Last night at H&F a fantastic 16 GoodGym-ers joined me for the part II celebrations of the 2nd birthday of H&F. With no new runners to welcome this week we quickly headed outside for a quick round-up of the weekly news....

1. September Long Run – 22nd September. This month the long run will be the Wandle Trail led by yours truly and Andy from GG Hounslow. There will be two pacing groups and the option of a shorter start point along the way. Sign up here.
2. Adidas Shoreditch 10K Volunteering - Volunteer for Adidas City Run Shoreditch10K on Sunday 14th October and earn half-price entry into another Adidas City Run! – sign up here.
3. The GoodGym Eurotrip 2019 will be to Sofia in May 2019....racing, pubs, spas, buffets and more! - come & join the fun! Sign up here.

AND a big well done to Jason for his Thames Path efforts at the weekend - his 105th race since he started running 4 years ago! (one of many fun facts learnt from Bex epic quiz last night!).

Following a quick warm-up and name and number count (this week without any of my questions that provoke the fear and quick thinking to think of a socially acceptable/non-embarrassing answer) we headed off on a steady 3km run up to Askham Court with my trusty back-marker Jason in place. Once we arrived we were met by Richard and Orin who gathered up all the tools and bags required and led us round the back of the block of flats where we came face-to-face with a Lake District sized amount of bindweed!

Amongst the slight danger of a very useful but efficient machete tool the group got to work on pulling up all the bindweed from the garden plot. It wasn't long before heaps and heaps of bindweed were piled and bagged up - so much so more bags had to be fetched mid-task! Luckily the rain held off so the bindweed and ground didn't become wet and slippery and provide any hindrance to the group's super quick bindweed clearing efforts. Within half an hour there were 8 full bin bags of bindweed and the soil was visible on the garden plot once more. With the darkness upon us the group posed for a quick photo around the filled bin bags and began the run back to base the marginally longer way - we had a democratic vote on whether the group wanted a quick fitness session or a slightly longer run of 0.3km, surprisingly the latter option was the overwhelming winner!

Back at base we all had a cool-down and stretch with the thought of the pub very much on our minds. Cool-down complete, it was time to head off to the pub for 'Part II: Pub Edition' of the H&F 2nd birthday celebrations - 2nd birthday = 2 celebrations! A well-deserved thirst quenching drink, food, cake, a quiz! What more could you want?! Thank you all to those involved in organising all the birthday celebrations, what a fun night, what a fun few weeks!

What has been learnt....

Heaps of fun are always had at GoodGym H&F

All the gardening and weeding always gets done

Puns are always pretty fun

Post group-run celebrations in the pub are the one

You always have to be prepared for the scenic route to a task with me in charge

2is better than 1

No-one is left behind with trusty back-marker Jason

Do good, get fit, eat cake!

Bex does the best pub quizzes

Impressions of birds are nailed by Catriona when she has a party hat prop

Running + Doing Good + Fun = GoodGym H&F

There is never staged posing (at my request) for photos at the task

Hands down have the best bakers - Catherine's carrot cake, Johnny's rice crispy cakes, Jason's Japanese cheesecake & Catriona's coffee and walnut cake are amazing!

Deeds, all the good deeds

Andrew makes some both wonderfully delicious and wonderfully interesting brownies with the most unlikely of ingredients

You never need to ask Will his name when he wears his red GoodGym tee

Hats, party hats! No one seems to questions these as we turn up to tasks wearing them

&most importantly to note...Sarah ALWAYS holds a bag!

Finally.....the group welcome new runners & GoodGym tourists with open arms (especially if they come with treats hint hint)

Next week’s task is more gardening at Askham Gardens – sign-up here. Please bring gardening gloves and some long-sleeved layers as it looks a bit of a prickly one. Have a lovely week and hopefully see you then!

p.s. Johnny, big GoodGym H&F love, hope you feel better soon, your rice crispy cakes were ace - I assume you were at home watching Bake Off for ideas on your next baking delicacy!