Photo: 12-mile ride, 3-mile run, 10:00 a.m., 40 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,100 (ytd 167,700 yds.)

Bike: 63 (ytd 3,034 mi.)

Run: 30 miles (ytd 1,467 mi.)

Photo: 6-mile run, 6:00 a.m., 50 degrees, Scottsdale, Arizona

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,100 (ytd 164,600 yds.)

Bike: 30 (ytd 2,971 mi.)

Run: 25 miles (ytd 1,437 mi.)

It's beginning to look a lot like…Scottsdale.

Photo: 7-mile run, 21-mile ride, 9:00 a.m., 45 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,100 (ytd 161,500 yds.)

Bike: 54 (ytd 2,941 mi.)

Run: 23 miles (ytd 1,412 mi.)

Photo: 8-mile run, 9:00 a.m., 25 degrees, Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,100 (ytd 158,400 yds.)

Bike: 38 (ytd 2,887 mi.)

Run: 27 miles (ytd 1,389 mi.)

Photo: 3-mile run, 8:00 a.m., -1 degree, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,000 (ytd 155,300 yds.)

Bike: 50 (ytd 2,849 mi.)

Run: 32 miles (ytd 1,362 mi.)

Tradition.

Photo: 8-mile run, 20-mile ride, 9:00 a.m., 50 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,700 (ytd 152,300 yds.)

Bike: 58 (ytd 2,799 mi.)

Run: 26 miles (ytd 1,330 mi.)

At least it's not snow?

Photo: 500-yd swim, 3-mile run, 6:00 a.m., 70 degrees, Scottsdale, Arizona

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,000 (ytd 149,600 yds.)

Bike: 60 (ytd 2,741 mi.)

Run: 21 miles (ytd 1,304 mi.)

Photo: 5-mile run, 29-mile fixie ride, 10:00 a.m., 40 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,700 (ytd 147,600 yds.)

Bike: 65 (ytd 2,681 mi.)

Run: 33 miles (ytd 1,283 mi.)

Watch out for see-saws!

Photo: 10-mile run, 18-mile fixie ride, 10:00 a.m., 40 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,400 (ytd 144,900 yds.)

Bike: 51 (ytd 2,616 mi.)

Run: 31 miles (ytd 1,250 mi.)

No-Shave November has arrived.

Photo: 9-mile run, 8:30 a.m., 45 degrees, Palo, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,200 (ytd 142,500 yds.)

Bike: 47 (ytd 2,565 mi.)

Run: 27 miles (ytd 1,219 mi.)

Photo: 10-mile ride, 6-mile walk, 10:00 a.m., 45 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,100 (ytd 140,300 yds.)

Bike: 26 (ytd 2,518 mi.)

Run: 23 miles (ytd 1,192 mi.)

Photo: 3-mile walk, 7:00 a.m., 25 degrees, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 1,000 (ytd 138,200 yds.)

Bike: 7 (ytd 2,492 mi.)

Run: 11 miles (ytd 1,169 mi.)

For those in the know, my little dream of returning to the Boston Marathon came to a stumbling halt at mile 18 of today's marathon, courtesy of a fragile knee that got a bit fragile-er. Before we fire up the pity wagon, however, I should also mention a young woman I shuffled up alongside at mile 24, in tears after deciding to quit. With TWO MILES to go. We had a brief conversation, she dried her tears, put back on her number and we stumbled to the finish together. Boston can wait. Time to get healthy.

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 0 (ytd 137,200 yds.)

Bike: 0 (ytd 2,485 mi.)

Run: 36 miles (ytd 1,158 mi.)

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story 'Rise of the five-figure bicycle.' The story led with mention of a Ted Perry, who dipped into his 401(k) to buy a $20,000 bicycle. Perry said, "Once you buy it and ride it, it becomes an extension of you, almost." I'd argue that with my three-figure bike and its one gear, no shifting, no coasting and no nonsense, there's also no 'almost.' It's cycling at its most pure. And it leaves me plenty left over for post-ride ice cream, without dipping into retirement. Silly Wall Street Journal. Silly Ted Perry.

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 0 (ytd 137,200 yds.)

Bike: 0 (ytd 2,485 mi.)

Run: 32 miles (ytd 1,122 mi.)

Photo: 12-mile run, 7:00 a.m., 55 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 0 (ytd 137,200 yds.)

Bike: 0 (ytd 2,485 mi.)

Run: 34 miles (ytd 1,090 mi.)

…must be marathon season. Or time for socks.

Photo: 20-mile run, 6:30 a.m., 40 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 (ytd 137,200 yds.)
Bike: 0 (ytd 2,485 mi.)
Run: 49 miles (ytd 1,056 mi.)

