Interior Design - Jukson badboy style....

My other half Stephanie Jukes, is in need of a house makeover, and well being complete amatuers i am proud to say we have together done something very special with a room that was once - er well a shithole really....she was living in the 50's with borrowed this and that furniture, and all and sundry of mixed bits and bobs given away free by all and sundry... we looked at her budget and decided it was time to bring her back up to date....to be honest we knicked a few ideas from a few others but hey dont we all.



You would not believe how different this is....



This is only one room done so far, the office is next then hall then the kitchen.....(a big job)...then upstairs.

The room used to be white or lemon as she puts it, and considering Steph didnt even know how to use a roller before this is what weve done...we like it, and she loves it...

And here she is the lady lounging herself....get up and finish the dishes !!!

Sorry Karen we copied your lampshades....?







And here is the office completed....nice huh, magnum badboy style..

GR20 Trek Corsica Completed (Jarvain)

I have just returned from one of the hardest and most famous of treks across the mountain ranges of Corsica, it is a 200 mile (approx) hike across extreme raw mountainous terrain (un-pathed) and in no way should it's difficulty be underestimated. It travels from Calenzana in the north to Conca in the south, it normlly takes 15 days, we took 13 by doubling up on the stages twice in a row.....not to be recommended.



Accomidation is in mountain refuges or camping. I started on the 31st of May....The gaurdians vary in there characters but at the end of the day they are French and with that said they seem moody and rude but in general they are good hardworking people....respect them and learn a tad of french....!!!

http://corsica.forhikers.com/gr20 - for more information

We experienced severe weather of all kinds, extreme cold, deep snow, white outs, sleet, howling winds, slashing rain as well as stunning sunshine all at altitude. I say we, although I travelled alone I met up with some fantastic people all mentioned in the video at the bottom.



I could go on and on about this trek, but you can do your own research online, and there is no real need for me to repeat the information already available online but.....heres my imput....fresh from my return.



The guide books say its easy - bollocks, none of this is easy, every sodding day its hell, and I was carrying a light sack too 18Kg with 3 litres of water, and I am fit, if your not fit, forget it, this route will chew you up and spit you out big style, it will play with your head and will exhaust you on a daily basis....never believe anyone that tells you its easy....this route will stay in your mind for a long time....the pain will not be forgotten....but then neither will the rewards and the stunning beauty and sights you will see.



To be fair you dont even need a guide book and you dont need maps and this is from someone who took both and hardly used them, anyway someone else will have one so you could ask to look at theirs....



One a lighter note, the refuges turn into the worst male slumber party you can imagine with the snoring and farting champions from all of the countries present.



I would recomend a tent I took one and the nights I slept in it were way better than nights in the refuges.....and when its been raining you can imagine the carnage with all ensundry trying to vi for drying space for there gear....its comedy alright but when you need to sleep not so funny....



I am English and in the UK I would eat a substantial breakfast before taking on a days hiking the French, eat a peice of bread and jam, with coffee.....what madness!!!....theres is no porridge anywhere and I asked everywhere...bring your own. So within days of this you are starving, dont buy western foods at the refuges the prices have been tripled...do as the french do, buy the pork sausages and the bread and local cheese, buy nougat and choc for energy....copy the french diet albiet a tad different it will get you through the worst days and when your starving youll be amazed at what you'll eat......



Do bring chlorine tablets for the water just to be on the safe side the day after I did not use them, I sprayed all over some tree, I do not want the same to happen to you.....you have been warned. !!!!



But hey lets be honest here, I have seen some of the most stunning sights and my memories are strong colourful and vivid the people I have met were fantastic and legendry there were tears and there was fear amoungst all at certain points, but by pulling together we all made it through the tougher northern sections together considering there was alot of snow at key points.



There were - 2 Belgians (Jan & Rea), 2 Kiwis (Stuart & Juanita), 2 French (Francios & Harvey) and me the Scotsman....but alas after Vizzavona I was alone for a while until me and Eric the Flying Dutchman completed the trek in true style with the Mexican and sons close behind......the GR20 route it seems had taken some early scalps already....as others were never seen again....



The hardest thing for me on the trek was the incessant and unrelenting slog that seem to start most days it is steeper and harder than any photo shows, you must spend at least 30% of your day looking at your feet ha ha - try not of course, and then when you think relief will be offered in the form of some downhill - forget it thats even worse....all you want after 3 days is a flat world....but you dont get what you want......I have no regrets and I have had some awesome experiences but I will never allow the term 'easy' to be used in this treks description....its a killer.



Let the pictures do the talking and please watch the video to get a better feel for what the GR20 can do to you....and for you....



Thanks to all the fantastic people I met on the tour you know who you are and you will always be in my thoughts -I am truly grateful for all of your help and kindness.....





The final summit before dropping down to Bavella, no we didnt push over the cross..



By the way this is what it did to me....it will be no different for you..heh heh..



