FROM ZERO TO HALF MARATHON IN 10 WEEKS

Distance running: I've done it, on and off, my whole life. From marathons to Ironman World Championship where you swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles then, after all that, You run a marathon (26.2 miles) all in the same day.

So, let me just put it out there for everyone to read: In the next 10 weeks (basically over the summer) I'm going to go from zero running to 13.1 miles (a half marathon) distance. AND within another 4 weeks after that I'll be able to race at that distance.

The past two years is the longest break I've had from running since 2006 when we moved to the Big Island.

Yeah, it's a lofty goal for someone in their late 50s who hasn't run much for the past couple of years.

In the past 9 years I've competed in two Ironman World Championship triathlons and several half Ironmans and numerous other triathlons, marathons and other distance running events. but for the past two years I've reverted back to a couch potato.

Now I want to change that and get back into Ironman shape. Well, at least marathon shape.

All I can do is either succeed or fail. And you can follow along, either on this blog or on my YouTube channel, to see which I do and to hold me accountable for training and sticking with it. I will need your support, encouragement and advice along the way so please subscribe to either or better yet, both, and comment on each of my training videos. I'm lazy and can't do this on my own.

You can watch a video on our YouTube channel where I talk about this 10-week challenge of getting off the couch and running a half marathon here: https://youtu.be/2paSWjyCDuA

ABOUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Adventure Road Travel Sketchers
you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/user/rdubinhawaii

Our channel is evolving as our lives are evolving.

Our channel started out while we lived in Hawaii and I was competing in Ironman triathlons. That's why the first few videos are about running and Ironman competition. Since we have moved back to the mainland and I became interested in sketching I switched it up to producing sketching videos, sketchbook tours, reviews, and how to sketch videos.

Recently our lives have taken a new direction. We moved out of our three bedroom house with a double car garage and moved into a 264-square-foot fifth wheel RV. We plan to begin traveling the country as soon as possible and sketch the places and people we visit and meet along the way. We plan on sticking to the rural areas as much as possible -- the roots of America.

We also plan on interviewing some of the people we meet and discover what makes their town and neighborhoods special to them.

We will be producing content about sketching, RV life, which includes repairs, coping with small spaces and the pros and cons of full-time RV living. Our daughter, Rebecca is disabled and is wheelchair bound so we will also be talking about how we manage all the work arounds in a world made for people who walk, including how accessible places are for disabled people.

I've changed the name of this channel (for now) to Adventure Road Travel Sketchers (ARTS for short) and my wife Karen, daughter Rebecca, 4-year-old twin grandsons Leo and Desmond and our 6-year-old grandson NJ, will be contributing content as well.

Thanks and please subscribe (it's absolutely free) and it would mean the world to us.

SQUEEZING OUR TRUCK SEATS INTO THESE

How many times in your life have you installed seat covers in our vehicles? I've probably installed 20 or more sets of seat covers in my life. 

I have to admit that installing seat covers in a pickup truck is the hardest though. Especially when the seat covers are custom made for the truck, which means they are extremely tight fitting. The problem is I have a 2017 Ram 2500 crew cab truck and installing seat covers on the backseat can be pretty difficult. Actually it’s the back of the backseat that’s the hard part.

I found a set of covers we liked on Amazon from a company that makes them to order. Reading the reviews though made me pause. One reviewer who had the same truck as me mentioned he had to remove his backseat to install the seat cover. What? Although that’s not that difficult to do, just time consuming, I’d rather not have to do that. Other reviewers mentioned that the covers were so tight it made it difficult to install. And still others mentioned that the directions were worthless. (I never read directions anyhow … so that doesn’t matter to me.)

Our Ram 2500 and fifth wheel.

I had already purchased similar covers for our half ton truck last summer so I knew they were tight and as far as removing the backseat I didn’t have to do that with the half ton so hopefully I wouldn’t have to on our 2500.

These are the seat covers we installed from Amazon. They come in a lots of different colors.

As you know we have twin 4-year-olds (almost 5) grandsons who stay with us half the week and a 6-year-old grandson who stays with us two days a week so our backseats can get pretty stained up if we don’t cover them.

It's rare but all three boys asleep in the backseat of the truck.

Once the covers arrived I tore open the package. I love the embroidered Ram logo. I couldn’t wait to get started on installing them. Of course it was rainy but hey, it’s Oregon. We can take it. 

I started with the backseat. I figured I might as well get the hard part over with first. The bottom went on easily. It was snug but that’s what they should be.

Now the hard part. I removed the headrests and worked the covers onto the seat back. The gap at the top of the seat back was barely wide enough for my fingers to fit in. My first thought was I was going to have to remove the seat after all. 

