48 days to go til I leave for an epic world adventure of a marathon on each continent!

Friday 11th January 2013

48 days to go til I leave for an epic world adventure of a marathon on each continent!

I am taking up the challenge of running a marathon on all 7 continents this year to inspire people to live their dreams & passions, take up a challenge and change a life to see South Africa Restored!  

And first up is the Antarctica marathon on 7th March 2013! I leave in 48 days! Yikes!

Well time sure is flying...I clearly remember almost 20 months ago when this crazy idea was planted in my mind and it seemed so far fetched and impossible and now its becoming a reality!!

A little twist in the tale, I still have to raise R63 000 for Oceanites charity to ensure I can do the Antarctica Marathon this year otherwise there is a 5 year waiting list! And this week, I received an email to say that the funds are required much earlier than originally planned....yikes!

I am 41% of the way to my target...

If you would like to sponsor my 42.2km Ice Marathon on Antarctica to raise funds to protect our worlds oceans, islands & their wildlife and to ensure I can complete 7x7 in 2013 please click here - your support is hugely appreciated! !http://www.givengain.com/activist/74673/projects/4110

Fridays are running rest days...although my body clock still seems to wake up naturally at 4:30am!

And today was the day set aside to face Home Affairs to get my new passport for my 2013 adventures!
So yesterday I got everything ready...ID copy, passport pics, cash etc..
While I was giving the photographer a huge smile he pipes up "NO TEETH" ... oh boy these official document photos are restricting...so I gave him a funny "no teeth" sort of smile! Anyways got my photos and was all ready to get to home affairs!

All set for my Tongaat Home Affairs visit to get a new passport for my 2013 world adventure!

Even though my passport only expires in Jan 2014, in order to get into the Inca trail marathon in August you have to apply with the passport that you will travel on otherwise you are not permitted access! And I have to apply before March! So the official at home affairs told me today that from now my current passport is cancelled and it takes 4 - 6 weeks for the new one to arrive!! I'm praying it all goes according to plan as I leave for South America in 7 weeks time on 28th Feb and have to apply for the Inca marathon by then as well! Handing to over to the big guy upstairs!

So I was all ready with all my docs and headed off the the buzzing metropolis of TONGAAT! Such a small town I bumped into someone I knew also renewing his families passports! And surprisingly even though the office is terribly disorganised and people all milling around asking who's sitting where for what..the queues were not bad and I was out in an hour!

Anyways, hope you've had a great Friday and I guess for a lot of people survived the first week back at work! Im up early for a long run to Christmas Bay at 5am!

Yours in running
Lara

49 days to go ... just 7 weeks & I'm off to Antarctica!

Wow time is flying! In exactly 7 weeks today I fly from JHB to South America to get on a boat to head to Antartica to run the first of 7 marathons for this year to raise funds for South African Charities and to inspire people to take up a challenge and change a life! I will be the first women on the African continent to achieve a marathon on each continent in 1 year!

I am still fundraising to secure my Antarctica marathon entry to ensure I run all 7 marathons in 1 year! (there is a 5 year waiting list) but I am fundraising for Oceanites charity to secure a 2013 entry!
If you would like to sponsor me for this run, please click on the link below!
http://www.givengain.com/activist/74673/projects/4110/

Thursday 10th January 2013 - wonderful 14km boardwalk, beach run!

I was up at 4:40am and had my cup of coffee & banana and was out the door by 5:10 to run to the Dolphin Coast clubhouse to meet Harry for our weekly Zimbali beach run!

It was very hot and humidity levels were extremely high! Despite that the sunrise over the sea was exquisite!

Exquisite sunrise over the ocean on the Ballito Boardwalk at 5:30am

There was a lovely breeze which certainly made the heat and humidity more bearable! Once we were off the boardwalk and onto the beach I could feel that I haven't been running on the beach for the last month whilst travelling around the country! My quads were screaming at me! We did about 4km on the soft beach sand, it is such great training for the Antarctica marathon! There were so many crabs on the beach this morning scurrying over the sand and into the sea! And the sea looked so inviting, calm and beautiful!

