For our running community, weekends still need a bit of park(run) life! So the Virtual Swindon parkrun was born. A socially distanced, open to all 5k run, anytime between Friday and Sunday evening. So unlike real parkrun, we can now get up when we want, no getting rudely awaken by the parkrun alarm clock. Each week we put our jogging trousers on, have a cup of tea and think about leaving the house. A 5k is a preference for the habitual runner. And morning mopes can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as virtual park(run) life!

This week we were lucky enough to be asked back to host another takeover - hurrah! This parkrun exists in the virtual world thanks to a Facebook page and a new temporary leaderboard! This means that we can actively support the event by running, jogging or tail walking and recording a result, then seeing the GoodGym logo magically appear next to our names. Or we help by 'marshalling' and posting something supportive on Facebook, or liking and commenting on other people's posts once they've done their run. We love seeing what everyone is up to!

This was event eleven and 191 runners took part, as well as a whole posse of cheerers-on. All the people, so many people. They all go hand in hand, hand in hand though their park(run)life! 21 GoodGym members signed up to pace, tail walk or marshal. Some keen bees got out on for a run on Friday night, others wrestled with the heat on Saturday or Sunday, as well as battling injury, hills, thistles, and of course Strava palaver! Some extra kudos to all our amazing pacers who had a particularly tough job this week in the sun and without the familiar route and usual crowds to cheer them on.

This week we also had a go at naming our own "home" parkruns. Teresa's is called the 'Primrose Loop', Tracey's would probably be called 'Pass the Water Voles, or Are They Rats!?' and Jo's would be 'That Bl**dy Hill' 😂

Richard our running Rector completed his 50th good deed this weekend. Congratulations Richard! A fabulous achievement. Also, a huge well done to Jo and Teresa whose runs were also part of the brilliant Miles for Mind, which they finished on Sunday.

Some might say it's not all about us joggers, who go round and round and round. But we disagree. We know from the comments on Facebook that this event really helps to get people up and out for a run on the weekend. It gives us an enormous sense of wellbeing, and then we're happy for the rest of the day, safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit of our hearts devoted to it.

(Credit to the lyrics of Blur, Parklife 😂)

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, GoodGym Swindon launched the pacing team for Seven Fields parkrun, Swindon's new parkrun. In the olden days, in Life Before Lockdown (LBL), on a Saturday morning the Swindon running community would gather at Seven Fields or Lydiard Park in our hundreds, chat, run, and most likely chat some more. And so it was, back in January that GoodGym turned parkrun red and had so much fun that we committed to regular pacing, marshalling, and volunteer slots at Seven Fields.

Fast forward just a couple of months, and although LBL may feel like a distant memory, the community spirit and support of Swindon runners is strong and vibrant and our virtual parkrun continues to grow and grow. And although GoodGym has had to change how it operates, it continues too. So, because we just love a good deed or two, this weekend we took over virtual parkrun.

With Run Director Cath at the helm, we were soon lined up for pacing, tail walking and marshalling spots and eagerly waiting for 6pm on Friday to roll round and signal the start of the weekend. And then we were off, as part of a grand, record breaking total of 176 runners, joggers and walkers hitting the highways and byways of Swindon, cheered on by our magnificent marshalls who even wore hi vis for the occasion. A whopping 55 people got a virtual parkrun PB - congratulations to you all! And we welcomed some new people to virtual parkrun and some people to the parkrun family for the very first time. Hello and welcome to all 36 of them - we hope to see you next weekend too. You can check out the results here.

Kiya Dee was the fastest woman, with Alex Smith being the fastest man. We had tourists (Matt and Clo) from GoodGym Bristol and also Chippenham, Hove Prom, Panshanger, Tooting, Eastville, Boston, Cardiff and Didcot. We hope they all enjoyed the Swindon experience and come back to visit soon. There were also some good deeds along the way...from the simple act of saying hello to people we saw out and about to thanking key workers - the small acts of kindness that can make a big difference. And that was on top of all the usual loveliness and support that is in abundance in our running community - we may be physically distanced but we are socially connected and the support for everyone who takes part is what makes every virtual parkrun such a special thing.

