The journey I’ve been on over the last two years has really been life changing for me in many ways. First and foremost the change in lifestyle from being sedentary, over weight and at risk of a catastrophic health event to losing a third of my body weight, completing a few hardcore endurance events and bringing my vital health statistics back into normal range without medication has been amazing. But also from a career perspective this change has put me on a totally different course. The change has opened doors and provided opportunities I would have never thought possible.

Brad Brown - What a difference a year can make

Over the duration of my journey many people have asked me to help them get started on a training programme to run their first five or ten kilometer race. I started my journey at my local Run/Walk for Life branch in Krugersdorp and found the programme to be beneficial in the way that it slowly builds you up and gets your body accustomed to the stresses and strain that walking or running puts on it. Little did I know that two years later I would be operating my own branch, helping people in the same position I was two years ago.

Run Walk for Life Bryanston

I am pleased to announce that from 1 November 2011 I am the new operator of the Run/Walk for Life branch in Bryanston. The sessions take place at the Bryanston High School every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and start promptly at 4:30 and 5:00pm. If you would like out more about the Run/Walk for Life programme you can visit their website at http://www.rwfl.co.za If you would like to contact me to find out more about what we do or if you would like to join us please pop me an email (rwfl@bradbrown.co.za).

I have also created a Twitter and Facebook profile for the club that I will use to communicate to existing and new members. You can follow Run Walk for Life Bryanston on Twitter or like Run Walk for Life Bryaston on Facebook

I had a really interesting experience last night. I have done a few runs on dirt roads but never a full on proper trail run. I received an invite to the Energizer Night Race which took place on the Monaghan Farm last night. I originally thought I’d do the mountain bike race as I don’t really get to ride my mountain bike much but at the last minute decided to do the 5km trail run instead. That in hindsight was probably the wisest decision I’ve made in a long time. I would have seen my backside without a mirror had I decided to ride my bike. I’m not quite sure what I thought I thought when I read the title of the race and why I didn’t register that ‘Night Race’ meant it would be dark! First trail run, challenging enough but in the dark was probably looking for trouble. I nearly came a cropper a few times but luckily managed to stop myself from falling. Overall it was a really good run and I am dead keen to get in some trail running in the future.

There was also some YouTube greatness at the race last night. Still getting over his concussion after last weekend’s little mishap, Evan van der Spuy was also there. His name might not ring a bell but Buck Norris might? No? What about the dude who got taken out by a Red Hartbees at a mountain bike race in South Africa last weekend? If you haven’t seen the clip watch this:

It amazing how quickly things go viral online. This happened less than a week ago and that little clip has had more than 9 million hits on YouTube already. Truly amazing. The moral of he story is if you want to become an overnight internet sensation, get a mate to film you getting run over by a buck on your mountain bike.

I have had quite the week when it comes to radio interviews that have had an impact on me. I will mention the latest one in another post but I was on my way to the airport on Tuesday morning heading to Durban for another one of the Comrades Road Show talks in Richards Bay when I happened to tune into Redi Direko’s show on Talk Radio 702 and she was interviewing McIntosh Polela. I have always been impressed with McIntosh every time I had heard a radio or TV interview with him. He always made sense and seemed to be the voice of reason. I had also heard that he had written a book but didn’t think too much of it. Until Monday that is.

McIntosh Polela - My Father My Monster

I was amazed to hear him speak to Redi about his background and of the difficult time he had growing up. I am a sucker for rags to riches stories and bought the book as soon as I arrived at OR Tambo. I managed to sink my teeth into it on the flight to Durban and haven’t been able to put it down since. The book is a very honest and at times heart breaking look back at his life. The thing that has affected me most reading this work is that I think McIntosh and I are almost the same age (I may be a year or two older than him) and I am battling to wrap my head around the fact that stories like McIntosh’ was playing out around me while I was growing up and I was totally oblivious to it. It saddens me to think that there were children the same age as me that went to bed cold and hungry while I had anything and everything my heart desired growing up but many times I still didn’t think it was enough. I didn’t grow up in an extremely wealthy home but we never really wanted for anything. There was always enough food on the table. There was always a roof over our head. We got to buy new clothes when we needed them. Life was good for me growing up in early post apartheid South Africa. I never had to worry about how my school fees were going to be paid. I now know I took a lot of things for granted. My Father My Monster has opened my eyes and my mind to what many South Africans have had to endure to succeed.  I challenge every middle to upper class South African that went to high school and perhaps university in the 1990’s to get this book and submerge yourself in it and realise how lucky you (I) were(was) to grow up the way we (I) did. He has overcome unbelievable odds to end up where he is today. My hat goes off to McIntosh and I wish him all the luck in the world. Once you’ve read the would I would love to know your thoughts on it, feel free to comment below.

I need to ask a huge favour. A friend of mine, Bernadette Beckley, is trying to raise some funds to help cover the medical bills of one of her mates, Wade Schroeder, who is 27 and had a brain tumour removed in the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town last week. She ran the Gun Run in this week end to raise funds and did a fab job. The gorgeous Westcliff Hotel has generously donated a nights stay at their luxury hotel for two to this great cause and she is auctioning it off to the highest bidder. The stay is worth R4 000 but bidding starts at only R2 500. If you would like to bid and support this great cause all you need to do is head over to Bernadette’s Facebook page and bid by posting a comment on her wall. Bidding closes on Wednesday afternoon, the 12th of October, at 5pm. You can find her on Facebook here.

If you are unable to bid yourself you can help by either posting this link on your Facebook profile or by passing on the link on Twitter. Thanks in advance for your help, it is much appreciated.

The Westcliff Hotel