Today, I am unable to squat or touch my toes. For three days, this past weekend, I was privileged to run the Great Lakes Relay with 9 other unbelievable women, treking across the state of Michigan, 270 miles West actually, to Empire, on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Total hours of sleep? mmm, 12? maybe?

The important thing to remember is that the number of miles I ran were more than the hours I slept.

L-R: Jean, Aubrey, Liz, Joanne, Kathryn, Chelsea, Corinna, Rebecca, Janet (Not pictured is the great Jesse, who got sick and was only able to run on Day 1 so she gets a special picture featured above. Jesse was missed sorely the rest of the weekend but we’re glad you’re okay!!! )

Easiest part: eating snacks in a car all day.

Best part: getting to know the great people on the team, oh! and,er, running over 24 miles through the most beautiful parts of Michigan.

Hardest part: while snuggled in the back seat of the car on the way to the start of Day 3’s race, being told at 5am-with only 4 hours of sleep–less than 8 for the past two days– that I have to wake up and get in the other van to get to my leg of the race. That was harder than any sandy hill I ran the whole weekend. Wow, that hurt.

Most memorable: shoes disappearing into the mud as I ran…ankle deep in a swamp, raining hard, with no one in sight for miles. Ya-hoo.

Oh, and one more memorable moment: I was waiting at the end of my leg with another stranded runner. My van drove right past me and I ran down the road, I mean hobbled, waving my arms. No luck. I was left with a water bottle and a plastic baggie of trail mix at the corner of “lost” and “stranded.” The other runner’s van came and they said they’d send word that I was left behind. My team did return finally. I was never worried. My trail mix would have lasted for weeks!

For a complete slideshow, with detailed descriptions, go to my flickr set here.