Photo: 31-mile gravel ride, 5-mile run, 60 degrees, 8 a.m., Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,400 (ytd 149,500 yds.)

Bike: 82 (ytd 3,137 mi.)

Run: 21 miles (ytd 890 mi.)

Bliss.

Photo: 24-mile road ride, 2-mile run, 45 degrees, 6 a.m., Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,600 (ytd 147,100 yds.)

Bike: 60 (ytd 3,055 mi.)

Run: 19 miles (ytd 869 mi.)

Photo: 5-mile run, 26-mile gravel ride, 1-mile dog walk, 45 degrees, 5 a.m., Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,500 yds. (ytd 144,500 yds.)
Bike: 85 miles (ytd 2,970 mi.)
Run: 20 miles (ytd 850 mi.) 

Day off.

Photo: 23-mile ride, 3-mile run, 74 degrees, 8 a.m., Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 1,100 yds. (ytd 142,000 yds.)

Bike: 55 miles (ytd 2,885 mi.)

Run: 18 miles (ytd 830 mi.)

A laborious commute on Labor Day.

Photo: 24-mile ride, 1-mile run, 70 degrees, 6 a.m., Linn County, Iowa.

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 2,400 yds. (ytd 140,900 yds.)

Bike: 97 miles (ytd 2,830 mi.)

Run: 20 miles (ytd 812 mi.)

The road to the empty nest continues.

Photo: 57-mile ride, 70 degrees, 6 a.m., Johnson County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 0 yds. (ytd 138,500 yds.)

Bike: 104 miles (ytd 2,733 mi.)

Run: 19 miles (ytd 792 mi.)

When I was young, I roamed the neighborhood with a motley crew of boys (and one girl). Steve, Scott, Joy, Peter and the others rode bikes, climbed trees, built forts, swam and played kick-the-can far into the summer night, usually accompanied by that pesky girl. She chased us, we tolerated her. It didn't help that she was faster than us and a better tree climber. Fast-forward. We're now all spread far and wide, seeing each other rarely, talking occasionally. She now tolerates us and is often the glue of communication that holds us all together. Thanks for this morning, Amelia. The boys from the West Side still have your back.

Photo: The annual three-generation tradition continues. 70 degrees, 7 p.m., Minneapolis, Minnesota

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 5,000 yds. (ytd 138,500 yds.)

Bike: 106 miles (ytd 2,629 mi.)

Run: 20 miles (ytd 773 mi.)

Photo: 2,000-swim, 30-mile ride, 60 degrees, 6 a.m., Alburnett, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 5,500 yds (ytd 138,500 yds.)

Bike: 112 miles (ytd 2,629 mi.)

Run: 15 miles (ytd 773 mi.)

Is it worth rising at 4:30 a.m.? Absolutely.

Photo: 37-mile ride, 2-mile run, 1,500-yd swim, 70 degrees, 11 a.m., Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 3,100 yds (ytd 133,000 yds.)å
Bike: 99 miles (ytd 2,517 mi.)
Run: 10 miles (ytd 758 mi.)

The only creature who likes my smelly running shoes more than me.

Photo: long swim, long ride, long run, 60 degrees, 2 a.m., Lake Mills, Wisconsin

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 7,000 yds (ytd 129,900 yds.)
Bike: 150 miles (ytd 2,418 mi.)
Run: 31 miles (ytd 748 mi.)

Things get weird in the dark.

Photo: Long drive to longboard, 50 degrees, 3 p.m., Vail Pass, Colorado

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,700 yds (ytd 122,900 yds.)
Bike: 61 miles (ytd 2,268 mi.)
Run: 29 miles (ytd 717 mi.)

Yes, childhood friends, I'm still riding that darned skateboard..

Photo: 20-mile tri-bike ride, 3-mile run, 20-mile road bike ride, 3-mile run, 10-mile fixie ride, 1-mile run, 1-mile swim, 80 degrees, 11 a.m., Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,800 yds (ytd 121,200 yds.)
Bike: 144 miles (ytd 2,207 mi.)
Run: 20 miles (ytd 688 mi.)

Does it look like Colorado? No? It will.

Photo: 30-mile ride, 3-run, 30-mile ride, 4-mile run, 1-mile swim, 75 degrees, 11 a.m., Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log: Swim: 5,500 yds (ytd 116,400 yds.) Bike: 120 miles (ytd 2,063 mi.) Run: 31 miles (ytd 668 mi.)

Rain on the bike, rain on the run, rain on the swim....workout down the drain.

Photo: Iowa Indy 250, 80 degrees, 2 p.m., Newton, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 6,000 yds (ytd 106,700 yds.)
Bike: 100 miles (ytd 1,799 mi.)
Run: 27 miles (ytd 609 mi.)

