colin cooley

"It's one thing to touch people's lives with the work you do but it's another thing to show people the beauty of life. And that is what Phinda is all about."

The above quote is what Kristin told the people at Phinda Game Reserve after our time there this past June, and it comes to mind every time I look back at this video, which I made from the photos and videos we took during our four days there. The best parts are when you see the smile on Kristin's face as it sums up how she felt at the time, that "Phinda just may be the best place on Earth." Hopefully the video gives you a glimpse of that.

The first song is "Gati Bongo" by Orchéstre Baka de Gbiné, and the footage is mostly from our game drives. The second song is "Jabulani-Rejoice" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the stills and videos show you our lodges at Phinda Forest Lodge and Phinda Mountain Lodge as well as all the great food and service at Phinda.

The Ethembeni School is a school for physically disabled and visually impaired children situated along the Comrades Marathon route. Each year the students create beaded necklaces that are sold at the expo, and a special stop is made at Ethembeni during the course tour so the students can sing and dance for the runners. On race day, the students line the course outside the school and sing songs while high-fiving the runners. Easily my favorite part of the Comrades Marathon.

We were fortunate enough to visit them on the Friday ahead of the race, and this was the final song they performed for the runners. Learn more about the school here: http://www.ethembenischool.co.za/

The above is episode 2 of Runner's World's video series chronicling Bart Yasso's quest to run the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, or as he calls it, his last great race.

For the other episodes in the series, click here.

I saw a few people tweeting about the Walt Disney World Marathon course, wondering what to expect, so I thought I'd share what Kristin (@kristincool) had written up in an email to Laura Yasso.

Laura, who, along with her husband Bart, will be running both the Goofy Challenge and 2010 Comrades with us, understandably prefers courses with great scenery and some hills like Big Sur. As you can imagine, the Disney course is lacking quite a bit there, but what it lacks in natural scenery, it makes up for it with lots of great course moments. So in an attempt to "sell" the course, Kristin wrote up the below.

Of note, this will be Kristin's 16th Walt Disney World Marathon, with her first going all the way back to the inaugural one when she was 17. Her dad is one of the rare breeds who has run all 16 Disney marys and will be going for number 17 this Sunday.

Okay, here's how Kristin breaks it down:

Although Disney is flat and light on the natural scenery, I somehow have managed to get really motivated by thinking of it as several little "races" broken up by the theme parks. During the "races" I focus on pace. In the theme parks, I just enjoy it and don't bother to look at my watch or pace. I give high-fives, sing along with the music, enjoy the bouts of spectators .. and sometimes, have goose bumps. And then, it's quiet again... time to focus on the run. 

The first "race" is 3 miles long, then you enter Epcot. Enjoy how the park is lit up in the dark, the next time through it will be daytime. Then there is a 6 mile "race" (mile 4-10) to the Magic Kingdom. I absolutely love running through the castle ... be ready for several photo opps. Next, a 5 mile stretch (11-16) passing a few resorts, the 1/2 marathon mark and entering the maintenance entrance for The Animal Kingdom. Beware of the smell.

After leaving the Animal Kingdom, you have a 4 miler (maybe 4.5) to the entrance of Disney Studios at 22.5. Once you make it there, you are home-free. There is something to entertain you for the rest of the course .. The Studios, a little jog along the river path before running along the boardwalk and into the back entrance of Epcot. When you enter Epcot for the 2nd time, DO NOT make the mistake of looking left toward Spaceship Earth (the 26mi mark) ... it is so close, yet so far since you have to turn right and run around the whole World Showcase.

So there you have it, flat, yet entertaining. A 3-miler, a 6-miler, a 5-miler and a 4-miler. Really, it's just 18 miles of hard running. The rest is just cake. It's the shortest marathon I've ever run :)

Hope that gives you a glimpse at what to expect this Sunday. If you've run the race before and have anything to add, definitely share in the comments.

A pretty sweet view if it wasn't also the first few miles of the Catalina Eco Marathon.

Ever since moving to Hermosa Beach a year ago, I've enjoyed the view of Catalina Island off in the distance, rising ruggedly from the Pacific Ocean, never seeming too far away on a clear day. And despite its proximity and best laid plans of hopping over for a visit, I've yet to do so. Tomorrow that changes when Kristin and I run the Catalina Eco Marathon, a 26.2 mile trail race billed as "the most beautiful and challenging marathons that you will ever experience."

I first had the idea of running the Catalina Eco when we were at the expo for the Disneyland Half this past September. Like most expos, there were booths everywhere pimping marathons around the world, and well, expos always have a way of making me say "Hey, that'd be cool to do" about a race without finishing the thought "...but it's gonna hurt like a bitch." And yes, the Catalina Eco seemed like a cool race to do. Dean Karnazes had done it in 2007 after running from San Diego to Long Beach, then kayaking to Catalina. They have the coveted Buffalo Finisher's Medal you get when you cross the finish line. And it's on Catalina Island, with 360 degree views of the Pacific Ocean, rolling hills and herds of buffalo roaming around. I mean, how often do you get a chance to see Catalina for the first time on foot during a marathon?

As for how hard it may be, who cared; at least, who cared at the time. Sure, we had the Chicago Marathon in October but the Catalina Eco would be a full month later. That would give us plenty of time to recover and regroup. Plus we both had run Boston two weeks after the ING Georgia marathon in 2008, so five weeks in between would be a breeze, so to speak. And running the Catalina would serve as a good kick-off to our training for the Walt Disney Goofy in January (half and full mary the same weekend) and our first ultra in May, the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa.

So fast forward two months and a Chicago Marathon later (and not nearly enough running since), and the race is here. Tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. to be exact. At 6:15 a.m, we're taking the Catalina Express out of downtown Long Beach to the town of Avalon, and soon after docking, we'll be on our way, climbing up over 1500 feet the first 3 or 4 miles before running a roller coaster of a course across the island and back. This will be my first trail marathon and what I expect to be my slowest marathon. I also expect it to be the hardest, if the elevation chart below is any indication. The plan right now is to just take it easy, take in the views and get it done. And yes, it's gonna hurt like a bitch.

More on the Catalina Eco Marathon here.

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