The Brutal 20 Mile Training Run

This past Saturday I had to run 20 miles, as I train for the Columbus Marathon.

Hey everyone. Rob here.

I wasn't looking forward to it. Not at all.

This isn't my first marathon, so I know how the 20 mile training run can punish you.

It's physical and mental torture, and no crowds to help you along.

My training partner who I will refer to as 2:39 Boston, decided we should with a group.

So 7 Saturday morning, we met dozens of runners at a local church. They were with Bob Roncker's Running Spot.

It's really Cincinnati best source when it comes to running shoes and marathon advice.

It was a beautiful slightly chilly morning. After July and August, the weather was like seeing an old classmate again after summer break. Actually had a smile on my face as I started tackling the miles. A nervous smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Like the weather, running with the group was a welcome change. The extra company and conversation made time and the miles fly by.

Honestly during the run, I kept expecting the bottom to fall out. It really didn't. It did get tough at mile 15. That's when the group runners ended their run. 2:39 Boston and I had another 5 miles.

As we headed out, I did start feeling a little sorry for myself. However once we got going, I found my groove. This is until mile 18. I started feeling weak and a little dizzy. At this point I started trailing Boston 2:39 by a few steps. I needed a sports drink. Unfortunately, I forgot to carry money. I ducked into a gas station and told the cashier my predicament. She was sympathetic and gave me a Gatorade. I immediately felt better, and the last 2 miles were relatively easy.

The brutal 20 mile training run is critical when I train for a marathon. This past Saturday I learned its not always brutal. I will try to remember that Sunday Oct. 17. Now the last 6.2 miles. That could be a different story.

The Last Week Of Summer

Say it ain't so? We are going into the last "unofficial" week of summer as Labor Day Weekend is quickly approaching. Frank here everyone, and mother nature is heating it up as temperatures will stay in the low to mid 90's through Thursday of this week. However, after a storm threat Thursday night get ready for a dry, sunny, and less humid weekend. Your can track your 7-Day forecast here www.fox19.com/weather . With a great weekend forecast on tap, we have to start planning for your Labor Day weekend, and we hope FOX19 is part of your plans. It's almost a unofficial holiday around the Tri-State, with the Cincinnati Bell WEBN Fireworks during Riverfest on Sunday night. Over a half million of your friends and neighbors line both shores of the Ohio Rive to say goodbye to summer. This year the television home of the fireworks comes back to where it all began, Your Home For News...FOX19. Our coverage begins at 8pm with FOX19 Last Blast of Summer. It's a hour long LIVE show from locations up and down the river, hosted by Tricia Macke and Sheila Gray the Last Blast of Summer will feature LIVE reports and a look at what makes the Cincinnati Bell WEBN Fireworks so memorable and successful after all these years. Then it's the big show, at 9:05pm the first shell of over 12,000 shells will launch and you can see the show in HD right here on FOX19. We will wrap it all up with our FOX19 10pm News. So plan on spending Sunday night with FOX19 after you have your hamburgers, hotdogs, ice cream, and of course maybe a game or two of corn hole.

Eat For A Cause!

We all love a good meal, right?

Good Friday morning, Sara Celi here.

I know I love food, especially good food, and on Sunday there is a chance to try some of Cincinnati's best while helping out the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A few folks are hosting an Up and Coming Cincinnati Chefs Dinner in Indian Hill, with all the money raised going to this worthy cause. It's a four course meal with beer and wine pairings. And don't let me forget the canapes to start the evening!

You can't beat that, right?

Right now, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is in the middle of it's Finest Young Professionals fundraising push. Basically, a number of nominees are raising money for the foundation and vying for the title of Finest Young Professional. They only have two weeks left for this campaign, which has been going on since June. Each nominee must raise a minimum of $2500 for the foundation. Sunday's event helps out the fundraising of some of the nominees.

Personally, I think this is a great place to throw some support. Cystic Fibrosis is a chronic disease that affects about 30 thousand people in the US. Doctors normally diagnose about 1 thousand new cases each year. Unfortunately, there is no cure and most people live to be about 30 before the illness takes their life.