…they say it's not worth getting up at dawn to run 20.

Photo: 5-mile run, 32-mile ride, 9:00 a.m., 70 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 (ytd 137,200 yds.)
Bike: 54 (ytd 2,485 mi.)
Run: 39 miles (ytd 1,007 mi.)

Chasing the pot of gold…both of them.

Photo: 5-mile run, 6:30 p.m., 75 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 (ytd 137,200 yds.)
Bike: 0 (ytd 2,431 mi.)
Run: 45 miles (ytd 968 mi.)

Photo: After the 6-mile run, before the 12-mile run, 7:00 p.m., 75 degrees, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 0 (ytd 137,200 yds.)

Bike: 10 (ytd 2,431 mi.)

Run: 38 miles (ytd 923 mi.)

Photo: track workout…and a tumble, 6:00 a.m., 70 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,200 (ytd 137,200 yds.)
Bike: 18 (ytd 2,421 mi.)
Run: 49 miles (ytd 885 mi.)

The track in the dark…dumb.

Photo: 4-mile run, 7:00 a.m., 70 degrees, New York City, New York

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,200 (ytd 135,000 yds.)
Bike: 34 (ytd 2,403 mi.)
Run: 45 miles (ytd 836 mi.)

When in Central Park...

Photo: 13-mile run, 10-mile bike, 1-mile swim, 9:00 a.m., 70 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,900 (ytd 132,800 yds.)
Bike: 73 (ytd 2,369 mi.)
Run: 39 miles (ytd 791 mi.)

Photo: 12-mile run, 9:00 a.m., 50 degrees, Eagle County, Colorado

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 3,500 (ytd 129,000 yds.)
Bike: 43 (ytd 2,296 mi.)
Run: 35 miles (ytd 752 mi.)


.

Photo: 13-mile run, 9:30 a.m., 60 degrees, Eagle County, Colorado

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,400 (ytd 125,500 yds.)
Bike: 71 (ytd 2,253 mi.)
Run: 51 miles (ytd 717 mi.)

Photo: 30-mile fixie ride, 2-mile run, 1-yard mowed, 1-mile swim, 8:30 a.m., 73 degrees, Linn county, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 3,000 (ytd 120,100 yds.)
Bike: 50 (ytd 2,182 mi.)
Run: 47 miles (ytd 666 mi.)

Desolation Road

Photo: 41-mile ride, 1-mile swim, 6:00 a.m., 70 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,600 (ytd 117,100 yds.)
Bike: 105 (ytd 2,132 mi.)
Run: 40 miles (ytd 619 mi.)

Photo: 53-mile ride, 7-mile run, 1 yard mowed, 1-mile swim, 11:00 a.m., 80 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,300 (ytd 112,500 yds.)
Bike: 123 (ytd 2,027 mi.)
Run: 35 miles (ytd 579 mi.)

Quadathlon.

Photo: 38-mile ride, 7-mile run, 1-mile swim, 11:00 a.m., 80 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 7,100 (ytd 108,200 yds.)
Bike: 104 (ytd 1,904 mi.)
Run: 33 miles (ytd 544 mi.)

No one said swim, bike, run couldn't be bike, run, swim.

Photo: 10-mile run, 7:00 a.m., 65 degrees, Apple Valley, Minnesota

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,900 (ytd 101,100 yds.)
Bike: 82 (ytd 1,800 mi.)
Run: 31 miles (ytd 511 mi.)

The loneliness of the long-distance runner…minus the lonely part.

Photo: 7-mile run, 7:00 a.m., 50 degrees, Kirkland, Washington

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,100 (ytd 95,200 yds.)
Bike: 55 (ytd 1,718 mi.)
Run: 22 miles (ytd 480 mi.)

Photo: 24-mile bike, 6:00 a.m., 60 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,400 (ytd 94,100 yds.)
Bike: 61 (ytd 1,673 mi.)
Run: 27 miles (ytd 448 mi.)

Photo: 6-mile run, 7:00 a.m., 45 degrees, Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 7,000 (ytd 88,700 yds.)
Bike: 91 (ytd 1,612 mi.)
Run: 30 miles (ytd 421 mi.)

Photo: 1-mile swim, 8-mile run, 27-mile bike, 6:00 a.m., 45 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,600 (ytd 81,700 yds.)
Bike: 91 (ytd 1,521 mi.)
Run: 27 miles (ytd 391 mi.)

Photo: Bike-Run-Bike-Run-Bike-Run-Bike-Run, 8:00 a.m., 50 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 3,400 (ytd 76,100 yds.)
Bike: 107 (ytd 1,430 mi.)
Run: 24 miles (ytd 364 mi.)