From Topeka, Kansas, here are this week’s top ten…

- Before beginning one of our Utah legs, Sunil, Sean and I went swimming in famous Lake Powell, the second-largest man-made reservoir in the U.S. behind Lake Mead. Straddling Utah and Arizona, Lake Powell stores 24,322,000 acre feet of water from the Colorado River when full. We practiced our front crawl in the comfortably warm water, and then dried off on the massive boulders making up the shoreline. We realized that day that beyond sustaining life, water is also a huge source of pleasure for outdoor lovers around the world.

- Because it was our day off, Team Orange was delegated to represent the Blue Planet Run at the Garfield County Fair in Rifle, Colorado. After traveling through Russia and Asia, one would think we would be immune to any sort of culture shock, but amid the cowboy hats, kettle corn, trinkets, and flavor-ices, I felt a bit out of sorts. We did our best to talk with people about the safe drinking water issue, but unfortunately, we had trouble competing with the food tents and country concert pre-show. It shocks me how easily people spend money on popcorn and ice cream, yet how averse they can be to learning about issues in the developing world.

- Lansing, Sean, Andy and I ate dinner on our day off at a restaurant in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. A few tables over, a world-class opera singer asked if she could sing a song. It was such a nice surprise, and Lansing liked it so much, that he joined her for a duet later in the night!

- Sean and I had a taste of normalcy when we walked into Glenwood Springs to have a cup of coffee and read the Sunday New York Times at an outside café before our run. These are two of my favorite simple pleasures, and getting through the whole newspaper made my day!

- We went into the Rocky Mountain stages prepared to have issues with the higher altitude. My runs in Aspen and leading up to the 12,000 ft Loveland Pass (which Sean completed) were a pleasant surprise, as I didn’t even notice the altitude. The coolness of the night and the gorgeous stars (our Aspen run coincided with a meteor shower) made these runs pure bliss!

- There was a black bear on the road during my run in Aspen. I didn’t see it during my run (thank goodness), but all of my teammates did and were wondering who would win the footrace…me or the bear?

- I saw my first movie in the theatre since Krakaw, Poland when Sean, Andy (our driver) and I saw Bourne Ultimatum in Frisco. As far as action thrillers go, this one was great. Now I understand why Matt Damon was just declared one of Hollywood’s best “investments.”

- Guest runners from the Rocky Mountain Running Club joined all of us for various stages of our Colorado runs. Kathy, a gregarious mother of two with ties to my home state of Wisconsin, joined me for a midnight 10-miler along eastern Colorado’s rolling hills. One of the best things about running is its ability to encourage quick, open conversation among strangers, and my run with Kathy was no different. We discussed education in the U.S., running, marriage…even childbirth! It was great to have a running partner, and I hope this is the start of many days and nights of pace runners along the way. Thanks again, Kathy!

- The team played a rousing game of Frisbee at sunset when the 3pm-9pm team handed off to our team before our 9pm-3am shift. From soccer in the Gobi to hearts in Russia to frisbee in Kansas, the BPR team is always looking for a good game!

- My first run in Kansas was on a long, straight, gravel road. It was just me and the cornfields… only in Kansas!