Tickets for Sunday's dinner are $65, and can be purchased here: http://cfspotlightdinner.eventbrite.com/

Hope to see you there!

Local Art 4-Sale in Cool Place

What are you doing Friday night? Hi, it's Meghan:)

Some of you may have heard of ‘Final Friday’ in Over-the-Rhine. As part of the event, this Friday August 27, 2010 from 7-10 p.m there will be a unique artistic experience at Venue 222.

The urban event space will have local art for sale. It'll feature works by some of the artists who work at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC).

Some might be surprised to learn that the people responsible for putting those CAC shows together are artists in their own right. You'll get to see and buy art from a diverse group of people who work in different media.

This picture is of the show being set up and two of the paintings for sale.

An American's Story

Oktoberfest season officially kicks off this week, a chance for all of us to be a little German, whether we have true German blood running in our veins or not.

Sheila here.

We all know about Cincinnati's rich German heritage, but I thought it would be meaningful to relate what living here means to a German immigrant. My friend Detlef Koeppe moved to the U.S. in 1989 when his company offered him an opportunity at its base in this country. Our area's German ties made it easy for him to acclimate to living the U.S. Detlef tells me he was first attracted to the surroundings, Cincinnati's seven hills, and the climate, which he says are just like Rome's. He instantly met other friends who had moved here from Germany, and he says Mount Adams became his version of Cheers. Everyone knew his name (and his drink)!

My friend was born in Communist East Germany, and his mother Inge was in the press. She was outspoken, and one day Inge's boss came to her at work and said, "They're looking for you." The next day his mother told her co-workers she was going to the country for a visit. Instead, she picked up then three or four years old Detlef at kindergarten, went to the train station, and simply walked by armed guards into West Germany as if she was a shopper. She took almost nothing with her except for her son. Detlef doesn't remember that, but he does remember that he never saw his toys again.

Inge met the man who is the only father Detlef knows in a refugee camp. Rolf was a border guard, and he left his entire family behind in East Gemany after his superiors told him to "shoot to kill" anyone who tried to escape into West Germany.

As you can imagine, Detlef has always had a deep appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy in America. He met his wife Karen here, they've raised their children here, and he made our area his home. But Detlef says the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 made him an American. He always felt the patriotism Americans hold dear, but that day, he says, "Seeing the disaster made my mind up to defend this country. I knew that this was my home, my country, I am an American." Detlef took his oath of citizenship just one year later.

The Germania Society was founded 40 years ago to establish a German House, a place where Germans and German-Americans could come to meet, as well as a place where visitors could feel comfortable. My friend Detlef has always enjoyed the club's Oktoberfest celebration. For everyone, it's a chance to eat German food, drink German beer, hear authentic German music, and experience gemutlichkeit. I asked Detlef if it helps him feel like he's back home. He replied, "No, this is home. I miss certain parts of Germany, and I get melancholy, and maybe start singing, but it's gone the next day, except for the headache!" And he laughs his big, boisterous laugh. But then he gets serious, and he says, "America is still the land of the free and the land of opportunity. What I experience here is everything I want to live." To that I say Prost.

http://www.germaniasociety.com/

Kings Island making a major announcement later today.

Good Tuesday morning. Rob here.

The park planning on holding a new conference today. The subject: A new ride.

It will be taller than the park's newest ride, the Diamondback (which is awesome by the way.) The Diamondback is 230 feet tall. That's as tall as a 23 story building. We are hearing that it is going be 100 feet tall than the Eiffel Tower at Kings Island. That would make it 415 feet tall. That's almost as tall as the 5th 3rd building on Fountain Square.

The ride will open next year, and its probably not going to be anther roller coaster. Many people think the ride will be a star flyer. The last time Kings Island debuted at new ride was back in 2009. The 22 million dollar Diamondback. I had the chance to ride it a couple of weeks ago and it did not disappoint. Its the smoothest coaster I have ever been on. We had to dodge rain showers and only got on 3 coasters but still worth the visit. However, I may now be too told for "The Beast."

