Hello from the Hotel Volna in Nizhny Novgorod, an oasis off MR7, the highway we will be running all the way across Russia. I’ve got my own room and have washed all my clothes. The city is home to over 1.3 million people. It’s the Green Team’s day off so we have time for massages and some sightseeing. I have one more day with the Green Team and then will join Team Silver, which includes our youngest runner, Shiri, and soon our oldest female, me. Add Shiri and our youngest BPR male runner’s ages together and they are still younger than me! I’ll lose one of my day shifts but then there’s not much to look at on MR7 these days.

Yesterday’s stay in Vladimir was really terrific. It’s a town of churches and bells that melodiously strike on the hour. We continue to be satiated with yummy meals, including another great salmon entrée. Russia has come a long way in the food department since my previous visits. Laura and I took Sunila shopping in the local mall during a rainstorm. He purchased a lovely top for his new wife and a fast drying pair of blue shorts for himself. The shop personnel were so attentive, quite the opposite from many experiences back home. I think the Russians are finding us all quite the curiosity, especially when we show up in our diverse groups.

I had a difficult run last night between the semis and pollution which almost triggered an asthma attack. MR7 is the commerce artery of this country with 24/7 truck traffic hauling cars and wood products between here and China. I ran just after dark with sketchy shoulders, was attacked by a dog, and entertained by the hookers at bus stops offering their services to the truckers. What a sad existence. We no longer have our police escort. Our GPS is not being reliable through this area and so we are relying on the odometer and photos of the exchange points. Russians are very literal so there are some communication obstacles, including a driver who approaches problems differently and so won’t always do what is common sense to us.

Today I spoiled myself. I had a pedicure, a massage, bought myself a shirt and drank beer. Tomorrow morning we have a 400K drive to the next stop. Then I’ll run a 3am to 9am shift before transferring over to the 3pm to 9pm shift with Team Silver.

A highlight of my day was asking local Russians for directions, including three giddy young women in a beauty shop in a local mall. We drew pictures and used hand signals, then I gave them BPR stickers. I’ve given out quite a few today, including several to a little girl who befriended me in the salon and wanted more for her friends. After all my translation semantics, it was a respite to find a man from Connecticut at the bar where I ordered my beer who spoke Russian. He handled my order and then we talked about BPR. He’d noticed the shirts around the hotel. Wearing the brand connects the dots. Just as I am spreading onions around the world, I am trying to spread the BPR word. Pass it on!