We might not be able to meet in person but we're busy doing shopping for vulnerable people who are self-isolating and keeping in touch by phone and letter with isolated older people who we normally run to visit. We're also keeping our eye in with domestic painting and gardening jobs so we are ready to go back to helping local community groups when the time comes. Meanwhile don't forget the weekly Zoom social ♥️

We are living in strange times, so it’s good to know that our GoodGym Family are always on hand, or to be more accurate, on WhatsApp when we need them. Group runs may be on hold for now, but that doesn’t stop us being physically distanced and socially close. After an impromptu non-group group run last week, when we pulled on our red tops almost on autopilot and headed out, on our own but sharing our runs on WhatsApp, we planned ahead this week. And just as well – with only one outdoor exercise session a day allowed at the moment, we wanted to make the most it and the beautiful spring sunshine.

So our virtual, non-group group gathering took shape…running, jogging or walking and particularly for those of us (all of us?) who need to take extra care of our health at the moment, some self-care too. With a constant stream of news, it’s good to take extra care of our mental health too – especially when we are missing out on meeting up and all the kindness and hugs that we normally share. Best hugger in the world Jo is going to be in high demand once we can all be together again!

You can’t have a group run without an icebreaker, and soon we were sharing our dream jobs…ranging from space cowboy to dustman to chocolate taster. Far more exciting though was news from Hannah and David…just what we needed to give us hope for the future! Congratulations!

And with that, we headed out on our solo runs, finding new routes, enjoying the evening sun and noticing that the pace of life has slowed and calmed with fewer cars and people out there. You may be running solo, but you’ll never run alone with GoodGym Swindon as pictures of runs came flooding in, quickly followed by news and pictures of wine, cake, illicit wine gums, and bargain pulled pork sausage rolls as we moved swiftly on to self-care.

There was even mention of pasta from Ann Summers but no photographic evidence was provided…you’ve got to get your carbs where you can these days!

By this point, we were in danger of RSI in our thumbs and breaking WhatsApp. An evening of very social social distancing had whizzed by. The Task Force is busy planning more shared activities, so don’t stray too far from your phone for news of these. Until then, stay home, keep safe, keep your distance, keep washing your hands, and if you can, do the new Coronavirus Safety Training here to support those who need support during the outbreak.

The intros this week were all about us sharing where we going on our holidays. Plenty of exciting plans; some relief for those who'd been thinking about China(!); and others who are still making plans but for now hot and distant shores remain, well, distant! We're looking forward to seeing lots of GoodGym t-shirts on tour this year! We have a Mission Run coming up and there was a call out for one more volunteer to pair up with Teresa on some unpacking as well as fitting a blind. Lily to the rescue and all sorted! We also welcomed Vic to her first Group Run. We hope you had a great night Vic and that this will be the first of many!

This is the busiest time of the year for our hosts, the Swindon Night Shelter. The Winter Housing Provision is set within the grounds of the Haven, and right up until the end of March there will be up to 12 guests staying at the centre each night. We have been asked to help out as there is lots of cleaning, especially window cleaning, to do.

Tonight we were led by Simon, backmarked by Sandy Sam and our walk leader was Trainer Emma. After a short run/walk through the busy town roads (it's always amusing to see the curious looks on people's faces when they see us!) we arrived at the Haven. Task one was to clean as many windows as possible, both inside and out, in the kitchen area and the gym. Photographic evidence suggests that having cleaned the windows, we may have got a little distracted by the gym equipment before we left! We'd add some barbell puns but those will have to weight!

Task two was to give the sleeping areas a bit of a clean. It's great to see this up and running as we've spent evenings in these rooms, in the days before there was even electricity, when they housed food and clothing donations. Now it's a functional but cosy sleeping space. Sadly, there had been a not insignificant water related incident! The carpets were being dried out as quickly as possible and the extra heating had caused some temporary tropical conditions. Carol asked for a few heat resistant volunteers. Sandy Sam and Tracey stepped forward, with offers to be relieved by the window cleaners if it got too much. It was a tad toasty but the carpet was almost dry so we were able to crack on with a bit of hoovering and washing up.