Not The Same Old Food

With our Red Hot Reds, more and more of us will be attending some late season games at Great American Ball Park, something we have not been used to the last few seasons. However, it's a great problem to have as our Reds continue to win and are currently 3 1/2 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals.

Frank The Food Snob...Here... The Reds want to continue to make the ballpark a great experience for all and what better way to do that than food. Last week I had the chance to meet some of the chefs from the Food Network as they presented there Signature Suite Recipes, which are items that are prepared by the Food Network Kitchens. We all love to look at tasty food now you get to eat it at the ballpark. Many of the samplings were classic comfort food but had a twist. Some of meals I consumed were the parmesan meatball subs, mozzarella and sun dried tomato caesar salad, and probably my favorite were the sausage and pepper potato skins. They were so tasty, the crunchy skin stuffed with ricotta cheese, Italian sweet sausage, bell pepper, and basil melted in my mouth. I actually had 4 of them, is that against the rules? Should I have been professional and just sampled them? I figured they made them so why not eat them!!! You to can eat them, for the remainder of the season these items will be in the suite levels, however they will start to work in some of the new items into the general concession areas next season. Hopefully we can celebrate a World Series Title as we eat our meatball subs at the start of the 2011 season!. GO REDLEGS!!

The Buddy Walk is Coming!

These days, it seems like every charity has a 5K walk, but there is one in particular I'd love to see you attend.

Good morning, Sara Celi here.

The 2010 Buddy Walk for the National Down Syndrome Society is on September 11th this year, just a few weeks away. This year FOX19 is a partner in the walk, so you might have seen my colleague Steve Horstmeyer in some ads for the walk.

It's a great event. I walked in it a few years ago, and I found the families so inspiring. Most of the people walking in this event are part of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati. The DSAGC is such a great organization that offers support for families raising kids with Down Syndrome.

I know this because I've watched a friend of mine get much needed help and guidance from DSAGC in the last year. I'm not going to tell you her name here (she's too shy)--but this friend of mine found out last summer that her first born child would be born with Down Syndrome about two months before she had him.

She's only 28--so this was a shocker--but life sometimes gives you these kind of curve balls. Needless to say, it's been a tough year, but Mrs. Not-To-Be-Named has really enjoyed the support and the love that the Down Syndrome community in our area has given her.

The Buddy Walk not only celebrates the DSAGC, but it raises money for research and assistance on a national level.

And as someone who has known my friend for more than 10 years, I can't imagine a more worthy walk. Her son just turned 1, and he's amazing. He is the cutest kid I have ever seen, and not one person in our circle of friends can imagine life without him. He may have Down Syndrome, but it doesn't matter to us. We love him just the way God made him.

So lets support the 2010 Buddy Walk!

I Scream for Ice Cream!

Which do you prefer, soft serve or hard scooped ice cream?
Hi it's Meghan, AKA one of Cincinnati's biggest fans of soft serve ice cream. :-)

Don't get me wrong, I love scooped ice cream too. But not as much as a soft serve chocolate and vanilla twist cone. Mmmmmm. It's arguably my favorite dessert (and I do love desserts!).

I've been to soft serve ice cream stands all over the Tri-State. The Creamy Whip in Norwood is within walking distance of my home so it's one of my favorites. (That's where the picture was taken. I sometimes get my cone dipped in chocolate) Putz's Creamy Whip is also great -- there's a reason it's been a Cincinnati tradition since 1938!

I put on my investigative reporter hat to do some research on soft serve ice cream and found out some cool facts about this old fashioned treat. Not surprisingly, soft serve got its start at one of the most popular ice cream chains, Dairy Queen, back in the 1930's. What you may not know is that it's served at a higher temperature than scooped which gives it the creamy texture and allows your taste buds to detect the flavor better. I didn't know this, but when you eat hard ice cream, your taste buds are chilled to the point that the flavors aren't as easily detectable.

