Four weeks from today, our team will complete our circumnavigation of the globe with one final run into New York City. With just one-third of our journey remaining, I spent some time this morning reflecting on how I will define success on September 4. For me, a successful Blue Planet Run will be marked by (in order of importance) fitness, friendship, and FUNDING.

In terms of fitness, a successful run for me will mean legs that still feel fresh, a body free of any major aches and pains (yes, minor ones are fine with me), and more energy than I had in June. This event, with 10+ time zone changes, an unpredictable schedule, limited sleep and a varying diet, has undoubtedly been hard on all of our bodies. In light of this, finishing strong and healthy is one of my goals, and something I’m working toward by ensuring adequate rest, smart running and a positive attitude.

Having traveled to 16 countries with 20 other runners, another success metric for me is maintaining lasting friendships with my fellow runners. When Sean and I had dinner with some friends in San Francisco last week, many of them asked whether we planned to stay in touch with the other runners. This group is incredibly diverse in background, passion, interest and personality, which has made this journey fun as well as challenging at times. We have all shared experiences that are very difficult to explain to people who weren’t on the road with us, and it is important to me to stay in touch with the friends I have made. I look forward to feeding from this group’s positive energy for years to come.

Lastly, and most importantly, for this run to truly feel like a success to me, we (the Blue Planet Run Foundation) need to raise some serious funds for safe drinking water projects. As a runner, I wake up every day motivated by the fact that there are 1.1 billion people in the world who don’t have access to safe drinking water. I think about these people while I run, and wonder what my life would be like if I spent 5-6 hours each day fetching water for my family. I talk to the media about these people, hoping to help the public understand that safe drinking water isn’t just about water; it’s about education, healthcare, sustainable agriculture, and almost every social and environmental issue touching the developing world. When I don’t feel like running, I run because I care about these people, and at the end of this journey, I will have spent 95 days thinking about and running for these people and this issue.

Only funds can transform these thoughts and dreams into hope for the 6,000 people who die every day because they lack access to safe drinking water. If you are able, please help make this run a success for all of us. Just $30 provides one person safe drinking water for life. Pass it on.

P.S. $30 also buys a week’s worth of grande lattes from Starbuck’s…three movie tickets in New York City…one pair of Crocs…ten boxes of Frosted Flakes…a tank of gas for a very efficient car…six beers at a bar in San Francisco…just over a week of cable TV.