This is the North section video - south will follow...south will be funnier !!!!

White Peaks Swift half Mararthon (new record)

On the 17th of May 2008 i was to attempt this half marathon PB which i had had hanging over me for about 2 years, i knew i could beat it and what a race to choose to do it on.

This race is held on the Tissington Path (the old railway) and started high up at the highest point and made its way down to the canal, the last 4 miles had 3 very steep downhill sections, for anyone that knows the trail, imagine pelting down it at breakneck speed after 9 miles.....wooohoooooo..awesome...

It was a cool drizzly day which is perfect for running in, they gave us a lift to the start in coaches on the coach a guy named James started chatting to me, he was the eventual winner in a time of 1:15, I'm sure some of his speed rubbed off on me. heh heh.




I considered hopping all the way at first....

The coaches drop you off 3/4 of a mile from the start and we walked back along the trail to the start, on my walk i got talking to 'Onion' he was about 65, and had run umpteen marathons and half's and was legend in these parts i reckon, he was a lovely character and i was glad to of chatted for the 20 minutes we had before the start.

At the start we were all huddled on the single track and on the grass edging, you had to haggle for a good starting spot as i didn't want to get blocked in again like my last race, it was freezing but i had me black bin liner on until the last second, then the horn went and we were off.

The Garmin 305 was on and ready and within 30 sec i knew it was fast for me as i was running 7:30 min mile pace, in training i run 8:20 min mile pace, i knew if carried this on i would suffer big style later on....

But hey its a race, the day you throw it all in with the kitchen sink, the group spread out quickly and i was at the back of the leading group, normal for me and slowly slipping back ha ha....but i was holding the pace well and keeping within a good distance of a sweet youthful female arse, another one i could not quite catch....



Girl on left is the arse I could not catch, man on the right I also could not catch....

At 6, 7 and 8 miles and after a toilet break, i was still running at 7:32 min mile pace, and the pain was coming my legs were tiring the reality of that pace was kicking in and it hurt like hell. But this is the crux of the race the part that if you fight through the finish will be within site....i fought and gritted me teeth, it stung i could feel the cramps building, it was pain...it was PB time...

But then a break, the steepest of hills, one of 3 and i am good on the downhills, i pegged it slamming my feet as i went, passing so many.....flying i was, mind you when i hit the flat i nearly seized with pain and the people that id overtaken crawled back to get me, but then another hill, and i sped down that too, talking more scalps on the way, and the same thing happened a third time....the last mile was along a canal it was flat and my legs did not want to know...that last mile felt like 5 from hell itself.....the finish did not want to show itself.....

It was at this point that i knew i had smashed my PB which before was 1:51:00 (Nottingham) I was about to enter the exceptional group of people at my age who go sub 1:40...i could not believe it....

......round the last gate over a muddy field into the finish line and through the finish tunnel.....i was dead....that really really hurt...but wow..........

I finished in 1:37:33 (Official time) - 62th Place (out of 263)

I was so tired i just collapsed and fell into the arms of me girlie...who is also the cruel person who took the awful shots of me....heh heh...

An awesome day and i would recommend this race to any one.

Well maybe I shouldnt recommend it to anyone.........thats a PB for ya...pain..

Thorney 10K record attempt...

Hi all, I'm still running and last week I went down to Thorney near Peterborough t attempt to beat my 10K record of 45:43....a tough challenge for a 39 year old...going sub 45.

Me and Stephanie got there in good time and it was a lush morning the best conditions for a PB, we could not have asked for better conditions, this course was flat a great PB route but that would mean it would be exposed to the elements especially wind which can destroy a PB attempt in a flash or gust...

we eyed up the competition and the Field looked fast very fast actually so we hid away heh heh...i chose to run in me tights which was a mistake and I wish i had haggled and pushed for a better start position as i got blocked in for at least 30 sec at the start.

Anyway when going for PB at any distance its never fun as your taking the very best last attempt of you at the distance and you know that last attempt was a bitch, so to beat it your gonna pay.

BANG!!!! the gun went and I got stuck behind the starting bunch which really pissed me off, I was wearing me garmin set on the virtual runner setting for 44mins, within 3K I was way ahead of me garmin, which only meant trouble ahead, I had gone out way too fast, I was just off the leading bunch but falling away rapidly if honest.....I needed to settle into a good pace and by 5K I was panting like a rapist, I was dying on my arse no doubt but hey that's what PB's feel like I said to me self trying to console....

someone once said that pain is for leaving the body....really well I had plenty to get rid of, at 7K i was in a race with two other guys they would lead I would get it back they would re take it etc etc, it was good it helped me keep my pace up, the only depressing thing was that the guy in front of me was in his 60's....sod..

