Many gym bunnies get a kick out of it. Apparently, pumping iron can pump the endorphins too, the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. After a decade on the treadmill, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed my mood improve. The truth is, I go to the gym because I have to – doctor’s orders – and not because I want to. Following our move to the village, Liam and I joined the community gym. It’s a small but perfectly formed facility housed in the pretty annex of our local library. We used to belong to a more industrial strength torture chamber in town, encircled by beefy blokes in tattoos and tight togs getting down and sweaty. Our community gym is a more sedate affair with a mostly mature crowd trying to dodge the Grim Reaper – us included. I call it my care in the community.

Keeping the gym going is a constant hand-to-mouth exercise. A grant from the local council helps with running costs, but money is always tight and this requires imaginative ways to raise some dosh. Cue the recent 12-hour cyclathon. On one of the hottest days of the year, 21 members took part. And yes, that’s Liam doing his bit (bottom left).

If you look really closely you can just make out my knee behind him. I was there for moral support.

Images courtesy of Loddon Community Gym.