Fortunately, the bottom of the seat raises up so I was able to access the bottom of the seat back which I found to have a large gap that my hand and arm would fit easily. I tucked the seat cover straps down the top of the seat back then from the bottom I reached up and was able to grab the straps and connect them to their counterparts on the bottom. 

Viola! I wouldn’t have to remove the seat after all. I think it took about a half hour to install the back and about 15 minutes to install the front, which were very snug but went on. Just be patient and work them down the seat back from the top slowly.

You can check out the video I made of the backseat installation here: DON'T REMOVE YOUR BACK SEAT 

I’ll have the front seat installation video posted shortly. 

Yeah, this isn’t about sketching but it is about RVing (this is our tow vehicle) and our blog and YouTube channel are transitioning into a rv travel sketchers blog and channel. By the way, I do have an iPad sketch of an R Pod trailer superimposed over part of the installation video if you want to watch that as well. 

HERE'S THE AMAZON LINK FOR THE SEAT COVERS: Seat Covers on Amazon

So I hope this may help anyone who is having trouble installing seat coves on the backseat of their truck. Thanks for stopping by.

A FORGOTTEN POST FROM SEPT. 26, 2012

I was searching my blog for a photo June 12, 2018, when I discovered a blog entry I forgot to post. Actually I thought I had posted it. It is from Sept. 26, 2012. We were to travel cross-country from Idaho to North Carolina and back in 9 days plus run at least 5K (3.2 miles) in each state we drove through. ( I did post a recap of our trip in late October of 2012 but never posted this one.

Below is that forgotten post (with photos from our trip added June 12, 2018).

----------------------------------------

November 3rd, our son, Daniel, is getting married in North Carolina. So Karen, Rebecca and I decided that instead of flying back there, it would be fun to drive from Idaho to North Carolina. Along the way we would take a detour and head south to Georgia and see our daughter, Rachael and our two granddaughters, Maddie and Zoey. (NOTE FROM 2018: Rachael now has a son, JJ, too).

This is our planned route.

We have nine days to make the nearly 5,000-mile round-trip journey. Not a lot of time right? But that's only half of it. We decided that we wanted to do something different. Something that we would remember. Something that would be challenging. So we decided to run at least 5k (3.2 miles) in every state we drive through. 

At the wedding.

I know that doesn't sound like much. Big deal, 3 miles a day for nine days, wow ... Well, it's actually more than that. A lot more. We'll be going through 15 to 20 states and some days we'll be driving through 3 or 4 states in one day. So the mileage will build up fast. Not to mention weather conditions. After all this will take place the last week of October and first week of November.

Our actual route and all those pins are where I took photos.

Again, it's not a lot of mileage but being under the gun to drive 2,500 miles in three days and still be able to stop in Georgia and make it to the wedding  on time will be a challenge. Not to mention making it back home in time for work nine days later.

Here are some photos from our first trip across the US. And we did make it back in 9 days. Including driving to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for a job interview. It was a great trip. The only bad thing is we hit a deer just outside Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, that dented the front of our nearly new Honda Fit. The deer was fine, by the way.

Rebecca and Zoey.

On teh beach at Camp Lejuene.

Running at sunrise somewhere in Iowa.

Running along the Utah Freeway. I didn't have any warm running clothes so I ran in jeans.

Running on the beach. It's the first time I ever saw the Atlantic Ocean.

Running at night in South Carolina.

our precious granddaughter Maddie. 

Maddie making faces with Papa for the camera.

Karen and Rebecca at the beach at the Atlantic Ocean.

running in Rawlins, Wyoming. It was cold and windy.

Daniel, our Marine son and I at the beach. 

Thanks for stoping by and check out our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/rdubinhawaii

We are just beginning to post RV and Sketching videos and really need your help to make our channel grow. We need comments on what you'd like to see and ways we can improve our channel.  We are taking courses on how to improve our videos so follow our journey and grow with us. 

ADVENTURE ROAD TRAVEL SKETCHERS — A YouTube Channel

The artwork for my YouTube channel — Adventure Road Travel Sketcherss (ARTS).

You may not know this, but I have a YouTube channel. I've actually have had it for 9 or 10 years — way before it was cool to have one.

I posted a spoof video of a Zoot commercial starring an aquaintence from Hawaii. (secretly hoping Zoot would sponsor me ...) I still have those Zoots by the way. See the video on the rail of this blog or go here to watch it: ZOOT commercial spoof

I've also posted a couple of Ironman World Championship videos and a running in Hawaii in Vibrams video.