Oh and here's the best part -- soft serve is made with less butter fat, which makes it a bit healthier. That's just what I was looking for, another reason to enjoy this amazing summer time treat! :-)

End Of Summer

It's the end of summer as we know it. Sheila here, and that's always how I feel when the school years rolls around again. I'm not at work today because it's my daughter's first day of school. She starts her junior year today, and it blows my mind. First of all, I don't feel old enough to have a child who's a junior in high school. But mostly, it's just hard to believe how fast the time goes.

When Ric, Katie and I moved here, she was about to start kindergarten. We got here too late to get her into our parish school, so she went to the Little Red School House. It was a wonderful place, but I cried all the way home in the car after I took her to school that first day.

Somehow the first day of first grade was worse though, I think because that was the first time I had to put Katie on the big yellow school bus. My neighbor down the street was watching her youngest son, the last of four, go off to class, and she was so elated, she was almost dancing. Me, on the other hand, I was fighting back the tears as my little Katie excitedly climbed on the bus and didn't look back.

This will be the first year Katie drives herself to class. She's not so enthusiastic about the first day of school these days, but even after all these years, I still cry on the first day. The first day symbolizes another year of my life gone by, another step toward the day when Katie goes off on her own. It's getting so, so close now. I sure am proud of the young lady she's become, but I can't help always seeing that little girl getting on the bus.

Smart Money Community Services

Hosted an awards ceremony and event for Smart Money Community Services.

Happy Tuesday. Rob here.

I knew very little about this organization before I arrived yesterday afternoon. Simply Money's Nathan Bachrach asked me to help out, so I said yes. His colleague, Ed Finke was the keynote speaker. I'm glad I said yes.

Smart Money provides very important services to underserved people in Over-the-Rhine and other Cincinnati neighborhoods. It helps families become more powerful, secure and financially independent.

It offers financial education with workshops, seminars and one on one counseling. Smart Money also offers free tax preparation services and entrepreneurship training. It also has a matched savings incentive program which allows participants to get help saving for a home, continued education, or to start a small business.

I heard 4-success stories yesterday of people who now have financial sercurity thanks to Smart Money. Find out more, volunteer or donate. www.smart-money.org

The Weekend Wrap Up

What a weekend, yes it was HOT, STEAMY, and STORMY...however that did not stop the city from coming alive. Frank Marzullo Here... Our Reds got back on track with a sweep of the Marlins. While our weather is cooling down this week, hopefully our Reds will remain RED HOT! Then we had a great pre-season win from our Bengals, yes it's pre-season but we saw some great improvement from last week. While sports highlighted our weekend, music also took center stage on top of Mt. Adams. It was the Mt. Adams music festival on Saturday night and while the early evening storms put a slight damper on the festivities, the party picked up as the night went on. The event was free to the public and people of all ages were tapping there toes. I got to spend the evening with my co-workers Rob and Meghan and some of our friends up on the hill. It was perfect setting to enjoy the music and then every once in awhile we heard the low sounds of the BLIMP passing overhead as it was shooting the Reds game. In fact, I would take breaks from the music from time to time to watch the Reds game and the BLIMP shots looked fantastic kinda of made we excited for playoff baseball, HOPEFULLY!!!

Mommy's Helper

Hi it's Sheila.

My son Eric loves to help his mommy and daddy. Yesterday, after watching my husband Ric vote in the Germania Society Burgermeister contest, Eric said, "I vote for Mommy?" He's only 3 years old, and he can't read yet, but he quickly learned how to click and vote for me. I guess the little guy is living up to his German name! I love that sweet baby!

The Germania Burgermeister gets to lead the children in a procession to sit on St. Nick's lap this winter at Christkindlmarkt. I hope you'll help Eric's mommy win the honor and make him proud!

http://iamnewbs.com/Germania/Ofest40Votes.nsf/voteburgermeister?readform

Tennis Love

The top tennis players in the world are in Mason right now... and I’m excited! :-) Hi, it’s Meghan.

