Buckle up: there are lots of photos today, because there was lots of seeing and doing.

I began the morning with a 2 mile reconnaissance jog to see if there was indeed a dog-friendly beach in Salem. After all these years of staying in this town, I've never been aware of its existence. It's part of an old-timey arcade park called Salem Willows, and dogs are allowed on the beach except between June and September. 

After we packed up the car and checked out of our inn, we drove to the beach with the dogs. They could smell the sea water before they could see it, and they went crazy. The water is very calm at this little pocket beach, and even Soleil was dashing in and out with great zeal, in between her dig-to-China missions on the sand. I managed to collect a small handful of sea glass, including some really pretty blue pieces.

Then it was onward to Boston (it's only 20 miles or so south of Salem), and wonder of wonders WE DID NOT GET LOST! We found our hotel on the very first try. This is something we have never managed to do before in our ten years of coming to Boston.

We arrived at 1pm and check-in wasn't until 3, but because we had the dogs with us the hotel fast-tracked a room for us and by the time we had unloaded the car, we were able to go straight up to our room. We are very close to the Boston Garden (I know it's not called that anymore) and the Celtics were playing this afternoon, so there has been a lot of bedlam. Better now than at 10pm tonight I suppose.

I walked over to the convention centre to pick up my race kit. The security has really been ratcheted up this year and it was kind of unnerving. And even this late on a Sunday afternoon, after two and a half days of expo, with mere hours left before closing, the place was heaving with runners, and my main mission in life became to get the hell out as quick as I could. They don't make it easy, though - you are forced to go through the expo in order to exit the building.

I walked back to the hotel, then we went out with the dogs to search for patches of greenery where they might be able to pee. Not a lot of choice, but we did find 2 options.

I have sorted out my clothes for the race; I am lucky that I brought some lighter clothing for possible warmer-day runs or treadmill runs at other moments in the trip, because the forecast high is now close to 70, and it's going to be humid. It's still going to be wet and windy, especially before the start, but at least it's not going to be frigid. 

I guess at this point all we can do is bring what I've got to the starting line and see what that gets me.