Into week 3 of CTGF and we're still here......

The R&E team have been geting with a mixture of activities and I think we're all OK, everyone is still smiling (ish) and we are glowing with health, although to be fair, I am just glowing.

The main topic of conversation and prime activity appears to revolve around our need to maintian our cake and biscuit habit (read addiction) whilst also meeting the gluten free and vegan requirements of our personal challenges. I believe we have tried every form of gluten free biscuits and have even resorted to baking. On my cycle in this morning, I even worked out how to make gluten free vegan snacks, so that's my weekend sorted then.

Ah yes, my cycle in; this brings me nicely to the second point. Most of my exercise has invoved cycling and cardio activity... my goodness, the sweat, I appear to be constantly bathed in my own lactic acid and sweat (who knew your eyelids have sweat glands that poured forth?)

I've also realised that doing execise makes people obsessed with stats, here's some stats: Number of additional showers taken this month, 12. Number of additional laundry loads done to esnure I have some kit which is clean enough (read not sweat soaked) to put on, 5.

However, all the cycling (cycling to work and at least 3 spinning classes a week) must be paying off. This is the conversation I imagine taking place in Italy right now......

BW: "My chest's really bad, I don't think I can carry on..."

DB: " Don't worry Brad, I'll give Sarah a call and she can power the team up the Galibier, she managed a 27 minute hill climb in spinning without cracking. Here, take this packet of lockets and have a sleep"

I, Laura Tovey, can proudly say that I have completed AND survived my first spin class!

When I saw a meeting had been booked for Friday for the same time as the spin class I took it as a sign that I just wasn’t meant to go and breathed a sigh of relief.

But I’m supposed to be less of a wimp, and in the spirit of CTGF, rather than just cancel I booked onto the Wednesday class instead.

When I arrived today and saw Ria at the front of the class I knew one thing for sure. I was going to sweat.

I’m not going to lie. It was tough. After the first 10 minutes I was ready to get off and push but I am learning that this is when I need to focus on something other than my aching body and push even harder. So with eyes focused on the rpm and brain focused on the smug face I could pull when I could one day ride my bike to the top of Preston Drove,  I made it through the 45 minute class.

I left  feeling proud, surprised that I wasn’t actually that terrible, bit wobbly and sweatier than I have ever been before. For once the cold showers in the changing room were very welcome!

So with 7 .9 miles racked up towards the team target and a HUGE  plate  of food in front of me, I have just booked myself onto my next spin class.

Morning Splash users,

I found something last night that got me very excited, (how sad I am!) I love tangible things and as every designer knows, it is always important to look at things beyond the digital world and examine the surroundings around you for interesting shapes, objects and colours etc..

At the parents house yesterday evening, I found connected to a hand scrubber (used commonly in the equivalent of turkish baths in Morocco to clean the pores in your skin from the intense sweat and heat one gets by living in Northern Africa) that had an interesting tag attached to it:

"Qualite Supeneure!" - Super Quality with what looks like to be an image of a very popular product here in the UK!?!

Anyway, I think it looks great and I think you should look at it too....