Brad Brown

There is less than a week to go until Ironman South Africa. All the hard work has been done and it is now just a matter of resting up and staying healthy as race day approaches. This past Sunday was interesting to say the least. All day I sat working out where I would be on race day. What time I would be out the water, when I would be on my last lap of the bike and most importantly when I would be running down the famous red carpet. If you are racing Ironman South Africa on the 14th of April you probably did something similar on Sunday.

I’m not sure about you, but I have a goal for the race as far as a finishing time is concerned. I’ve been rather hesitant to share it publicly because it is quite ambitious but I feel like I have done the work for it and if all goes according to plan I should achieve it.

I’ve also been thinking about a little challenge for the day. If you are racing and even if you are not let’s wager a little something to make the race a little more interesting. Here how it is going to work:

1. If you are taking part predict your finishing time or if you’re not racing predict someone else’s finishing time.
2. Choose a worthy cause or charity that is close to your heart.
3. Pledge 100 bucks to charity.

All the 100 buck pledges will go into one pot. After race day, who ever got closest to the finish time they predicted will get all the money for their chosen charity. Simple. Let’s do this.

Pop me a mail at bradb@highveld.co.za with your name, charity you want to support should you win and your predicted time and I’ll add you to the list. Once the winner is decided I’ll pop you a mail with the charity’s bank details and it will be up to you then to make the transfer. If we can get 100 people to do this a charity will get R10 000. So here goes:

1. Brad Brown – 11:58:32 (The PinkDrive)

2. Hannes Marlin – 11:16:08 (Reach for a Dream)

3. Mandy Marlin – 14:59:40 (Reach for a Dream)

4. Keri Swift – 12:28:12 (PinkDrive)

5. Garron Mosley – 9:43:12 (Starfish)

6. Jeff Hinds – 11:57:17 (SPCA)

7. Hannes Otto – 12:29:20 (SPCA)

8. Bianca Tait – 13:18:00 (Sunflower Fund)

9. Kristian Fesel – 10:45:00 (Rainbows and Smiles)

10. Vincent Nortier – 10:45:00 (PinkDrive)

11. Dianne McEwan – 9:25:00 (Qhubeka)

12. Ross McEwan – 9:35:00 (Qubeka)

13. Beverley Davey – 12:43:38 (Youth with diabetes)

14. Cyndi Starr Strydom – 15:30:00 (Free Me)

15. Odessa Perelson – 12:00:00 (Cat Care PE)

16. Derrian Nadauld – 11:55:00 (PinkDrive)

17. Julia le Roux – 15:50:39 (Mothers Unite)

18. John McKay has predicted Odessa Perelson’s time 11:54:48  (Isithembiso Babies Home, PE)

19. Lucie Zelenkova – 9:16:32

20. Celeste Erasmus – 12:15:03 (Hospice)

21. Joff Gouveris has predicted Brad Brown’s time 11:56:32 (Reach for a Dream)

22. Cari-Ann Botha has predicted Dianne McEwan’s time 9:24:05 (Qhubeka)

23. Cari-Ann Botha has predicted Brad Brown’s time 11:57:24 (Qhubeka)

24. Andre Bekker – 9:55:00 (South African Guide Dog Association)

25. Glenn Ambrose – 11:55:00 (Rainbows and Smiles Foundation)

26. Conrad Greer – 11:57:00 (Rainbows and Smiles Foundation)

27.  Shawn Letts – 10:52:45 (Choc)

28. Mark Newby – 13:29:55 (Stop Rhino Poaching)

29. Richard Wright has predicted Brad Brown’s time – 12:21:32 (The PinkDrive)

30. Alec Riddle – 9:54:59 (Hein Wagner’s Charity)

31. Alec Riddle has predicted Brad Brown’s time – 11:59:58 (Hein Wagner’s Charity)

32. Ian Hendry has predicted Brad Brown’s time – 11:50:00 (Guild Cottage)

33. Ian Hendry has predicted Chris Baker’s time – 10:28:00 (Guild Cottage)

34. Ian Hendry has predicted Quinton Walker’s time –  10:15:00 (Guild Cottage)

35. Adam Kelly – 12:50:00 (PinkDrive)

Who is next??? Get on the list now, mail me at bradb@highveld.co.za

Mark Wolff of 32GI has generously offered to donate to the charity of the three closest predictions as well.

I have had an amazing couple of months. If you want the abridged version, this is it. I was awarded my Central Gauteng colours for triathlon and I raced the SA Triathlon Champs in East London this weekend where I finished 15th in my age group.

If you want the longer version, here it comes and hopefully it will inspire you a much as it has me. My older brother was selected to represent Central Gauteng last season. It was last season too that I beat him for the first time in a race. My entire life I was the chubby kid who got picked last. I have always loved sport but have pretty much sucked at everything I tried. He has always been a pretty decent sportsman. Growing up he excelled at most sports and even played provincial football. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about me wanting to beat him. He is the one who got me into the sport and that lone win last season gave me belief that maybe I had some ability.