8K we were in open farmers Fields on a track and I was in pain, but i knew it was now or never i had to push regardless and I put all i had into it....it was not pretty and it was painful, this was close to my maxVO2 and I was feeling it....9K and I could see the final corner....the 60 year old was pulling away and I tried a mini sprint as we came back into the finishing straight but it was hard....he had me beat....how humbling..

Finished...that line never looked so good....really i hadn't even stopped me watch as i was blinded by the final effort to cross the line, but a PB it was -

New record - 44:41

I dont think i could beat that i think that was the on the edge of all i had on the day...very proud though, the drive home from Thorney to Notts via the sat navs option on bike was stunning the country side around there is stunning...

Cheers all.

Edinburgh Marathon (Part 1)

Hi all, over the last two years I have started running, I have completed a Half Marathon in each of those years and its those events that have given me the running bug. My times were mediocre but I achieved what I had set out to do, in the early days even stepping out of the door was hard enough let alone running 13 Miles.. I had to learn to run in the first few months....but that seems a long time ago now...

So we are now in 2008 and I felt like another stupid challenge and let me assure you I have picked one hell of a bloody stupid one, this year which I have my 39th and 40th Birthdays, I have decided to do two Marathons - Why, I don't bloody know do I why does anyone? a challenge I guess? to say I can or have, to say I know what the experience involves from start to finish, not just ponder about it....which is what too many do nowadays..

I have entered the Edinburgh Marathon first and the second is also in Scotland in October at Loch Ness..anyway back to Edin... I have taken on an 18 week training schedule which I have ignored to the letter as you cant do this shcedule and have a normal job and a normal life, but I have acheived the mileage and increased my pace...to assist me in this I have bought a Garmin Forerunner 305 which I can highly recommend. This device has assited me in knowing my exact pace and also has the invaluable HR monitor.

I am at present half way through the training and have done a little video as expressing how bloody hard this is with some pictures and views of the routes i run.

The thing I would really like to express here is that a Marathon is like no other competitve race, in fact for mere mortals its not even a race, just an event a indurance event and the only person most of us will be competing against (me included) is our selves and our stupidly set over optimistic time we wish to complete it in....mine is 3:45:00 - you may ask where did i get this well stupid optimisim and arrogance came into it but also the simple calculation of adding my two best HM times together, seemed fair enough to me.

The training has brought its own great results though, for example I have beaten my HM time in training and got a 1:47:00 I have also just beaten my 10K time in a run on sunday at Thorney near Peterborough and gor a time of 44:41 and a sub 45 min 10K for an old boy appraoching his Vet Catergory real soon is very good indeed. So the benefits are beginning to show and i am sure over the next year or so things will only get better.

One of the main downsides to high mileage training constantly is that injuries are going to hapen, it is nearly impossible to avoid, and as Marathon training forces high mileage training on you it will happen to you...its happened to me and i had an ankle injury linked to the inside of my calf....the funny thing is you know your hooked on running and your not just the casual jogger when an injury causes you to rest and you get irratable as you want to get out there again.....anyway watch the video and i will be back in next month just before the race itself .....

PS Marathon runners are crazy, thats for sure......

Well peeps, heres the result this Video says it all, did very well I think for my first attempt...but its a strange distance and it really does test you listen on...

Crib Goch Via Snowden with a newbie....

Late November 2007 I decided I needed to get out in to the country again and Pixie an old friend from down south decided to join me for the first time, we could have done the tourist route but hey its me were talking about here...so crib goch it was hope he is ok with heights. we stayed at the hostal on the pass at the start gate and we got a lush room with a front veiw, weird actually as that hostal is not highly rated but I loved it....a klush place with bar...and good food.

Pxie was really excited about it which was cool some arent ha ha, I had been watching the weather for a few days and it looked like good photo potential and as it turned out it was one of the best days I have ever seen on Crib Goch.



Blue clear skies lush...

we arrived about 11am, booked in got the key ordered dinner and breakfast for later on arrival god dam ha ha, parked car in only spot near hostal very lucky up here ya know... packed bags and headed off, up up and away......what a day it was awesome. Pixie was gonna love this. Mind you after about 20 minutes i nearly had to call an ambulance i wanst sure if he was gonna make it....does Michelle know he smokes - well I wonder mmmmm......a fag on Crib Goch....not looking to healhy there eh fella.

Heres a few pics.....



He looks in pain eh ...but hasnt he done well 2 thirds to go mate..



Here i go playing with Death...why not heh heh.




Simply a nice shot....he didnt like it...



we made it across....what next ahh yes the mighty summit.



Love this shot at the top......yh bring it on well done Pixie....harder than you thought eh...



OOoohhhhh mooody....wethers can change within 2 min at summit....



Me me me me me me....yes..ha ha....kinf of mountain....

Video coming soon....

The best U Tube video.....

I am sorry but I cannot stop watching this it really is so funny, it's the expressions on the guys faces ha ha lol....to die for....

This is exactly what U Tube is all about. an so they get the best video award for 2008 for me.