...and my whole body hurts.

I've been trying not to grunt and moan with every movement, but I feel like I've been run over by a truck. But it was all for a good cause...I ran the Heart Mini Marathon yesterday!

Despite 40 degree weather, gusting winds (this brought a whole new meaning to "hitting a wall") and a cold rain that occasionally graced the course, over 13,000 people came out to run at least one of the races on Columbia Parkway. On the Mini Marathon course, I managed to pull off a time of 1 hr 35 minutes with a right shoe that, after stepping in a deep puddle during warmup, sloshed with water the entire race.

It was a fun race, and I intend to come back next year for another round. It's a great motivator for getting in shape after the winter, and it's inspiring to see all the heart disease/stroke victims running the race along along with everyone else.

A special thanks to all the race volunteers who made such a huge event possible!

Sunday: Mini Marathon

This weekend you can find me pounding the pavement at the Heart Mini Marathon in Downtown Cinci. My mom and I are running it, despite the nasty weather predicted (rain/snow mix) for Sunday morning.

EMG: Food Critics

Here at the agency, we've started a new tradition of going out to lunch on Fridays at a different restaurant in the Newport area. There are a lot of cute places around here, and we wanted to get a taste for them all.

Our first stop was the Blue Star Cafe, which just had it's grand opening. This cafe/soup&sandwich shoppe was well done inside--keeping the details of its historical home intact.

They're just starting out and their menu was a bit small, but there are still plenty of choices. And I'm sure they would allow you to build-your-own. I got the Wild Rooster, a spicy chicken sandwich. Unfortunately there was nothing on the menu without meat (It's Friday...it's Lent...) so I had the chicken and vowed to say an extra prayer at mass on Sunday. :-)

Overall, a nice place with friendly people. A gold star for the Blue Star Cafe!

March Madness: Dayton Flyers

Today is a big day for UD...they tip off against West Virginia this afternoon. We have a bracket challenge at the office, where an extra vacation day and $100 is at stake. So far, we're all pretty close in the standings.

No, I don't have Dayton winning the tournament. But I had to write them as a win for the 1st round....go Flyers!