefully you endjoyed yourself and you will come again. Tonight was a big group of enthusiastic runners looking to do good in the community of Tower Hamlets. The evening was a double whammy with their being 2 task to pick from. The 2 task were flyering in the near by estate about a new performance happening soon and the other was going to Meath Gardens to help clear weeds and rubbish. I would like to welcome the new comers and I hope the treats and the other Goodgymers made you feel welcomed.

"Warm-up"

The group started of with saying their name, number and favourite drink. It seems Gin is the drink of the day with this group We did a nice 5 min warm that involved some squats, lunges, running on the spot, hand to toes and some other hamstring dynamic stretches.

"The Split"

Nikki and Lieke took the 2 Dave’s away from some stair climbs while the rest of the group followed me to Meath Gardens while Kat helped me out by being the Back Marker.

The run was a short one with the group reaching the task without breaking a sweat. We met up with the 3 Meath Garden helpers who then explained the task to us and split us into 3 groups. They all took a corner each of the park to get down and dirty on. The group did well with the time that had and also taking the time to talk to one another and making it feel like a true social group. To push the group at the end I gave them a countdown like the crystal maze to let them know when the task would finish. I can see the competitive side came in because the was ripping out weed like that was gold underneath the soil. It was great work by the team and the difference could really be seen.

"Fitness time"

Meath gardens is one of my favourite places because it has one of the fitness equipment it had there. The group got split up into smaller groups and we each had a go on each piece of equipment. The list of exercise were:

Monkey Bars Plank Sit-ups Jumping over logs Pull-ups Knee to elbows Hangs Inverted pull ups Dips Press-ups 1 lap run.

This helped make the runners aware of what there weakness or strength might be. Looking at all of their faces i can see that everyone tried their hardest. After a final lap round we headed back to the hotel where we stretched and gave each other high 5s.

Extra News: * If anyone is interested in helping out at the blind sport session in mile end then click here for more information.

• If anyone is interested in doing the goodgym Olympics then click here and represent Tower Hamlets. Its always fun.

• If the group is after abit more of an adventure with a fun run then click here.

Sun, run and fun

25 runners gathered on what was probably our warmest run of 2019 yet, to head to Meath Gardens for some urgent gardening work.

We briefly warmed up on our hotel steps before heading a short run around the corner where task owners Asia and Julia were ready and waiting with a top plan for the evening...

A treeally urgent task

The young trees which we helped water from the canal last summer are all currently being swamped by various weeds, and so following some expert leafy lowdown from our task owners, runners were divided into three teams: two weeding the bases of the new trees; one on mulch-collection in the far corner of the park. Thistles were plucked, nettles nixed, sticky weed sent packing… But despite lightning-speed work, time went quickly and before long, it was all hands to the pump as we filled the last few remaining buckets with mulch and carefully laid it at the tree bases. This was a tiring task, wading through long grass and huge thistles – and running trolleys full of mulch around a very large park. Steps galore. But we made good progress, and achieved a lot by 8.10pm, and Julia and Asia were delighted.

Top-to-toe before we go

And then we made our way to the centre of Meath Gardens for this week’s speedy head-to-toe conditioning work. Alas, the promised ‘pulsing playlist’ was more of a tinny tunefest in the absence of the usual trusty speaker. But luckily the runners got to hear me talking non-stop, instructing them through this evening’s line up of jack squats (sorry, but they are really good for you); scorpion and grasshopper push ups (again, sorry, but lovely to continue our wildlife theme) and some killer abs exercises. They looked bemused but managed to squeeze out every last rep, which is the main thing.

And so we called it a day, finishing with a couple of stretches before heading back to The Official Stretching Railings in Peel Grove for some final flexibility work.

Amazing. Amazing energy, amazing work, amazing humour, amazing friendliness…Team TH, it's official: you are amazing.

And so to this week’s big shout-out’s

Big shout-outs to backmarkers Leanne and Katherine, and massive thanks for pun fun and suggestions to Bryon and Steve and Rachel.

A big thanks and cheerio to our runner Pauline, who leaves us this week for more travels, but who’s contributed bundles in her short time with us.