Cincinnati is very fortunate to host the Western & Southern US Open Series. I was there Monday night when the ladies kicked off the event. "Wow" is the one word that comes to mind. These women are exceptional athletes. Watching tennis on TV is not the same as being there. We sat at the one end behind the players and watching the speed of the ball and how close it came to the top of the net was incredible.

I wasn’t familiar with either player I watched, but still I was really into it. Victoria Azarenka, who was the #9 seed in the tournament, took on unseeded Ana Ivanovic. Azarenka dominated the first set 6-2, but underdog Ivanovic won over the crowd. She stepped up big time, winning the wild 2nd set in a tie breaker and then taking the 3rd set to win the match. Azarenka had a bit of a melt down during that tight 2nd set, slamming her racket to earn a warning from the official and throwing her towel. Seeing her passion just added to the excitement! :-)

(By the way...Ana Ivanovic won her 2nd round match up as well. She moves on to meet Elena Vesnina in the third round today)

If you have a chance to go, do it. The tickets prices are from $24 to $44 and believe me, it’s worth it!
https://shop.cincytennis.com/pricelist.asp

I Thought I Was On Vacation!

For a lot of people, being on vacation means getting unplugged from the world. I was hoping for as much when I took off last week with my family, but it didn't quite happen the way I had planned.

Sheila here.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my children, Katie and Eric wandering on the beach in South Carolina. I love these quiet moments, just tagging behind them as they play in the surf and enjoy the setting sun.

But a certain Cincinnati contest made me plug back into reality, and I'm having a blast with it.

For as long as I've been in Cincinnati, I've been celebrating our city's German heritage with our Oktoberfest parties, and the first one with which I was ever directly involved was the Germania Society Oktoberfest. Those people know how to have fun, and they know how to make friends. I am fortunate to be counted among those friends!

Ten years ago, my freundin asked me to serve as the honorary Bürgermeister, the person who gets to tap the first keg of Oktoberfest. It was a blast, and I was thrilled when the folks at Germania Society told me that all of the past Bürgermeisters would be back this year for the 40th anniversary of the celebration. Little did I know it meant an election! I've never been very good at campaigning, but while I was on vacation last week, I realized I'd better get good at it to win the Bürgermeister honor this year.

The vote is underway, and I feel like I'm in the fight of my life! Thank Heaven for Twitter and Facebook, or I would have had no way to get out the vote while I was on vacation. Really I should thank my plugged-in daughter Katie, who couldn't leave home without her laptop computer! That was how I found out the battle was on. My husband Ric, the true competitor of our family, made me sit down a couple of times a day at the computer and campaign. I don't have interns clicking away during the Fox 19 Morning News or accordion bands trucking in volunteers to our studio. I only have you!

So now that I'm back in my home sweet hometown, I'm asking for your help! This thing is a marathon, and I have to keep getting votes through August 28th to make my boss here at Fox 19 proud. If I win, I'm sure my German ancestors will be smiling down as I tap that keg at Germania Park. And I hope I don't wear you out too much with my campaign for your votes!

Please vote now, and vote often at

http://iamnewbs.com/Germania/Ofest40Votes.nsf/voteburgermeister?readform

And come on out to Germania Oktoberfest on August 28th, so I can raise a toast with you and all of our German friends! Prost! And danke schön!

Jean-Robert de Cavel new restaurant Jean-Robert's table opens today.

Hey everyone. Rob here.

Cincinnati couldn't be more excited. It seems as if we have waited months for this day.

The outside of the restaurant was a buzz of activity yesterday afternoon.

I wanted to check out the inside though. See how the old Longhorn and Buddakhan restaurants were transformed into a casual french restaurant. It's comfortable and casual but refined.

However, what most excites people is the food. Jean-Robert whose known for fine dining says this restaurant will be a bit more relaxed. The prices will reflect that.

I saw Jean-Robert yesterday. The minute he came out of the kitchen you could see the excitement and joy.

Since Pigall's closed down, Jean-Robert has been involved with the Midwest Culinary Institute. That will continue. But it's nice to see him running his own kitchen again.

