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.

I don’t know if I am the only person who does this but as a year wraps up and we head towards the start of a new one I like to take stock of what has happened in the last 12 months and what I would like to happen in the next 12. I’ve had a really good 2011 on some fronts and not so good one on others. I set some big goals this year on the athletic side of things and have achieved them all. The biggest of them all was to go back and finish Comrades after failing to do so in 2010. Finishing my first Ironman was also a big milestone for me in 2011. Riding the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge twice was too.

One of my biggest goals was to run faster (and to be comfortable while doing it). I got a lot better in 2011. I improved my best marathon time to 4:17 at the Vaal Marathon and some change and managed to get my 10km pb down to 53:26 on a dirt road in the middle of the Karoo on the way to Sutherland as part of a run we did from Cape Town to Johannesburg in July this year.

New years resolution

Looking ahead to the new year there are definitely some changes that need to be made. I stopped making new year resolutions a long time ago because I never really took them seriously. If you want to change something there is no time like the present. I stopped smoking on a the 14th of February six years ago. I started running on a Wednesday in the middle of July in 2009. I’ve never been one for doing things on a specific day but the start of a new year is a great time to reflect and start again. I came across a blog post of a guy who wanted to do his first Ironman by the age of thirty (Which he did in 2011 btw) but his latest post is called Seven and I love the idea. Seven things to change or do in 2012. It has inspired me to set some goals and make some changes. The next seven posts are going be about my seven things. I’ve thought of a few already but over the next few days will think of some more.

I would love you to do this with me. What seven things would you like to do or achieve in 2012? C’mon, you only live once. Write them out and commit to doing them here. Post them in the comments section below, that way there is no getting away with not doing it. Let me know what you are going to do, go on DO IT!!!!

Doing what I do for a living I get sent tons of press releases. I got this one and I thought I might share it with you. You really couldn’t make this stuff up:

Subject: A MAN FOUND NAKED AND ATTACKED BY VISIOUS DOGS
  
THE NORTH WEST CORPORATE COMMUNICATION:   SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE
 
MEDIA RELEASE
 
TO:  ALL MEDIA
 
DATE:  10 DECEMBER 2011
 
                                                       A MAN FOUND NAKED AND ATTACKED BY VISIOUS DOGS
 
It is alleged that, today 10 December 2011 at about 04:00 in the morning , a member of the community who was still asleep inside the house in Gopane Village at Bosega section, heard a man between the ages of 25 and 30 screaming for help and dogs bucking outside, suddenly dogs stopped bucking and he went outside and found a man lying outside his yard naked, without ears, his body and face swollen and could not be identified and he was still breathing, EMS was called they later certified him dead. 
It is believed that the man was from Mike’s tavern and there are vicious dogs.  An Inquest case is being investigated.
 
Contact:
 
Constable Duduzile Zwane
North West Communications Officer

The Big Boy Scooter I'm looking at getting

I have been considering it for a while now and I have decided 2012 is officially going to be the year of the scooter. One of the main reasons I have been considering it is the cost of commuting just seems to be climbing with absolutely no end in sight. I currently drive a little Hyundai Getz 1.5HDi and don’t get me wrong, it’s a great little car. Being a turbo diesel it is really light on fuel and has a bit of zip as well. If I had to make the decision again to buy it when I did for what I paid for it I would buy the same car again. But with the increasing price of fuel it is becoming more and more expensive to run it.  It has a 45 litre tank which at the current diesel price costs about R450 to fill it up. Once full I can get about 650kms on the tank (city driving) which is awesome. I have also had it for a few years so to put it mildly it is getting on in kilometres. I am about to hit the big 250 000kms and it is still going well but odds are something is going to pack up soon. I had to replace one of the injectors a few months ago and a brand new one would have cost me about R6000 but I was lucky enough to pick up a reconditioned one for R1500. I can’t help but feel that it is just a matter of time before something major goes wrong with it.

The looming toll roads in Joburg have also pushed me in the scooter direction. At the moment I probably do on average about 200km per week on the highways that are going to be tolled (if SANRAL get their way).  At 50 cents per kilometre that works out to R100 per week which doesn’t sound like much but when you take it over a year you’re looking at R5200 on toll fees.

