Had a wonderful ladies weekend in St. Louis with two of my running buddies. We left on Friday and returned late Sunday. Took us about 14 hours roundtrip with several food and potty breaks along the way.

Saturday morning started out with a trip to the Expo (or ExMo' as they preferred to call it) to pick up our race packets. We then heading out for a day of sightseeing. We started off at Grant's Farm, a 281-acre ancestral home owned by the Busch family and home to more than 900 animals. The Farm takes its name from Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States. In the 1850s, Grant founded and farmed a portion of the 281 acres. Here is where I rode my first camel... Hey, we are all just kids at heart!

Also located on Grant's Farm is the Budweiser Clydesdale Stables. This is the home of approximately 25 Clydesdale mares, geldings, stallions and foals. Anheuser-Busch has one of the world’s largest herds of Clydesdale horses and owns more than 200 nationwide. These horses are gorgeous creatures ... and HUGE!

Last but not least, we visited the St. Louis Arch. The Gateway Arch stands as the iconic monument symbolizing the westward expansion of the United States. Normally you can go up in it, but with the federal shutdown, it was closed to visitors. We did however get some great pictures.

Sunday was race day! Here's MY version of the story although my friends might tell it differently. LOL

After my first marathon in March w/Team in Training, I swore I would NEVER EVER EVER run another Marathon as long as I lived. However, a couple months after the pain subsided, my teammates convinced me to sign up for the Mo' Cowbell HALF Marathon. Surely 13.1 miles would be a piece of cake after running 26.2 right? I went ahead and signed up. About a month later, the ladies suggested we upgrade to a FULL MARATHON. The thought process being it would be our second marathon, no pressure, just a fun girls weekend right? I take a chance and upgrade knowing it's crazy but at least we'd all be in it together. Turns out, my lovely teammates NEVER upgraded. (Apparently I'm not the smartest one in our group.. LOL). In a nutshell, this weekend I ran the full Marathon and both my girlfriends ran the Half. Despite the con, I'm super thankful and proud of them both. We had such a fabulous girls weekend. Dana drove us everywhere and Janell PR'd on her Half. They were both very sympathetic to my plight. Dana moved the car closer to the finish line so I wouldn't have to walk too far and grabbed me snack to replenish myself on the way home. Janell helped me stretch out afterwards. Overall, it was a GREAT weekend. I'm proud to say that besides my lack of training for this event, I finished and the medal was AWESOME!

WANT TO WIN A FREE WEEKEND @ JUST LIKE HOME????

In order to participate, I am asking each of you to purchase a $15 per pet raffle ticket. The raffle is to support my efforts to fundraise for LLS (the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). The drawing will be held on New Year's Eve and the winner can choose any weekend in 2014 (major holidays excluded). If you join our raffle and have 1 pet, your savings will be $35. If you have 2 pets, your savings increases to $50. The best part is the proceeds will go to a good cause and your donation is TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

Three ways you can donate: In person, online or by mail. You can make your donation online by clicking my fundraising link below. You can also make checks payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (or LLS) and mail to: JUST LIKE HOME, c/o Karen Pudelski @ 214 Bob G Hughes Blvd, Harvest, AL 35749. Last year's winner was GYPSY (a goldendoodle), who's owners are Jesse & Debby Teal.

On Saturday I participated in the 2nd annual Racing The Station Dualthon. This race takes place on the Army's Redstone Arsenal and consists of only running & biking (2mi run, 14.3mi bike, 2mi run). The trick is completing the race before the International Space Station makes one full trip around the Earth (1:31). I finished in 1:33 but I'm still happy. I never train on the bike (which I should) and only ride during these races. Imagine what I could do if I actually trained! LOL.

Since completing my first marathon in March, I have been a real slacker in the training department. You'd be surprised how long it takes to really recover from an event like that. Although a friend of mine just completed her first full IRONMAN last weekend and said she was hardly sore the next day. WOW! Go Dana DeBardelaben! Apparently I need to train more and train harder!!!

Just started seeing a great Doctor @ SpineCare of Madison. I really like him. He's completed several Ironmans, Marathons & the like. A doctor like that truly understands injuries associated with training & running. He went right to the source of the pain I've been having since my knee surgery 2 years ago. He is working at re-training the muscles I should be using to work properly so my body stops using the ones it shouldn't to prevent injury. YAY! Finally someone who listens ....

Let me remind everyone why I train and why I run in these endurance events. Trust me ... I do NOT like to run. Ask any of my TNT teammates. I do this because together we raise money for life saving cancer research therapies that save lives! I think it's a very worthy cause and I hope you do as well.

Please make a donation of any amount in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help advance the research for cures. Click my fundraising link and donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. Together we can make a difference!!!

Huntsville celebrated it's first DRENCHED 5k on Saturday. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. There were fireman spraying us with hoses, a giant water slide, foam pools and tunnels and of course a giant water balloon fight afterwards. My daughter Hailey ran with me despite feeling a little under the weather. I also ran into my friend Meaghan and was able to run with her as well. Enjoyed being a kid again....

Why I do what I do .... This week I lost a friend, Tammy Miller, to Cancer. She was a beautiful, smart, funny, godly woman who was an inspiration to so many. Today was her visitation and funeral. It was very sad day as family & friends mourned a life that ended way too soon. The church was packed. It warmed my heart to see how many lives she had touched over the years. She left behind a loving husband and 2 amazing children. It's because of this I run! I run to raise money for patients with cancer, for treatments and for the families who are there every step of the way.

My next race I dedicate to you Tammy Miller! May God Bless You and Keep you Safe, Happy and Eternally Healthy in His loving arms! Good bye sweet girl... until we meet again!