We've made it to Salem, MA, and we are enjoying the ''particular'' vibe of the Witch City...a mix of colourful characters and kitsch, with a dash of out-and-out wackiness.

This morning in Burlington it looked damp and cold from the hotel room window, but the sun was peeking out, and it was already a surprisingly warm 10 degrees celsius first thing in the morning. I took the dogs out for a short walk and then came back, got changed and went for a 10km run to shake the legs out a bit, and enjoy the stunningly beautiful views across Lake Champlain to the Adirondacks in New York State. I simply love the Burlington, Vermont recreational trail, and we both really like the energy and scenery of Burlington, Vermont.

We didn't hit the road until 11am because we didn't have a huge drive ahead of us, and it was mostly straight interstate through Vermont's Green Mountains and then New Hampshire's White Mountains. I did detour Tim to an outlet mall in New Hampshire, to scour the Saucony outlet for a particular model of shoes that I like. I scored 2 pairs, which was the sum total of what they had.

The forecast for Monday is looking slightly more positive from my point of view, because even though it's still promising rain, most of the forecast sites are now suggesting that temperatures will be in the mid-40s first thing in the morning, rising all the way to near 70 during the race. So at least it won't be sleet and really cold temperatures like last year. As well, the wind has now shifted from being a firm headwind to a crosswind to tailwind, so I will certainly take that. 

Today the temperatures hit 25 Celsius, which is a real shock to our systems after a long, cold, Canadian winter. The dogs were feeling it, and spent a good part of the day panting.

The small in where we are staying tonight is quite lovely.  We have a nice big room with a separate bathroom and a walk-in closet. I am spread out on the bed with two zonked Labradors (who are not supposed to be on the bed, but I'm not telling them that.)

Tomorrow we head into Boston.