With 4 runners, 1 walker/supporter/cheerer and 2 breakfast eaters...we all deserve some sort of loyalty points for Month 2 of GG does PR. Sallyann is keeping us guessing on categories and prizes.

Well we all started at different points...

I did not see Siân for dust after the start line!

Jo and I chatted as we pottered along the route.

Amina did fab as she went blazing through to the finish line.

Lucien was waving and gathering us together after barcode scanning.

Then we all made our way to investigate the next cafe on Lodge lane and to meet the breakfasters that had come straight from bed after their eventful evenings!

It was a drizzly night but this didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the five GoodGymmers who met up at the small field behind the disused Oxford pub, an area much in need of a litterpick. As it was dark, we all agreed to stay together as a group and not wander off, but in practice Bekah had her work cut out making sure the rest of us were accounted for as it's just too tempting to follow a trail of litter wherever it may lead! We were surprised to discover the size of the green as it extended back further than any of us had properly noticed before, even though we all know the area well. It could be transformed from a forgotten, overgrown and litter-strewn patch of grass into a lovely green space if given a little care and attention, which our task tonight went a long way towards; we collected a massive 10 full bags of litter, including 2 of recyclable rubbish which we disposed of separately. A great achievement especially when some of us were dealing with litterpickers that wouldn't close properly, or wouldn't let go! At the end of the task we crossed the road to take our group photos in front of the Tung Auditorium which is a place of happy GoodGym memories, as we've helped out at gigs for the Liverpool Choir With No Name there in the past.

We gathered outside the closed Waterloo Café on a cold, clear, crisp February evening, and Heetu led us in a warm up. Whilst attempting a new kind of stretch which involved a lot of (for some of us, inelegant) balancing, a local walking past kindly suggested we just go for a run, and seemed surprised with the reply “We’re about to do just that!”

Despite the specific instruction “Please bring torches as it will be dark on the beach”, clearly laid out on the task listing, 3 out of 5 of us forgot our torches so we were sharing the light and relying on the moonlight. Despite running in the darkness, remarkably we only made one wrong turn: when the squelching underfoot got significantly louder, we realized we were heading around the wrong lake, but no problem – we simply headed back and course-corrected on the right path.

Being on the beach on a clear crisp night was a beautiful experience, the stars were so bright, and Liam pointed out planets and constellations to us: we identified Jupiter, Venus & Mars, and how The Plough led to the North Star.

In the darkness it was surprisingly difficult to spot the famous Iron Men on Crosby Beach, part of Anthony Gormley’s Another Place art installation. Sian was the first person to spot one, and the group challenged themselves to keep running until each person correctly identified one.

Shoutout to Lucian who didn’t let an injury stop him from joining, he undertook a moonlight walk, and was never far away from the runners who kept stopping to (unsuccessfully) take photographs of the beautiful night sky.

After a gentle 2.5k it was time to turn back, and the return journey felt much quicker sans-lake detour. The group then headed to a local pub for dinner, and discussed all the activities and challenges they were interested in for the coming year.

It was a lovely evening and a unique experience, combining a fabulous moonlit beach run with dinner with friends. All present agreed there’ll be more of this to come!

On Monday Goodgym returned to the familiar greenery at Park Lane, where a regular Goodgym collaborator Elaine manages a little patch of wild plants, carefully curated to boost biodiversity and air quality. After our midwinter efforts to de-nettle the site, we were this time set to spreading fresh mulch all over the site, to prepare the soil for Spring, and keep the weeds at bay. From the outset this was likely to be a two-parter task, but we launched into it as best we could, to cut the mountain of mulch down to size, so it could later be spread more evenly over the site. As per the Goodgym way, we collected a little litter as we worked away, including even the titular marsupial mascot for this task (see pictures). We didn't quite finish the mulch moving this week, but Goodgym will return next week to finish the job, and I'm sure we'll be back working with Elaine more too as the days grow longer and her plants begin to flourish again.

Goodgym Liverpool have several times now helped out at events with charity The Choir With No Name, a national charity which provides music, food, and community to people who are unhoused or otherwise in need of a bit of extra support. We're well acquainted with the Liverpool branch, and this Wednesday we made a long awaited visit to a classic weekly CwNN rehearsal session, where we were enlisted to lend a hand, and get involved with the amazing work they do. After some miscellaneous setting up of tables and chairs, Bekah split off to brave the kitchen, where she helped Choir volunteers to cook up a hearty meal of spaghetti for the whole group. Meanwhile, the rest of us kept busy reorganising the storage cupboard, finishing up just in time to join in with some (quite challenging..!) singing alongside the Choir. After the practice, we joined the group for a lovely communal meal, and helped out with the washing and clearing up.

It was amazing and inspiring to finally get to experience the work that CwNN does on a weekly basis, and massive thanks to the indefatigable Ema, who has brought the Choir together with Goodgym through her work for both charities. We're always keen to attend CWNN events, and hope to lend support at plenty more sessions like this in the future..!