It’s mind boggling to think of myself and sporting ability in the same sentence. I mean for someone who once (not so long ago) weighed 165kgs to even think of doing a sport like triathlon, never mind discover you’re actually ok at it seems a bit far fetched.

Read more…

This is my take on the whole Lance Armstrong doping issue. I watched the first part of the interview this morning and to be honest was not surprised by any of his admissions. Disappointed yes, surprised, not at all. I read Tyler Hamilton’s book towards the end of last year and had also read much the USADA report last year. So truthfully would have been surprised if he denied it all again.

I don’t know Lance Armstrong so I can’t vouch for his character but what I can say is that I was a huge fan while he was racing. Some of my favourite cycling memories are from the seven tours he won. I actually think that one of the reasons I love riding my bike stems from that time. I fell in love with the Tour de France back then too and to this day can watch every minute of every stage.

I’ve seen a lot of anger aimed at Lance over the last two days and broadly at the sport of cycling and it got me thinking. It is like that era of cycling never happened but it did. Even though everyone was cheating there was some great racing. As Lance put it “It was one big lie”. What it reminded me of was of Christmas. Weird I know, but it did and in particular Santa Claus. That is probably the best way to describe the way I felt this morning. It was like I found out Santa was not real.

As a kid I think you know long before you actually know that he does not exist. Do you know what I mean? I see it with my son now. He is at that age where his friends at school have told him Santa is not real, he probably knows Mom and Dad are Santa but deep down he wants to believe that he is real. He loves the idea of it and doesn’t want to give up on it just yet. Now that I am an adult I love Christmas even though I know Santa isn’t real.

I feel exactly the same way about cycling. While those tours were happening they were magical and mesmerising. But now that I know that Lance Armstrong wasn’t real it hasn’t changed the way I feel about the tour. I still love those magical three weeks in July but most importantly I still love riding my bike.

I grew up in a house that loved cricket. I have some great memories attached to the game. Both playing and watching it. I remember countless games of backyard cricket. Onto the roof was six and out. Tip and run. One hand one bounce. Broken windows. I recall waking up in the we hours to watch Vinnige Fanie de Villiers bowl out the Aussies in Sydney. Graeme Smith’s heroic walk down the stairs from the change rooms at the same ground with a broken hand to join Makaya Ntini to try and save a test match. I have so many great test match memories.

There are almost as many ODI memories too. 438. The Jonty Rhodes flying run out. The 22 off 13 balls and then off 1. Alan Donald’s run, don’t run, run. Some are definitely better than others.

I have great memories of this time of the year watching boxing day test matches. There have been some classics over the years. Boxing day for me has always been about left overs and test cricket. And that is probably why I am so sad that there is no test match starting today for the Proteas. For whatever reason Cricket South Africa chose to schedule a T20 international today instead of a five dayer against the visiting Black Caps. I am sad that they have robbed me of a chance to create more memories around a game a I love so much. They have robbed my son of the chance to create some of his own.

It is not that I dislike Twenty Twenty cricket. It definitely has a place in the game. I think it is a wonderful way to introduce people to a game that is very difficult to understand the nuances of. It is exciting but in my opinion to win a test match takes a lot more skill, patience and consistency than to win a T20. I fear though that T20′s and the way international schedules are being organised are going to be the downfall of the longest format of the game.

The last two test series’ that the Proteas were involved in against Australia and England were phenomenal. But too short. What has happened to the 5 match test series? At the end of both of those tours I felt as though I had been short changed. Like there was so much more to come but I wasn’t allowed to see the end.

I get the same sense about sevens rugby and the 15 man game. That sevens has its place but will never be an equal to its big brother. I feel though that rugby has got it spot on. They are almost run as two separate games. And because of it both forms of the game are flourishing. The world sevens series continues to grow and feed some great players into the 15 man game. Gio Aplon is just one example of a player that has successfully crossed the gap. Speaking of gaps it is also helping the so called minnows close it by playing world class opponents more often. Look at the likes of the Kenyan sevens team and their recent successes. And Portugal. Do they even play rugby?

I understand that economics plays a major role in growth of any sport. One of the reasons T20 exploded was because of the IPL. But let’s be honest, unless you’re in India, no one gives a continental now. I thought the aim of T20′s was to speed the game up? When you play forty gazillion games in a tournament it kind of defeats the point doesn’t it? Then there is the Big Bash and the Champions League. That is before you look at the internationals and the World Cup. Aren’t World Cups played every four years?

I don’t know about you but I can’t remember a single incident in a T20 or an entire match that I will look back on ten years from now and say that was an absolute classic.

I think cricket administrators need to realise they are force feeding the goose that lays the golden egg. So instead of watching ANOTHER T20 this afternoon, I’ll be playing a game of backyard cricket with my boy dreaming of the test greats.

I actually can’t believe what a difference a bike makes. I have been riding a KTM Strada 3000 for the last 2 years and it has served me really well. I have done a few races on it too. My first two Ironman’s have been on it as well as two double Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenges and a Coronation Double Century. I’ve managed to do some fairly fast rides on it too. The two opening laps of the 94.7 have both been sub three hour rides so as far as a decent road bike goes it can definitely be classed as one. It is not carbon (Although the front fork is) and it has Shimano Ultegra components on so it is not top of the range but as my first road bike it has been a great ride.

