Photo: 10-mile ride, 6-mile run, 8:00 a.m., 28 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 0 (ytd 12,000 yds.)

Bike: 52 (ytd 468 mi.)

Run: 24 miles (ytd 178 mi.)

The road (way) less traveled.

Photo: 17-mile ride, 4-mile run, 9:00 a.m., 30 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 600 (ytd 12,000 yds.)

Bike: 46 (ytd 344 mi.)

Run: 22 miles (ytd 135 mi.)

Photo: 3-mile run, 600-yd swim, 10:00 a.m.,  60 degrees, Fountain Hills, Arizona

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,200 (ytd 11,400 yds.)

Bike: 54 (ytd 298 mi.)

Run: 28 miles (ytd 113 mi.)

Photo: 16-mile ride, 5-mile run, 9:00 a.m., 28 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,200 (ytd 8,200 yds.)

Bike: 74 (ytd 244 mi.)

Run: 28 miles (ytd 85 mi.)

Photo: 24-mile ride, 4-mile run, 9:00 a.m., 40 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,200 (ytd 5,000 yds.)

Bike: 73 (ytd 170 mi.)

Run: 23 miles (ytd 57 mi.)

Nothin' but blue skies...

Photo: 7-mile run, 16-mile ride, 9:00 a.m., 12 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 1,800 (ytd 1,800 yds.)

Bike: 69 (ytd 97 mi.)

Run: 20 miles (ytd 34 mi.)

Photo: 7-mile run, 8:00 a.m., 20 degrees, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Weekly activity log:

Swim: 3,100 (ytd 0 yds.)

Bike: 60 (ytd 28 mi.)

Run: 23 miles (ytd 14 mi.)

Tradition.

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.)