As most of you know, I am committed to taking a break from marathons for the remainder of the year. However, demonstrating such restraint is apparently not enough to stomp the "stupid" gene out of me. It's the only explanation I have for agreeing to be part of a 12-member team that will tackle the Blue Ridge Relay on September 17th and 18th. 

Did you note there were two dates? That's because this is a 24-hour, 208 mile, 27,000 foot elevation gain race. From the website:

The 208 Mile Blue Ridge Relay (BRR208), which is one of the longest running relay races in the United States, takes place in the picturesque Blue Ridge and Black Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. The BRR208 consists of maximum 12 person (4 person minimum) teams that rotate through 36 transition areas as they cover the 208-mile distance of the race. Each relay team member runs 3 legs of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~16.6 miles. The runners rotate in a set order once the race begins and will be obligated to follow this rotation until the final runner finishes in Asheville, North Carolina!