KTM Solus Master – Isn’t she sexy???

A few weeks ago KTM put me on a time trial bike. It has got to be one of the sexiest bikes I have seen for a long time and I knew Read more…

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Another week has come and gone and it’s time for episode 16 of my running podcast. I wanted to shift focus slightly this week and look at getting started in running and how to go about it. One of the things that helped me get going was setting goals and this is what the show is all about this week. Having a goal and getting out and doing the work to get it done. A few months ago I chatted to Tanya Kovarsky about the Run Soweto 10km and how to get involved. This week I chat to her again about it and also catch up with Joanne Lurie, a total newbie to running, who has committed to running it. There are exactly 20 weeks to go to race day and I would love to help you get to the start line. The first thing you need to do is make the commitment. Tell people you are doing it. You can pop me a mail at podcast@bradbrown.co.za to let me know or if you are on twitter pop Tanya (@TanyaKovarsky) a tweet with the tag #RunSoweto10km so that she can add your name to the growing list on her blog. This coming weeks training programme is available at the bottom this post.

I also chat to Samantha Cowen from 94.7 Highveld Stereo’s Breakfast Xpress about her running career, how she got going and some of her long term goals. Ian Laxton joins us to chat about the Spar Ladies race series. Finally I look at this week’s race calendar and what events are available to do on Saturday and Sunday.

Couch Potato to 10km in 20 weeks training programme – Week 1

Monday – 30 minutes of brisk walking

Tuesday – Rest

Wednesday – 30 minutes of brisk walking

Thursday – Rest

Friday – 30 minutes of brisk walking

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Rest

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The 2012 Comrades Marathon is done and dusted and if you ran your legs and body aren’t feeling too broken. Although for the South African running calendar the season is over and there are no major runs in the next couple of weeks the show must go on as they say. I wanted to do a quick catch up on what happened on Comrades Race day this year and I touch base with Ian Laxton who is one of the SABC commentators and knows the race backwards to give us a bit of rundown of what happened. I also chatted to Zola Budd about her first Comrades just a couple of days before the race and even though the race is done I thought it was still applicable to play the interview out. Then lastly I catch up with John McInroy who along with four others cycled the 1700km from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg in the 10 days prior to Comrades and then on the 11th day ran the 89km between Maritzburg and Durban. As discussed on the show here are the videos from their epic journey. Take an hour and watch them to see what amazing things the human spirit is capable of doing:

Only four days out from the 2012 Comrades Marathon. Here is some inspiration for those running and an explanation for those not. I’m not sure where this comes from but I thought I would share it with you:

It begins at the break of a new day, that one day each year, where a special band of people, that select few. Of every gender, every race, every creed, every age, from every walk of life, and from every corner of the earth, come together.

They are here to begin a journey, that, at its conclusion, no matter how far they have travelled, every single one will have been defined. Whether we finish the race or not, it is the fact that we stood shoulder to shoulder at the starting line, that makes us winners. True winners of this auspicious occasion.

There is not one, when the sun sets on that day, that will not stand tall. In amongst the fastest, and the slowest, can say with pride, that they took part in that day of days, the race of races….. The Comrades Marathon.

It is not just a race, it’s much more than a race, it is a mountain which every single participant will attempt to cross, to summit, or to conquer. It’s a life changing event, one in which everyone will dig deep into their human reserves, in order to overcome some of the biggest obstacles and challenges that each and everyone will ever face in their lives. And on that day, whether they are running against the clock, or running to their own beat, each one is a giant, giants among men.

This is more than merely a seething mass of humanity, who come together on that appointed day. This is 14000 champions, 14000 winners, 14000 heroes, each and everyone there to take part, and to realise everyone else’s dreams, aspirations, their hopes and their goals. All to become one with one another.

There are those who will make is laugh, those who will make us cry, and some that will make us blush, and so many that will make us proud. It is here we learn the meaning of heroism, the meaning of respect for each other, and the true understanding of sacrifice. We discover that to help a fellow athlete or friend, is indeed to help ourselves. Whilst kilometres fall away behind us, it is the road that lies ahead that makes us true to ourselves, and make us true individuals.

Everyone’s personal best is measured not in time, but in endurance, and also in the belief of ones own abilities, no matter how small or brave that individual might be. The ones that stand tall on that day are each and everyone. Those that end their race, whether is be in pain or glory, will carry those traits like medals forever. And to those who venture out on this occasion for the very first time, with a fleet or heavy footing, are to discover that this is not a race or a marathon, it is a journey, a journey of discovery. On in search of ones inner self. A day in your life you can proudly say, that you have taken part in one of the most gruelling challenges know to man. The Ultimate Human Race.

To the true Comrades, they will have found that all have become one and are revered by all. And that in its self is the miracle called the Comrades Marathon. The greatest ultra marathon event in the world.