Not the start line I'm used to...

 or the transition area... 

                                 

or the podium. Congrats, James! 

Photo: 2,000-yard swim, 50 degrees, 4 a.m., Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,700 yds (ytd 100,700 yds.)
Bike: 135 miles (ytd 1,699 mi.)
Run: 28 miles (ytd 582 mi.)

'Bout time.

Photo: 7-mile run, 7 p.m., 65 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,300 yds (ytd 96,000 yds.)
Bike: 126 miles (ytd 1,564 mi.)
Run: 16 miles (ytd 554 mi.)

Seriously.

Photo: 3-mile walk, 3 p.m., 65 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,700 yds (ytd 91,700 yds.)
Bike: 74 miles (ytd 1,438 mi.)
Run: 22 miles (ytd 538 mi.)

What does a nature walk with my daughter have to do with the first race day of the year? Very, very little...and thank god for that.

Photo: 7-mile run, 9 a.m., 60 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,000 yds (ytd 89,000 yds.)
Bike: 96 miles (ytd 1,364 mi.)
Run: 30 miles (ytd 518 mi.)

Photo: 10-mile run, 8 a.m., 60 degrees, Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 4,600 yds (ytd 85,000 yds.)

Bike: 80 miles (ytd 1,268 mi.)

Run: 30 miles (ytd 488 mi.)

There...

 are... 

worse... 

 places...

to run.

Photo: 40-mile fixie ride, 1-mile run, 8 a.m., 60 degrees, Linn County, Iowa 

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,700 yds (ytd 80,600 yds.)
Bike: 98 miles (ytd 1,188 mi.)
Run: 31 miles (ytd 458 mi.)

Eggciting x4

Photo: 40-mile fixie ride, 1-mile run, 8 a.m., 50 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 6,300 yds (ytd 75,900 yds.)
Bike: 89 miles (ytd 1,090 mi.)
Run: 31 miles (ytd 427 mi.)

Eggciting

Photo: Somewhere over Arizona

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,500 yds (ytd 69,600 yds.)
Bike: 95 miles (ytd 1,001 mi.)
Run: 27 miles (ytd 396 mi.)

Commute

Photo: 3-mile color run, 11:00 a.m., 40 degrees, Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,000 yds (ytd 65,100 yds.)
Bike: 60 miles (ytd 906 mi.)
Run: 22 miles (ytd 368 mi.)

This isn’t about running.

I first made the left-hand turn onto Boylston St. in 2002, just months after 9/11. I was so overwhelmed by the crowds, the accomplishment, the moment, that I shed a tear mid-stride. It wasn't just a marathon. It was BOSTON. Hallowed ground. The ultimate. The culmination of years of work, training and a dream.

But this isn’t about running.

I qualified again a few years later, this time bringing along my children to witness the spectacle and see how their father's hard work, early mornings, and qualifying races had paid off. They were there on Boylston. They stood on that street at that finish line. They had seen their dad do it, and had cheered along with the thousands of spectators.

But this isn’t about running.

I didn’t cry when I heard the news. I was stunned. I saw the footage from every angle. Still, no tears. But when I heard about an 8-year-old boy who died welcoming his father to the finish line…

That could have been one of my kids. Or both. I could have been that father. We were in that same spot. So many people were. It kept me awake last night. A small punishment of ‘what ifs.’ What if I had decided to run Boston this year? What if I had run just the wrong finishing time? What if, what if, what if?

But this isn’t about running.

This weekend, I am driving to the small Iowa town where my daughter goes to college. We are going to run a 5k together benefiting the local fire department. It may be her first steps toward running a 10k, a marathon, or maybe even a trip someday to Boston.

But this isn’t about running.

There will be a Boston next year and the year after that and for years to come. And, mark my words, I will return there and cross that line again, maybe with my daughter. And we won’t be afraid. We will be surrounded by people a lot like us from all over the world. People who want to experience something overwhelming. People who want to spend time with the beautiful citizens who come out year after year on Patriot’s Day, to celebrate what’s good with the world, what’s right.

But this isn’t about running.

I cannot imagine the hurt in the family of that 8-year-old boy, Martin Richard. But I can imagine the love that’s headed their way, from everyone who has run Boston, who has finished, who has watched, who has volunteered, who has protected, who has lived. There are millions of us, all thinking of that child, his father, his family and an event that celebrates life year after year after year.

Because this isn’t about running.

Photo: 40-mile ride, one-mile run, 10:00 a.m., 45 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,900 yds (ytd 55,300 yds.)
Bike: 81 miles (ytd 778 mi.)
Run: 31 miles (ytd 314 mi.)