The restaurant opens for business tonight at 5:30. Unfortunately, it completely booked. Jean-Robert's table will be open for dinners only for the next two weeks. After that it will be open for lunch too.

Plenty of opportunity to check out Jean-Robert's latest creation at 710 Vine Street.

Food, Reds, Friends, Chicago

What a weekend...what a weekend! Hi everybody, Frank Marzullo here...First, the weather low humidity and sunshine this weekend made it perfect, however would of been great to have our Reds at home this past weekend. They of course were in Chicago where they swept the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field which is a huge accomplishment as the second place Cardinals swing into Cincinnati this week. While the Queen City is certainly a jewel, I have to say Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit, and I think many of our neighbors here in Cincinnati would agree. I was up in the windy city for a friends wedding this weekend, at the beautiful Knickerbocker Hotel and I ran into so many Reds fans who were there to cheer on our Redlegs. It seemed every restaurant I went into someone said "Hey Frank, Go Reds! "

We stayed right down on Michigan avenue and the weather like here, was perfect, with a light breeze and a few high clouds, the city was alive. Walking the streets I actually ran into Thom Brennaman and Chris Welsh on Rush Street, after the Friday Reds broadcast. It was also a great weekend to run into my parents who were in Chicago for a a last min weekend, and they met a couple on the train from Cincinnati, who gave them two tickets to the Reds and Cubs on Friday, thank you Cincinnati people for taking care of mom and dad. So we met them on Saturday morning where I had one of my favorite meals of Chicken and Waffles at the Grand Lux on Michigan. While we are on food, I should just let it out, my favorite meal of the weekend was the veal milanese that I had at Rosebuds on Rush. Sooooo gooood! It melted in your mouth, and was so tasty! Yes, I am not afraid to say it...I LOVE FOOD...I LOVE TO EAT! ( Rob says I am going to hit rock bottom one day soon when I look in the monitor and see that I weigh a thousand pounds ) It was a great weekend to hang with my friends, see my Cincinnati friends and enjoy Chicago. Do you have a favorite place in the windy city for food or sight seeing?

Thank You For Your Service

Good morning, Sara Celi here.

I got into to work today and realized I would have the unhappy assignment of covering yet another Tristate soldier's return home after paying the ultimate price for freedom.

I've covered many of these in my career, and each one has touched me. I have such a respect for those who would make this kind of sacrifice. It makes my life pale by comparison.

So to all the military men and women in the Tristate--thank you for your service. It means so much. It means more than I could ever say.

On a side note----I get asked a lot by people, "How do you cover stuff like that and get through it?" It's always a tough answer. Stories like this are hard to deal with, and not at all enjoyable. The answer I usually give is that I try not to think about it in the moment. Instead, I wait until I get home before I allow myself to process what my day has been about. If I didn't, I would go crazy.

It's Fair Time

Where can you see a goat show, a 5-year-old kissing a snake, and a demolition derby? The Clermont County Fair!

Hi, Meghan here. I grew up in a small town in northern Ohio, near Youngstown. Believe it or not, I was in 4H and every year my parents, sisters and I looked forward to the county fair. I miss those days, so last weekend I convinced my friend to go with me to the Clermont County Fair.

I really just enjoy the people, sights and sounds of a the county fair. We met several really nice folks, including Jacob of Newtonsville, OH who showed off this pig that won a grand champion prize. Check out his picture. He and his sister raised 11 pigs and sold some at auction.

After wandering through the stables of goats, pigs, horses, and cows, we stopped for a show by the Kent Family Magic Circus. The Kents tour four months of the year and both parents and all seven of the children get in on the act that includes magic, juggling, and several other random acts of skill -- like balancing a wheelbarrow on one's chin while climbing a step ladder (which, incidentally, was also previously balanced on the same chin).

Believe it or not, the highlight for me though was the goat show. Those goats were really stubborn about navigating the obstacle course! None of them seemed to want to walk across the seesaw or jump over the barricades. The competitors showed great poise, patience, perseverance and strength to get through it though.