A video of when I was featured on NBC Sports for competing in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Most recently (since we moved into a fifth wheel RV) I've changed the name of my channel to Adventure Road Travel Sketchers (ARTS for short) and began posting sketching videos. I plan on producing RV-related videos as well and anytime I can combine RVing, sketching and running/swimming/biking I'll post  those too.

By the way, the official name is RDub in Hawaii. the official web address is https://www.youtube.com/user/rdubinhawaii

Here's the link to my YouTube Channel: ARTS 

I haven't decided if I'll keep the sketching separate from the RV related videos by starting another channel specifically for RVing. I plan on combining the two by doing a lot of RV lifestyle sketching and once we are able to begin traveling the country those two subjects will be intertwined.

I'm also taking courses on creating a YouTube channel and making my videos more interesting, which all the videos posted before June 5, 2018, were created before I took the class so I hope you will begin to see a difference in the quality of the content and the story telling as I progress from this point on.

Please check out my channel and Please subscribe (it's free) and it helps my channel rank higher on YouTube. Also if you want to help support my channel and blog for free you can click on any of the Amazon links or ads (on my blog) and if you purchase anything -- even if it's not what you clicked on -- Amazon will pay me a small commission that costs  you nothing.

Some of the videos on sketching and running I've created and uploaded to my YouTube Channel here'.

Here's a tag line I place on all my videos that explains what my channel is about:

ABOUT THIS CHANNEL:
Our channel is evolving as our lives are evolving.

This channel started out while we lived in Hawaii  and I was competing in Ironman triathlons. That's why the first few videos are about running and Ironman competition. Since we have moved back to the mainland and I became interested in sketching I switched it up to producing sketching videos, sketchbook tours, reviews, and how to sketch videos.

Recently our lives have taken a new direction. We moved out of our three bedroom house with a double car garage and moved into a 264-square-foot fifth wheel RV. We plan to begin traveling the country as soon as possible and sketch the places and people we visit and meet along the way. We plan on sticking to the rural areas as much as possible -- the roots of America.

We also plan on interviewing some of the people we meet and discover what makes their town and neighborhoods special to them.

We will be producing content about sketching, RV life which includes repairs, coping with small spaces and the pros and cons of full-time RV living. Our daughter, Rebecca is disabled and is wheelchair bound so we will also be talking about how we manage all the work arounds in a world made for people who walk, including how accessible places are for disabled people.

I've changed the name of this channel (for now) to Adventure Road Travel Sketchers (ARTS for short) and my wife Karen, daughter Rebecca, 4-year-old twin grandsons Leo and Desmond and sometimes our 5-year-old grandson NJ, will be contributing content as well.

Thanks and please subscribe (it's absolutely free) and it would mean the world to us if you would comment and subscribe.

HELP SUPPORT OUR CHANNEL FOR FREE: I am part of the Amazon Affiliate program which means if you click on one of the links and purchase anything I get a small commission paid by amazon and costs you nothing more. It's a way for you to help support our channel for free. 

We are currently taking courses to improve my channel and content so please be patient, subscribe and keep checking back. I promise my videos will get better. Thank you.

I am part of the Amazon Affiliate program which means if you click on one of the links below and purchase anything I get a small commission paid by amazon and costs you nothing more. It's a way for you to help support my growing channel for free.

OUR BLOG: THE KONA LIFE
You can check out my blog at http://amilucid.blogspot.com/ where I talk all things sketching, triathlon and RV life in general.

Below are a few Amazon links for some of the art supplies I use. (I'm an Amazon Affiliate)

Platinum Desk Fountain Pen: http://amzn.to/2CVwbIc

Platinum carbon ink bottle ink black 60cc: http://amzn.to/2D1xFCA

Stillman & Birn Beta Series sketchbook: http://amzn.to/2CLMTer 

M. Graham watercolor tubes: http://amzn.to/2ByAnRB

Winsor & Newton watercolors (the link is for a Cotman beginner set): http://amzn.to/2k7ct5Q

Da Vinci Kolinsky red sable travel brushes No. 10, 6 & 4 round
(This is a great deal for real red sable. Three brush set): http://amzn.to/2BCb55r

Sakura Pigma Micron pens: http://amzn.to/2CMkipa

Lamy Safari fountain pen extra fine nib: http://amzn.to/2k7PQOV

Pentel Aquash water brush: http://amzn.to/2kEqrLV

My palette: Prima Marketing Watercolor Confections: The Classics (I took out the Prima paints and replaced them with half pans of M. Grahams tube paints): http://amzn.to/2k60ghO

GoPro Hero 2:  http://amzn.to/2m1LQzC

Apple Pencil: http://amzn.to/2DodFwt

iPad Pro 12.9-inch: http://amzn.to/2DhWfOI