It was a hot evening for a run but we still got loads of keen runners showing up!

Our mission was to run down the side of the mighty river Avon and pick up the litter that gets left by the tide.

It started off well - it was a flat run, quite long but uneventful and very pleasant. Then we found a tent on fire! We ran past it, given we had a different mission, however back marker Ben and also Molly decided to help a couple of passers by with getting the fire brigade to put it out.

Everyone else made it to the task in one piece although Debbie was stung by a wasp on the way too. We met up with Mark from Surfers Against Sewage and set to the massive task!

Ben and Molly caught up with us once the fire was out, and because of the length of the run, we sent a slower group back before the main group so in theory we'd meet up at the end...

After regrouping, we had to walk with our bags of rubbish to the nearest road - it was quite a way, so took a while, and then Dave led most of the runners back whilst I tried to pack 20 pairs of gloves in my rucksack - they came out but didn't want to go back in!

Ben kindly gave me a hand and then we set off together to try and catch the rest of the gang, but we lost them at a critical point. Eek!

Luckily Dave did a great job and got everyone back to the start where the slower group had been enjoying a silent disco.

What a run!

Big welcome to Frank, joining us for the first time, and congratulations to our latest centurion, Caroline for making it to 100 runs!

Somehow 32 amazing runners got together at Vivo gym (32? WOW!) and ran to help weed a park that badly needed it.

We got together at Vivo Gym, and after a quick round of introductions and warm ups, we got running. Running through central Bristol in the evening on a warm day can be an entertaining experience with lots of jolly people cheering us on - they're a friendly bunch in Bristol!

We made it to Portland Square in good time and met up with Simon who is part of a residents group who are keen to transform the square from a green spot in to a lovely green spot, so it needs a bit of TLC, and that's where GoodGym came in handy!

We set to weeding and also trimming some of the growths off the base of the lime trees in the square. We also met a Simon's dog as well as a massively huge dog too (he's in one of the pictures!). Luckily this week we didn't find any mice though.

After a good 35 minutes of hard graft, we downed (and cleaned!) tools and jogged off, leaving the square a little tidier (post litter pick too!) and less weedy - fingers crossed the residents can get some funds to plant some great bushes or similar and ask us to come back and help to plant them!!!

We got back to Vivo, had a good stretch and chat at the end - it was announcements but it kinda descended in to chat. Then there were drinks... then there was the suggestion of burgers, which some people did as well!

Smashing job ladies and gents, we did GOOD!

On a slightly rainy Tuesday evening, 15 eager beavers showed up at Vivo health club to go on what they thought was going to be a long run to help create a garden for people with mental health challenges. Sadly the garden had been vandalized and so before we could do our bit, they had to sort things out at their end, so we didn't run there.

On the plus side, the contact I had for our run next week to Portland Square, Simon, was really keen for us to come and make a start a week early! He pulled out several stops and got some tools arranged for us too.

Off we ran through the misty muggy rain and soon got to Portland Square where there was no Simon to be found. Luckily as an ex-Brownie, I was prepared, and as I'd met with Simon a few weeks before, I knew where we were needed and what beds were to be weeded!

The runners launched themselves at the weed chocked bed and began to pull up a veritable mountain of greenery. After a huge amount of headway was made, a few of the runners went over to trim some epicormic growth from a couple of trees in the square as well.

However...

As the undergrowth was cleared, many items were found, including the usual beer cans and food wrappers, but also a Sony USB to HDMI cable, several playing cards and also a MiniDisc! The icing on the cake however was a tiny but very fast mouse whose home we'd seeming just torn up. It would not stay still and caused quite a stir! It was very cute though.

Shortly after Simon arrived with some tools so we managed to get in deep to dig up the roots of some of the more pernicious weeds, so the last 15 minutes were really finishing off the first flower bed and making it ready for anything that needs to be planted in there.

After a good 35 minutes of hard work and also getting quite muddy, we cleared up, returned the tools to Simon and went on our merry way. On our return to Vivo we encountered a slightly lecherous white van man, we ran through a posh shopping center covered in mud (it was the fastest route, honest!) and almost covered a shiny white BMW in muddy hand prints - GoodGym was becoming NaughtyGym!

Safely back at Vivo, we had a good stretch, came up with the pun, and quite a few people stayed behind for drinks. Alice mentioned a fang-tastic Halloween run - details can be found here although it would be spooktackular if we can co-ordinate the time that we run so we all run together... so watch this space!

25 runners completed a 3k run to do loads of good at Windmill Hill City Farm

A mercifully cooler night than last Tuesday's run as we all gathered at Vivo for tonight's task. With Pru away on a well earned holiday in sunny (?) Scotland - and, no doubt, dreaming up fab and devious new ways of improving our fitness - we were joined tonight by the wonderful Lydia, trainer for GoodGym Bournemouth, to lead the session and put us through our paces.

Also, a big welcome to Danielle and Lydia S, who were joining us for the first (of many we hope!)times and to Esther, who has returned to the GoodGym fold after a couple of years away - we all hope you really enjoyed the experience!

With time being of the essence, after Lydia's group intro, Dave led us straight off to the farm with Chris L kindly backmarking, where we were met by our host, the lovely Lizzie, to explained tonight's task.

Splitting us into two groups:

• Group one were tasked with the jobs of snapping sticks (which Deb thoroughly enjoyed in view of the lovely clunky sound they made!) and removing lots of pesky bindweed, which had rather taken over areas of the farm.
• Group two were on litter picking duty, covering the road and hedges surrounding the farm, splitting the rubbish into recyclable and non-recyclable items. Discovering beer and cider cans lodged inside the wire fencing, Kim discovered that dextrous fingers could move a can up an over the fence and quickly joined by others, the cans were painstakingly removed. Whilst one can was quite enough for most, Emily was determined not to let a last can go begging and deftly removed a second, with assistance and encouragement from the team!

WIth a little bit of time on our hands, Chris B led us on a slightly longer route back via Victoria Park, with an optional hill climb for those who wanted it (the majority did - you awesome people!) and then back to Queen Square for a well earned cool down - or so we thought!!

We still had time for a little more exercise, so Lydia introduced us to the "PLANK OFF"- to see who would be the last man (or woman) standing (or, er, planking). Just over three minutes in and many had bitten the dust and we were down to three girls and three boys - it was suddenly a battle of the sexes! Approaching six minutes (yes, SIX!!) we were down to two, Caroline T and Andrew, who had both made the thing look ridiculously easy (and we all know that it isn't!). Finally, Andrew gave way (literally) leaving Caroline to claim the title for the girls and leave the rest of us awestruck.

After cooling down with stretches, there were a few announcements:

• Kim confirmed that we have coaches waiting to be paired up with runners, so get in touch if you would like to be involved.
• Dave confirmed that the next GG Bristol parkrun on Saturday 13th August will be at Bath Skyline, as there is a GG Bath Saturday run on the same day. Car lifts will be available and Deb will keep on press ganging you!
• Matt has added a Coastal Trail race on Saturday 12th November with options from 10k to Ultra!
• Lydia announced that GoodGym Bournemouth will be launching on Wednesday 17th August and will be running every Wednesday evening, so we are already planning a tour! Based on tonight's evidence, it will be a roaring success, Lydia, and we all wish you well with this - thank you for joining us and leading us so brilliantly!
• Oh, and Alice won the award for the snazziest running tights!!