We are on our 4th continent. Are we in Asia, or not? Yes we are, after some confusion. Turns out we stayed in Asia last night then drove to meet up with the team before us at an exchange point back in Europe and then we ran across the border. The distances here are very far between and there was no hotel close to the continental boundary on the European side. Shiri who lives in Sri Lanka, on the Asian continent, took the lead in crossing the boundary and appeared on Russian television. She passed the baton to Emmanuel who then was followed for miles by the media contingent. Black men, especially beautiful runners like he, are a unique site in these parts.

The Europe/Asia border was anti-climatic in terms of topography. We crossed the Urals which were also not dramatic but clearly another landmark in our journey. We befriended a stray puppy at the nearby exchange point and put our heads together to see if there was a way to bring him along as the BPR mascot. Alas, "nyet" was the answer.

Last night's stay was in Ekaterinburg, a large city where Boris Yeltsin was born and the Czar and his family were murdered. We visited the shrine to the Czar for a photo shoot. We entered the chapel, a solemn but colorful place of prayer. We women donned babushkas, the men removed their hats and all technology remained outside. The voice of the man performing the service inside emanated and filled every corner while adorable children with their mothers said their prayers.

We are back on a main route but not MR7. Silver Team ran really well today. I resorted to my inhaler to offset asthmatic symptoms from the exhaust. The pavement was slippery after some rain and temperatures cooler than yesterday given the cloud cover. These runs are a cake walk in comparison to the daily treks African women take to haul water on their heads to provide for their families.

During my run, lightning took the place of fireworks in celebrating the 4th of July as I mentally sent Independence Day greetings to everyone back home. I finished near Tyumen from where my friends Laura Medalie and Dave Kissner adopted their children, brother and sister Max and Olga. Tomorrow's run will be dedicated to Max and Olga. We continue to enjoy lots and lots of cucumbers and tomatoes.

All in all, a good day.....................