Dear Spring,

It's 'bout time.

Photo: 3-hour fixie ride, one-hour run, 15-minute snooze, 11:00 a.m., 37 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,200 yds (ytd 49,400 yds.)
Bike: 80 miles (ytd 697 mi.)
Run: 30 miles (ytd 283 mi.)

Photo: 90-minute ride, one-hour run, 8:00 a.m., 28 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,100 yds (ytd 44,200 yds.)
Bike: 58 miles (ytd 617 mi.)
Run: 28 miles (ytd 253 mi.)

Photo: one-mile run, one-hour ride, 9:00 a.m., 32 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,100 yds (ytd 39,100 yds.)
Bike: 59 miles (ytd 559 mi.)
Run: 26 miles (ytd 225 mi.)

The experiment begins.

Photo: one-hour run, one-hour ride, 9:00 a.m., 39 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 5,100 yds (ytd 34,000 yds.)
Bike: 54 miles (ytd 500 mi.)
Run: 27 miles (ytd 199 mi.)

Drear, the fifth season.

Photo: 7-mile run, 8:00 a.m., 55 degrees, Scottsdale, Arizona

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 3,500 yds (ytd 28,900 yds.)
Bike: 49 miles (ytd 446 mi.)
Run: 24 miles (ytd 172 mi.)

Photo: 16-mile ride, 8-mile run, 8:00 a.m., 22 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,800 yds (ytd 25,400 yds.)
Bike: 54 miles (ytd 397 mi.)
Run: 25 miles (ytd 148 mi.)

Photo: pre-workout, 6:00 a.m., Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 4,800 yds (ytd 20,600 yds.)

Bike: 54 miles (ytd 343 mi.)

Run: 28 miles (ytd 123 mi.)

Words to live by.

Photo: 7-mile runs, 55 degrees and 28 degrees, 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., Scottsdale, Arizona and Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,600 yds (ytd 15,800 yds.)

Bike: 48 miles (ytd 289 mi.)

Run: 24 miles (ytd 95 mi.)

What a difference a day makes. 

Photo: 1-hour ride, 1-hour run, 10 degrees, 8:00 a.m., Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,200 yds (ytd 12,200 yds.)
Bike: 55 miles (ytd 241 mi.)
Run: 23 miles (ytd 71 mi.)

30 degrees and ice one day, 60 degrees and rain the next, 10 degrees and snow the next...Iowa.

Photo: 5-mile run, 10 degrees, 8:00 a.m., Chicago, Illinois

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 4,100 yds (ytd 12,200 yds.) 
Bike: 57 miles (ytd 241 mi.)
Run: 20 miles (ytd 71 mi.) 

Why I don't live in the city.

Photo: 22-mile fixie ride, 6-mile run, 38 degrees, 8:00 a.m., Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log: 
Swim: 4,100 yds (ytd 8,100 yds.)
Bike: 72 miles (ytd 184 mi.) 
Run: 21 miles (ytd 51 mi.) 

Workout after the workout.

Photo: 60-minute run, 60-minute ride, 14 degrees, 8:00 a.m., Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,800 yds (ytd 4,000 yds.)
Bike: 61 miles (ytd 112 mi.)
Run: 20 miles (ytd 30 mi.)

RIP Johanna - long may you run

Run, Johanna, Run

Photo: A long, long time ago, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,200 yds (ytd 1,200 yds.)
Bike: 59 miles (ytd 51 mi.)
Run: 12 miles (ytd 10 mi.)

In memoriam

Photo: 0-minute run, 0-minute ride, 6:00 a.m., Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,600 yds (ytd 203,400 yds.)
Bike: 35 miles (ytd 4,860 mi.)
Run: 11 miles (ytd 1,187 mi.)

Dearest Viral Gastroenteritis, you win. I give.

Photo: 60-minute run, 60-minute ride, 8:00 a.m., 6 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,600 yds (ytd 200,800 yds.)
Bike: 60 miles (ytd 4,825 mi.)
Run: 17 miles (ytd 1,176 mi.)

Photo: 90-minute fixie ride, 40-minute run, 8:00 a.m., 26 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 3,600 yds (ytd 194,700 yds.)
Bike: 69 miles (ytd 4,706 mi.)
Run: 20 miles (ytd 1,139 mi.)

Photo: Christmas at Luther, 7:30 p.m., 50 degrees, Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,500 yds (ytd 191,100 yds.)
Bike: 41 miles (ytd 4,637 mi.)
Run: 21 miles (ytd 1,119 mi.)

Still thankful for dopes and dorks. Coming to PBS 12/23 7pm CST