Another great task completed ...... but with a few unanswered questions:

1. Was the hoover turned on in that photo of Sandy Sam, or was it all an act for the camera? 📸

2. Can Jason really clean windows that fast? 💦

3. Just how much weight were Gaby and Rachel lifting? Rector Richard certainly looked impressed 💪

4. Is Tracey actually getting shorter? Lily seems to thinks so! 📏

Next week we'll be running approximately 8km in total; to Youth First and back, home of Swindon Shock Wheelcharir Basketball Club. We'll be painting part of the main hall that the team use to train in. We've done the red bits and blue bits and this time we will paint the green bits! On previous occasions we have had a lovely run out along the Eastern Flyer, a well-lit cycle path that follows some of the old canal route in Swindon. Something not to be missed! Sign up here

On a cold and wet Tuesday evening, lit safely by Stuart's bargain hat off the internet, Simon led us through the storm and we reached the Haven Day Centre ready to help out before the opening of Swindon Night Shelter on the 2nd January.

I said a hip, hop, the hippie ah', the boogie to… oh, not that type of wrapping?!

Much to the relief of GoodGym members who had visited the Haven Day Centre before, this time there was no wardrobe moving required! Order of the day was Christmas wrapping, so we duly split into two tables and got stuck in, as there's no time like the present! Powered by cuppas, we transformed the centre into Santa's grotto for the evening, and wrapped Terry's chocolate oranges, Tunnock's caramel wafers, combs, toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste - well over 100 items in total. You could even say we gave it 100 and ten present!

Table one opted for an 'each for their own' approach, which served them well until Charles and Stuart got somewhat over generous with the number of items per parcel. A dead giftaway they weren't listening to the instructions, but we let them off - it is the season for giving after all!

Table two went for a team approach, featuring stiff competition on how many Terry's chocolate oranges we could wrap with a single length of wrapping paper. Our efficiency all round was hugely improved thanks to Sellotape Sam supplying the sticky stuff at speed!

Having helped out Santa (I think he's an elf-made man), these gifts are now ready for the men and women who will be given a place in the temporary winter housing provision, which also includes support to help rough sleepers get off the streets.

We also got the chance to see how some previous GoodGym support has helped out by visiting their newly refurbished sleeping area which can accommodate twelve people, and was toasty warm! Last time we visited this building it was a storage area, and it was great to see the transformation almost complete to a space that will help some of the most vulnerable people in our community over the coming months.

Next week, in our last group run this decade(!), we will be Toy Sorting for Good News 4 Swindon's (GN4S) Christmas Toy Appeal, so local families in need will have presents to wake up to on Christmas morning. Check it out here!

We also have two community missions left this year, on Saturday 14th December we are Christmas Gift Wrapping at the Brunel Centre for the Prospect Hospice in the morning and afternoon (everyone should be well practised now!), and on Thursday 19th December we are setting up and helping out at the We're Open Christmas Party at Coffee 1.

It was the day of the much anticipated Swindon 10K. A very popular event in the town, often selling out weeks beforehand. But GoodGym Swindon had planned well ahead, put down their paint brushes and secured their ticket. We all started to arrive, collected our numbers and then gather for the group photo at precisely 10:30am. Only there were a few GG'ers that didn’t make it in time for the photoshoot – maybe they’re asking Santa for a new watch this year?! Just enough time for (another) trip to the portaloos before we headed for the start.

We waited eagerly, mostly because it was freezing, as we listened to the briefing and decided which pacer we were aiming to stay with. Amongst the cracking pacing team was our very own Emma, Tracy and Simon L. You were all brilliant and for your time and encouragement, we thank you.