Usually once we off the beach we head home along Compensation beach road and Ocean road so quite an easy run home...but not this morning...Harry was still full of energy and suggested we run up Ballito Drive...IT IS A HUGE LONG HILL! So we did, we made it to the BP garage where we filled up our water bottles had a splash of water and headed down Simbithi drive towards home!

What a wonderful run! Thank you Harry!

Wow what an exciting day! 7 x 7 Itinerary is falling into place!

So far ....

1. Antarctica - 7th March 
I still need to raise funds for a wonderful Charity Oceanites to secure this spot - if you would like to sponsor me for this run...maybe a $ / Km please click here:
http://www.givengain.com/activist/74673/projects/4110/ 

2. EUROPE - 14th April
We booked this today - so Europe marathon is confirmed!! Super duper exciting!! I will be running the Vienna marathon, it is the 30th jubilee of this marathon!

3. ASIA - details to be released once booking is made and confirmed!

4. AFRICA - details to be released once booking is made and confirmed!

5. SOUTH AMERICA - we have received information that our spots are available for the Inca Trail Marathon on 15th August, now we just need to do all the paper work to confirm it!

6. AUSTRALIA - details to be released once booking is made and confirmed!

7. NORTH AMERICA - details to be released once booking is made and confirmed!

EUROPE marathon booked! The 2nd of the 7 marathons for 2013

Wed 9th Jan 2013 14:30

Whoohoooo Vienna Marathon entry done...this will be the 2nd of the 7 marathons for this years 7x7 challenge on 14th April 2013! Thanks for all your help Clare! This is all so real now!! Yikes...

Watch this space to see which other marathons I will be doing to complete this challenge of a marathon on each continent for 2013 to:

 "Inspire a nation live their dreams and passions and to take up a challenge and change a life to restore South Africa 1 piece at a time!"

I will be running each marathon to raise funds to change lives to make my unique contribution to RESTORE SA! And first up is the Antarctica Marathon on the 7th March 2013 and now EUROPE Vienna 14th April 2013!

To follow this adventure, I do daily posts on the below!!

Blog: liveloverun77.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LiveLoveRun77

Twitter: larakruiskamp

50 days to go to the Adventure of a life time...leaving for Antarctica!

In exactly 50 days time, I will be leaving South Africa to begin the adventure of a lifetime!

I will be taking up the challenge of running a marathon on each continent this year to:

"Inspire a nation live their dreams and passions and to take up a challenge and change a life to restore South Africa 1 piece at a time!"

I will be running each marathon to raise funds to change lives to make my unique contribution to RESTORE SA! And first up is the Antarctica Marathon on the 7th March 2013!

On the 28th Feb 2013 I will be flying from Johannesburg to Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, where I hop onto a ship to head through the treacherous Drake passage to get to Antarctica!

There is a 5 year waiting list to get into the Antarctica Marathon and I am committed to achieve this challenge in 1 year! If I do succeed, I will be the first women on the African continent to have run a marathon on each continent in one year! So in order to receive an entry for this year, I was selected as a fundraiser and I need to raise US$ 12 500 for an Antarctica preservation charity, Oceanites www.oceanites.com to secure the marathon entry!

If you would like to sponsor me for this marathon and contribute to an excellent cause please click here:

http://www.givengain.com/activist/74673/projects/4110/

Every cent raised goes directly to Oceanites charity to preserve the pristine continent of Antarctica and its amazing wildlife!

I post daily updates on my Facebook adventure page of all the training I am doing for this adventure!

If you would like to follow this adventure the details are:

Blog: liveloverun77.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LiveLoveRun77

Twitter: larakruiskamp

Have a great day!

Lara

Sat 5th Jan - wonderful 22km trail run at Holla Trails, KZN, South Africa!

A wonderful 22km trail run this morning with Harry at Holla Trails in Ballito, KZN!

I was up at 4:15 am and Harry and I were off on the Red Holla Route at 5am!

