What another amazing day, with perfect beach weather along the Jersey Shore! We are JUST ONE DAY from the finish! The exchange point at Toms River, New Jersey, was filled with my relatives and friends, including all of my siblings, some cousins, high school friends and two of my closest women friends. I took the baton from Will and then ran with my sister Marjorie Brinton and friends Diane McNamara, Kim Richmond and Sal Minardi. My sister, Kim and I all graduated from Toms River High School, in 1990, 1973 and 1968 respectively. We had a fantastic run. The Labor Day weekend traffic never bothered us. We were in nirvana. We ran single file across what was the old Seaside Bridge, now the eastern bridge route with the old drawbridge still in use. We crossed over the Toms River waving to the people in fishing boats. They waved back zealously. From there we ran across Pelican Island with Dill and Edo as our navigational guardians. When we hit Seaside Park, we said good bye to Dill and Edo and headed onto the Boardwalk to meet them again in Lavallette. We ran the boardwalk all the way to the Lavallette exchange point, with some extra mileage to get around points where the boards still don't connect. All in all, we ran about 12 miles,enjoying every glorious moment of each other's company and our surroundings. The waves were high and with the white sands, surf, dunes and dune grass, were the makings of a beach kaleidoscope or watercolor.

On the busy boards through Seaside Heights we drew lots of attention and spread the word that we were running around the world, the Blue Planet Run, almost done, for safe drinking water. We ran past Kohr's Custard Stand where I worked when I was 14 and the Ortley Surf Club where I worked as a bartender the summer after high school graduation. The crowds thought we were a bit crazy but they heard us. We recited the website address over and over and the excitedly exuded about being at the tail end of the BPR run around the world. Diane chided that we were running around the world for funnel cakes. For me it was for fresh shrimp, Jersey pizza and hoagies. Oh! and Jersey sweet corn. And of course, always for safe water.

As we neared the exchange point in Lavallette, boardwalker strollers passed by wearing BPR stickers. Now when we said who we were and what we were running for, they truly believed us and knew what we were talking about. We ran into the exchange, five abreast, holding hands, elated at the crowd and all the familiar faces. Family, friends, 20 plus members of the Minardi family and a great number of beachgoers who had been drawn to the exchange by our event arch, banners and Simon and Jason on the stage. It was a truly exciting exchange. We had gotten a late start in Toms River but our high spirits and energy pulled us into the exchange having made up some time. That was thanks to my "blood doping Coloradoan sister" (that's a joke!) who kept revving up the pace.

I passed the baton to Laura who headed off towards Mantoloking along the stretch of magnificent mansions and lots more shoreline. After mingling with the crowd, giving out more BPR shirts, pins and stickers, my friends and I jumped into the ocean. The temperature of the water was great but the waves were high and the undertow very strong. I think I was tired because I just could not hold myself up against the waves or swim with them. I kept getting knocked down and would swim to the surface and scratch myself to shore through the sand. I had several inches of sand imbedded inside my clothing when I hit the outdoor shower at the Minardi's down the street.

I said good bye to the team for the day as they headed up to Asbury Park and then rejoined them in Fort Lee later on for the night. After lunch with my friends, my sister and I went to a cousin's for a family barbeque. The last thing I would have ever expected was a family reunion at the end of this journey at the Jersey shore. This was more food for BPR memories along with the four ears of fresh picked Jersey sweet corn that I ate with my dinner. My siblings and I never see enough of each other and rarely are all four together. What a glorious surprise and support for the run. I also thank my dear friends along the way who have paid to be guest runners with me, including Irene Hale whom I missed because we confused the exchanges. She ran with Simon and his girlfriend Kelly into Asbury Park.

Today was a passage down memory lane, which also re-established my connection with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean where I spent many wonderful times during junior and senior high school, and with my mother. My mother's memory and spirit have travelled with me throughout this run. As I looked at the ocean while we ran today, I reconnected with the movement of the tides, the swells of the waves, the weightlessness that comes with swimming in the sea. It is free, it is timeless, like the endless timeliness of running in the Gobi Desert. That is how I am feeling as I reflect on where we are and where we've been. It is timeless. It is magical. It is surreal. And I am asking myself, pinching myself, did it really happen? We traveled around the world in our self-sufficient, self-sustaining BPR pods - green, silver, blue, yellow, orange. We did remarkable things, had highs and lows, and we are here together. Like a family we have had our tiffs and our love affairs, our alliances and our standoffs. My only real regret remains that there was not more quality time with each runner.

P.S. I finished this up on September 3 from New York City. On September 3, my friend Kim picked Laura and I up in Fort Lee in the morning and we went bike riding on "cruisers" in Central Park, then visited Kim's boyfriend at a post of the FDNY (Fire Department of New York). We toured the department and its fascinating and moving archives (including documented stories and photos of 9-11). Tomorrow is the big finale and then good byes. You'll get my wrap up from Vermont in a few days. Thanks for all your support everyone! I know several of you have made donations in my honor and I thank you wholeheartedly for that. Unfortunately I don't know who you are so forgive me if you don't get a personal thanks from me one on one. Your identities have not been given to me or I would be sure to personally be in touch to say thank you. See all you Vermonters real soon!!!!! We did it!

Water is life. Pass it on!