And, as per pics, a very big shout out to all our runners and volunteers who put in such a big effort in yesterday’s Hackney Half. Really great stuff. You can read all about it here, in Danny's brilliant report. And, talking of Danny, an extra special shout-out to him, who's helping us find our way with our race volunteering events, and who helped us out with this one with everything from talking me through the sign-up and admin process, to helping TH GoodGymers get their best freebies on the day. Hope to see you soon, Danny!

What’s coming up...

Right, two things to flag up before I head off…

• This coming Saturday (25th May), our Friends of Meath Gardens will be at the wonderful Globe Town Spring Community Fair, which is taking place at Globe Town Market. Running from 11-2, you’ll have the chance to eco-craft with Plastic Free Roman Road, chat more to Friends of Meath about the work they do at the park we were at tonight, and, if you fancy it, you can get your face painted too. What’s not to like?

• And then next Monday, it may be a Bank Holiday but we run as usual! Hurrah! And we’re heading back to Parkview, for more geranium-planting fun, and saying hello to residents with some new seeds!

In the meantime, enjoy the sun, go for a run – and have fun. Have a wicked week, everyone!

A large crew headed to this much-loved local arts centre this evening for painting and Pilates.

A cool sized crew

Yes, we were a team of 34 this evening, with a real flurry of new runners, which we were delighted about. Gathering on our hotel steps for our briefing of this evening’s activity, we were in high spirits as, not only were we heading to one of our favourite tasks, the sun was still shining and the skies a beautiful blue. What. A.Treat.

TSB (Taping, Scrubbing and Brushing)

After making our way through some of East London’s busiest streets, we arrived at Oxford House where task owner Sarah was ready and waiting with kit and task perfectly planned and prepped as usual. After the speediest of briefings, three teams were despatched to all floors of the building: two teams were split over two floors to pain large wall spaces in the corridors, while a third team was dispatched to the dance studio corridor to finish the high spec scrubbing runners had started last time we were there.

Runners worked tirelessly at top speed, sealing off woodwork with masking tape before rolling and brushing thoroughly over these large surfaces. It was a speedy effort, working in a tough temperature, in a confined space in all three areas - GoodGymers, you did good.

The work was so efficient, ahead of time runners came forward to volunteer to start the clean-up effort, and so the pace continued as any spillage was dealt with swiftly by enthusiastic sugar soap-ers and mopper-uppers.

Posture, pelvic floor – and a proud trainer

And then it was a little after 8, and we all gathered in the theatre for this evening’s Pilates. I must, at this point, thank Sarah and Oxford House for giving us such generous use of this space every time we visit. It is a real treat to be able to offer our runners an indoor venue for our fitness - we really love it and appreciate it, so thank you.

So back to the fitness session - after a little Pilates theory, we proceeded to practise our abdominal vacuums, posture and pelvic floor basics, and a little stretching.

Runners took the tougher moves such as the time-honoured Double Leg Stretch in their stride and gave it their all, before finishing with some lower back mobility work and that lying pretzel glute stretch.

Job. Done.

And then we cheerfully (and maybe somewhat wearily), made our way out to the front of the building to get our first daylight end-of-task pic in eight months.

Another treat! What an evening!

Monday mentions

A massive GG welcome to our first time runners, Beth, Tom, Lorhaine, Victor, Mate, Anna, Eugenie, Lily and Michael! 8 new runners! Thank you so, so much for your incredible contributions to this evening's run. And I hope you join us again very soon.

A massive thanks to Katherine and Liz for back-marking; Katherine for some great pics, while possibly the biggest thanks of the night goes to Tim and Michael who stayed behind at workout time to clean up the painting equipment, missing our Pilates session. You're heroes. Thank you for going that extra mile.

Okay, well that's nearly it from me this week, other than to highlight what is...

On this week’s running radar…

• The GoodGym London Monthly Long Run is happening this Saturday, 18th May, offering distances of 19K and 10K, with runners running at different paces, and no one ever getting left behind. It’s a picturesque, multi-park route, with a food finale at POP Brixton, so definitely one to check out here.

• …While on Sunday, here in Tower Hamlets we’re manning the bag-drop at the Hackney Half, in exchange for your free placeat either: the Asics London 10K, or the Oxford Half, or next year’s Hackney Half. There’s still time to sign up for this Sunday 19th May - details are here.

Right, that really is it for this week. Have a wonderful week, everyone, and hope to see you really soon.