We capped the night by witnessing a wild and crazy demolition derby in the grandstand. I'm not sure who ended up winning, but it was entertaining! That fair is over but the Boone County Fair is going on through Saturday. You should check it out!

Vote For Sheila

Blog Czar...Frank Marzullo Here...Our morning colleague and friend Sheila Gray needs your help. In the year 2000 Sheila was honored to be named the burgermeister for the Germania Society's Oktobefest. The burgermeister officially gets to tap the keg to kick off Cincinnati's original and most authentic Oktoberfest. This year the burgermeister will be chosen by a vote from you, previous burgermeisters will return this year and they are in the running to be chosen to tap this years keg. The voting is open now and we would love to send Sheila back to officially tap the keg. While all the former burgermeisters are well respected colleagues and friends we have to be a little biased to our own Sheila Gray. So click the link below and vote often, leading up to August 27th and the start of Okotberfest. Plus make plans to vist August 27th through 29th at the Germania Park.

Again link is below: http://iamnewbs.com/Germania/Ofest40Votes.nsf/voteburgermeister?readform

Downtown Dash

Its a 5K race that many feel is quickly becoming a Cincinnati classic.

Hey it's Tuesday and my day to blog.

Rob here and I'm running the Dash this Friday.

It started just 3 years ago and it celebrates everything Cincinnati.

It kicks off at St. Xavier Church downtown. The 5K race travels up Gilbert toward Eden Park. An example of the many challenging hills runners around here tackle.

After the race there's a huge block party.

It features beer from Christian Moerlein. Food from LaRosa's Nada, Graeters, and fantastic waffles from Belgium transplant Jean-Francois Flechet.

Cincinnati favorite the Websters will perform and entertain the crowd.

There's even a cornhole tournament. How Cincinnati is that.

However, the thing that makes the Dash and block party so Cincinnati is its mission.

All proceeds help agencies and services that improve the life of and lives in downtown.

As Father Eric Knapp says, "It's not a fundraiser for the parish but a friend-raiser for the city. (I was going to steal that line and claim it as my own, but for decided against it.)

Hopefully, this blog entry is enough to get you thinking of checking out the Downtown Dash and Block Party Friday.

If not, maybe my co-anchor this week can convince you. Meghan Mongillo is running the race and we know how many fans follow her. She and I will also hand out awards to the top finishers.

Check out the Downtown Dash and Block Party this Friday from 5 to 11. There's even an after party at Arnold's, Cincinnati's oldest tavern.

Stormy / Chilly: Let's Go Boating!

Never invite a weatherman to a outdoor event or outing, because it will rain. Hi everyone Frank Marzullo here. So for the most part every weekend this summer has been hazy, hot, and humid. This weekend was perfect with low humidity, but if you lived up north in northern Butler, Warren, and Clinton counties you had some rain to deal with on Saturday afternoon. For myself and a group of friends we decided to hit the open natural waters of Ceaser Creek State Park up near Wilmington, for a afternoon of boating. However, with low clouds and a constant threat of rain, it was chilly on the open waters as we hit our tops speeds. It was not to bad at first because we basically had the lake to ourselves, so the two boats tied up next to each other, and we tried enjoying the sunless afternoon in one of the coves of the lake. All was fine until, we heard a rumble of thunder and then some cloud to cloud lighting. They didn't need a highly trained meteorologist like myself, to tell them to head back into shore. So we quickly gathered up our supplies and throttled up, as the thunder and lighting became more visible. Then it happened, the sky opened up and it started raining like cats and dogs.

Have you ever been on a boat in the middle of a monsoon at a high rate of speed? I do not recommend it, it stung like a swarm of bees. By the time we made our way back to the boat ramp, staying dry was a loss cause, I and all of us were drenched. So our day on the lake was cut short, and for the first time in life I pumped gas with no shirt on. Yeah, I didn't have a change of clothes and I need gas in my car, so if you saw me at the gas station at the Ceaser Creek exit I apologize for lack of shirt but mine was soaked. Lesson learned never take a weatherman on a boat!