Brad Brown

It’s the last day of 2011 and I am really enjoying reading posts on a lot of blogs I follow and on Twitter about memories of 2011. So much so that it has inspired me to go back into the archives and see what my highlights of 2011 were:

1. January saw me finish my first Ironman 70.3 triathlon (1.9km Swim, 90km cycle and 21km run) in just over six and a half hours, in the pouring rain & with pink hair.

2. March brought an interesting little initiative across my path. Roxy Burger started the 40 days of zarmies for lent and it got a we bit bigger than any of us imagined it would. Here’s to even more sarmies in 2012.

3.  April saw me finish my first Ironman in Port Elizabeth (3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run) in just under 14 hours.  Hearing Paul Kaye on the red carpet saying “Big Brad Brown, you are an Ironman” will always be one of my favourite memories of that day.

Me running down the red carpet

4. The Comrades Marathon rematch took place in May. After failing to finish in 2010 the pressure was on to get the job done in 2011. One of my fondest memories of the day was having my Dad (Who has done 11) on the route supporting through out the day and at the finish when I crossed the line in just over eleven and a half hours.

Having my Dad at Comrades 2011 was awesome

5. My first magazine cover (much to my surprise it wasn’t Farmers Weekly).

My June Cover

6. Having a dream come true by running across our vast country from Cape Town to Johannesburg as part of the Continental Run to Stop

7. Helping people get fit and lose weight at Run Walk for Life in Bryanston

8. My best mate from school, Leanne, getting engaged. Even if it is to a Kiwi.

9. James, my best mate from varsity (and the best man at my wedding) getting engaged and married in 2011. Go you good thing.

10. A long time friend Poppie from my campus radio days getting engaged (just shows that there is someone for everyone). Love you Popster!!!

That's Poppie in the Bulls jersey. We all have our faults.

11. Marc and Sam & Lindsey and Hayley getting hitched this year too.

12. Finding a house that I can call home.

It’s hard to believe its exactly one year since I did my first road race. I ran the Berg en Dal 15km night in Krugersdorp last night. All I can say is what a difference a year can make. I had a great run. In comparison to 2010, chalk and cheese! Last year I did a 1:52, last night I took 28 minutes off that time and ran a 1:24. It’s not the easiest of races you’ll do. The first half has some challenging climbs but Read more…

Halfway into the first week of 2011. Can you cope???!!! Phillip has come and gone and we’re into a new year. December was quite a hectic month and I was rather quiet on the blogging front.

I can honestly say that I am glad the silly season is over and that we can now return to some sense of normality. December was crazy busy. I worked through, as I always do, but there weren’t many fill ins on the radio, like there normally are, so I kept myself busy with other work. I was able to get a whole bunch of admin and necessary leg work out the way to start the new year off with a bang.

In other related news I had 2 tenants in properties I own decide that December is a horrible time to pay rent and that it was better to enjoy their Christmas celebrations than to honour their financial commitments. Needless to say I made sure both were homeless by Christmas but I still took a massive knock financially in December.

On the training front it was a great month. I managed to get a whole bunch of quality training sessions in, even if the weather wasn’t playing along much of the time. Ironman 70.3 in East London is just over two weeks away and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Even though I might be doing the swim without a wetsuit due to the aforementioned tenants. But it is what it is and we’ll make the best of it regardless. I also realised in the last week and a bit it is time to start getting serious about my running and January 1 means Comrades 2011 training has officially started. I had a look at the training programmes on the Runnersworld website a week ago and they scared the living daylights out of me. So far so good though, for the last week I have managed to follow the sub 11 hour training programme. I had a chat to Lindsey Parry (the Comrades Coach) just the other day to see if I was on the right track. I told him I’m keen to run four times a week, cycle 4 times a week and swim 3 times a week. He reckons if I do that I’ll be a for away for Ironman in April and Comrades will be no problem in May. So, that’s my training regime for the next 5 months. Watch this space.

2010 was really a bipolar year for me. There were some serious lows. In particular losing my mom and not having my run on the afternoon drive extended. But there were also some awesome highs. Personally the turn around I managed to pull off as far as my health and weight is concerned has to be the biggest highlight for me. From a serious couch potato in 2009 to running my first marathon in 2010 (and subsequently running one more and two ultra marathons) as well as completing a couple of 100 plus kilometre cycle races and two olympic distance triathlons and also losing about 40 kilograms in the year.

2011 is going to be a year of new opportunities for me. I have decided to put most of my time where I get the best results. 2011 is going to be the year to make some serious progress on my business side of things. You may or may not know I own a consultancy where I help business owners develop and create new business online. I’ve been picking up new clients over the last year but it hasn’t been my primary focus. This year it is going to be. I am actively looking for and helping people who need help marketing and growing their business using the internet. I’m quite excited and have already picked up a few clients this year who are already benefiting. If you know anyone who has a business that they would like to grow and expand in 2011 please pass on my details, I’d love to help them out.

For now can I take this time to wish you a very happy and prosperous 2011. May it be your best year yet.

My training for the 2011 Ironman 70.3 in East London and the full Ironman in Port Elizabeth is going pretty well. I’m sure the time is going to come when I am going to need some serious motivation to get out onto the road or into the pool. I’ve always been a sucker for motivational videos. I found these two that absolutely fired me up. I thought I’d share them with you.

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My entry for the Ironman 70.3 on 23 January 2011 has been submitted and accepted so there is no turning back now. The training has been going well and I am loving the process and cant wait to do my first triathlon. I know I must be a bit touched never to have done a triathlon in my life and to go and enter the Half Ironman but the training bug has bitten and you need to set a goal otherwise nothing will ever happen and you wont achieve anything. I’ve actually also comitted to doing the full Ironman in April (although my entry isnt in yet it will be soon). Below is an awesome video of the Ironman South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 2009. If this is what is in store for me, I can’t wait.