We ran through the tall sugarcane, past the dam, along a beautiful river and had a little river crossing! We saw lots of beautiful birdlife and butterflies! We saw the farm children having fun on their homemade swings! And we even went over OMO crossing! I guess this is where the washing is done :)

It was a stunning morning out!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Lara

If you would like to follow this 7 x 7 journey on Facebook, please visit LIVEloveRUN77

If you would like to support this journey to ensure I get into the Antarctica marathon..please click here:
http://www.givengain.com/activist/74673/projects/4110/

We did the Red Short route today through the sugarcane fields!

Harry and I enjoying the beautiful scenery on the run

It was a lovely cool, overcast morning!

Black-headed heron ...take off!

through the stream we go...

Stream crossing!

Beautiful butterflies!

Farm children enjoying their home made swings!

Beautiful butterfly!

Only in SA....OMO's crossing :)

Following the RED ROUTE arrows!

Add caption

7 x 7 Training adventures in Gauteng & Limpopo provinces!

To contribute to a great cause and assist me in getting an Antartica entry for 2013, please click here: http://www.givengain.com/activist/74673/projects/4110/

9 weeks to go...a wonderful week of training at Zabula in Limpopo province!

Sunday 30th December 2012 - 7km "Hike" on the Blue Gum Hike at Zabula!

My mom and I went for an afternoon walk along the Blue Gum hiking trail! It was stunning! We saw waterbuck, zebra and wonderful birdlife including a levailants cuckoo which I have never seen before!
We stopped at Python dam and enjoyed the rainbow and the tranquility of the dam from the bird hide!

Zabula Blue Gum Hiking Trail, Limpopo province

My mom and I enjoying the break in the bird hide

Python dam & the rainbow..can you see it? in the top left corner?

Levailants Cuckoo - 1st tie I've seen this bird!

Hope you had a wonderful Sunday!

Saturday 29th December 2012 - 19km sunrise run in Zabula!

A wonderful Zabula trail run! I left just after 5:30 as the sun was peeping over the mountain! I was in my element,  running through the bush at sunrise listening to all the birds and bugs! What a beautiful run!

Beautiful Sunrise 5:30am!

Running through the bush in the early morning...my best!

Grey Heron catching breakfast!

Running past the golf course!

Morning Meerkat!

Curious Caracal!

Beautiful Cheetah!

A break at the dam to...

Get half of Zabula out my shoes!

A chameleon crossing the road...

Striking Woodland Kingfisher!

Have a wonderful last Saturday of 2012!


Friday 28th December 2012 - Rest day!

Thursday 27th December 2012 - 13km Trail run at Zabula, Limpopo province!

I was up at the crack of dawn enjoying a cup of coffee on the deck, listening to the zebra & the birds were starting to chirp! It was so quiet and peaceful! And I had a wonderful 13km trail run, there was an abundance of birdlife and wild life! Just the best way to start the day! 

Up at the crack of dawn for a sunrise runn 4:55am

Ready to hit the trails & enjoy the sunrise!

Beautiful sunrise!

Hartebees chilling on the run way!

Wildebeest chilling!

Beautiful morning light and an abundance of animals out and about!

Mom and babes stripes perfectly matched!

Lots of babies!

Busy Shongololo!

Very busy dung beetle!

Jerry the giraffe munching away and checking me out!

Zazu.....  ;)

 Have a wonderful day!!

Wednesday 26th December - 9km trail run at Zabula. Limpopo province

I went out mid morning and it was so beautiful! I saw loads of animals and the scenery was stunning!!

2 huge beautiful waterbuck & my "seconding" crew in the golf cart!

A visit form the boys on my run!

Being checked out by the Zebbies on my run!

Came across a kudu and "Pumba"

Stunning lilies!

Hundreds of butterflies!

It was an exquisite run! Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday 25th December - Christmas Day! Day of REST & time with family!


Monday 24th December 2012 - 9km run in Johannesburg with Nick, my brother!

Nick and I headed out into Bryanston for a lovely 9km run! Only 1 pic on this run as we left...I was too scared to take a camera out in JHB :) The 9th kilometre of this run was my 1500th kilometre for 2012!

Nick & I off on a run in JHB!