And we were off! A nice flat course that comprised of an out, 2 laps, and then back in. Perfect weather conditions, no rain, no sun, no breeze just a cool chill in the air. Both a winning combination which is probably why we saw so many Personal Bests! Congratulations to David, Charles, Tracey, Rachel, Jo, Hannah and Kirsty! Truly proving that whilst ‘doing good’ with a purpose really will make you fitter. Sam was happy to be running amongst friends again and Graham, well Graham went home for a G&T!

In true GoodGym Swindon style, we headed back to Race HQ for celebratory cake and hot drinks in time for the prize-giving. Needless to say, Adam was in his element and deserving of lots of cake after fulfilling his cheer squad and photographer duties, sporting his GG t-shirt for the first time too.

Another fantastic GoodGym Swindon outing. Well done to all runners and a massive thank you to the support crew! Same again next year?!

We have an exciting week ahead:

Tuesday’s Group Run is heading to one of our favourite places, Toothill Farmhouse, where we’re often greeted with a warm cup of tea and a biscuit or two. We shall be doing some sanding and painting! Sign up here.

Thursday’s Community Mission for Fareshare is at Tesco’s. We’ll be helping to tackle food poverty by handing out suggested shopping lists to customers. Sign up here.

Hope to see you there!

Excitement levels were high as we gathered, in the rain again, ready for our third visit to Prince Rupert Court. We love visiting the residents here but tonight we were looking forward to it even more than usual as it was an indoor task – even though most of us prefer running in the rain to hot weather. We might test this again in a few months’ time!

Simon led us off towards West Swindon. With a couple of small detours for dedicated Beat the Street superfan Emma the Trainer, we soon arrived at Prince Rupert Court to be greeted by Dominique and some of our GoodGym gang, Jason, Teresa, Kay and Alethia, who (as usual) was laden down with freshly baked cake! Prince Rupert Court provides housing with support for residents aged 55+ years who may have physical disabilities. We are always made really welcome and enjoy visiting our friends there. But friendship had to be put to one side as tonight it was the big event...

the Clash of The Titans, a battle to rival Rumble in the Jungle!

...as we lined up for GoodGym vs Prince Rupert Court at Just Bowl. Just Bowl is a fun, easy to play (more on that later), form of bowls that has been developed to take bowls into care homes, rehabilitation centres, leisure facilities, educational establishments, and community settings. Playing Just Bowl has been shown to benefit physical and mental health, with participants reporting that they feel less isolated, and have improved mobility and balance. There was a 10 week trial set up in February at Prince Rupert Court, and it’s now a popular weekly event. We heard from Dominque that each Thursday night 15 of the residents gather to play Just Bowl, with some strict rules set down. No talking, no heckling, no mobile phones, no swearing…this is serious stuff!

We divided into two teams, with some of the GoodGym members switching allegiance to Team Prince Rupert Court to even up the numbers. They definitely made a wise choice as some of the early efforts from Team GoodGym lacked a certain amount of finesse – this game was harder than it looked! Having been assured by Dominque that everyone would make a score, we soon proved that wrong! So much for “easy to play”! It was an easy victory for Team Prince Rupert Court – would we fare any better in game two when we would all bowl with our less dominant hand? It turned out that this was slightly better for GoodGym – with a narrow 50 point victory. It could have been a lot more if we’d used Teresa’s scoring system!

After all that exertion, it was time to take a break for a cuppa and cake. Stuart did a fine impression of Mrs Overall, pushing the tea trolley along and we all settled in for a good natter. All too soon, it was time to leave – but not without plans being drawn up for a return visit soon. Simon gathered us all up for the return to the Oasis, to the sound of fireworks being set off all over Swindon. It’s just as well we had the (self-declared) Paul ‘Burly’ Bonner as our bodyguard! Your weekly reminder to be careful what you say in earshot of the run report writer!

There’s lots more GoodGym fun coming up:

Next week, we have a walkable task to paint cycle storage containers – you can sign up here.

If you haven’t got a place in the Swindon 10K on 17 November, why not join the GoodGym cheer squad? Let’s turn Swindon red again!

And sign up for our “it’s not Christmas yet” Christmas party on 23 November – an afternoon of delicious food and good company awaits!