Weeknotes #3

Claps. It’s what I’ve been calling a new XC route on the South Downs, a short skip from my front door. It stands for climbing + laps, and it’s a 7.11km XC loop that includes a long b*stard of a climb, some flat bits, a short and sharp descent… and more climbing.

I’m surprised at how much I enjoy riding laps. The ability to zone out and focus, the decrease in cognitive load "do I go this way or that, the GPS said straight…?” they just feel... relaxing. Each lap I can change my approach for the next, optimise for parts of the trail, take a different line or experiment with the N+1. Either way I know exactly what to expect, allowing me to focus on getting better time than the last.

It's great for the legs, great for the mind and great for training, and it’s yet another testament to how lucky I am to have the South Downs at my doorstep.

I’m a bit tardy with these week notes. The long Easter weekend was drenched in sunshine for its entirety, which is quite honestly unheard of. That meant that most — if not all — of a glorious 4-day weekend was spent outside as a family, whether walking from Hove back home or climbing the steep escarpment up to Chanctonbury Ring. Going for walks in the woods as a family is one of my favourite memories as a kid, and judging by how alive my girls become as they’re scrambling up and down hillsides or swinging on ropes hanging from branches, that tradition looks set to continue.

Work-wise things continue apace. Last year Clearleft installed solar panels on the roof of 68 Middle Street, and this year Cassie had the brilliant idea of tapping into their API to display the energy we’re saving as a result. You can view the visualisation — timed specifically for Earth Day — at http://solar.clearleft.com. Safe to say it’s brilliant.

Otherwise I’m feeling pretty settled in my new role at the agency, with my only reservation being the title of ‘New Business’ Director. Whilst the Direction aspect applies, it’s the connotations with sales that doesn’t feel particularly right, especially when speaking as a designer. I’m definitely not a ‘sales’ guy, but I thoroughly realise the importance of business in design. Perhaps it’s more about the work we do at Clearleft and how we do it that makes the concept of ‘sales’ feel totally incongruous with our approach and philosophy. Not sure if this is a gripe, a to-do, or something in between.

Finally, Game of Thrones, Season 8. 2 episodes in and overwhelmingly underwhelmed. Hoping that changes soon; only 4 (??) more to go!