I’ve been looking at scooters, in particular the Jonway and Big Boy Scooter ranges. I’ve never been one for brand names and I don’t quite see the point of spending an arm and a leg on something like a Vespa when you can pick up a Jonway or Big Boy as an example for a fraction of the cost.

On the downside the service intervals are a lot more frequent on the scooter than on my car. Three times more frequent to be precise. The scooter’s service intervals are every 3000kms whereas my Hyundai goes in every 10000km. Even with the increased number of services I think the scooter will work out cheaper to run.

Another thing I will have to get used to is the weather. Later afternoon thunderstorms in summer and a few cold snaps in winter are going to have to be dealt with. I will be investing in a proper rain suit (even if they do look totally uncool) and a decent jacket and gloves to keep warm in winter.

In the meantime it is back to school to get my bike license.

It is starting to get a bit ridiculous as far as how fast a year passes. We are firmly into the silly season and I got an email last week telling me about an annual event that I did a little write up for last year. LAST YEAR? I actually had to go back and check if it has been a year already. Seems like last month.

One of the things I love about Twitter is that it puts you in contact with people you may not have ordinarily have met. I’m not sure if I paths would’ve crossed if it were not for Twitter but I am glad they did. I am talking specifically about Leanne Opperman. What this young lady has done over the last couple of years is awesome. She suffers from fairly rare condition called Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy (a form of muscular dystrophy) and has not let it dampen her spirit at all. She made the decision to use her life experience to benefit others and put together what was at the time just going to be a once off fundraising event in 2009 called Krazee 4 Kripples. It was so successful she decided to turn it into an annual event. Last year’s event was themed Hanging for Hope and this year it is themed Drifting for Dystrophy. Leanne obviously doesn’t like her life and tries to do these crazy things to kill herself and she’s not content to do it on her own either, she wants others to die with her

Here is an exert  from the email I received about the event:

The Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of South Africa (Gauteng Branch) in association with SupaDrift and XS Promotions, is looking for sponsors of successful companies and businesses to help fund a drifting charity event.

The third annual event of ‘Krazee 4 Kripples’ has been named “Drifting for Dystrophy” and is set to take place on 26 November 2011 at Zwartkops Raceway.

Through your sponsorship, you will fund the following:

•  A member of your company will enjoy the thrill of a drifting experience, while advertising your brand through (for example) corporate clothing; or
• Your sponsorship will pay for an individual suffering from *Muscular Dystrophy to enjoy a drift; and
• A percentage of the sponsorship will go towards the Muscular Dystrophy Association of South Africa, Gauteng Branch.

In addition, we are in the process of organizing extensive media publicity.  Your companies’ name will be published in all media coverage, and the person drifting with your sponsorship should preferably wear a shirt with your company name and logo on. This event will form part of the Drifting Championships, i.e. your company will receive maximum exposure.

Funds raised will be used exclusively for the purchasing of equipment to improve the quality of lifestyle of people affected by neuromuscular conditions.

Sponsorship of a drift will cost only R2 000, but further sponsoring is welcome

The Drifting for Dysrtophy event poster

If you want to be a part of this great event or maybe just want to throw a few bucks their way please contact Leanne on Leanne@k4k.co.za. You can also follow Leanne on Twitter at @LeaVille

Bidvest’s Proudly Pink Campaign is set to gain serious momentum over the next two weeks with two fundraising events set to take place. The Group’s mission is to raise awareness of cancer by raising funds for two selected charities: the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) as well as The McGrath Foundation.

The 2011 South Africa vs Australia Wanderers Test is the first international Test to turn pink, paying homage to the success of the Pink Test in Australia and South Africa’s original involvement in the inaugural Pink Test. The 2008/2009 Australia vs South Africa Test was the first Sydney Test to be turned pink for the McGrath Foundation, as part of Cricket Cares, Cricket Australia’s community action program, in memory of the late Jane McGrath, wife of Australian cricket legend, Glenn McGrath. Worldwide statistics show that nearly one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer, that is one woman every three minutes whilst nearly 2 000 men are diagnosed each year.

Bidvest’s Proudly Pink campaign kicked off on October 11 during Breast Cancer Awareness month and extends to “Movember”, a month-long annual campaign to raise awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer and depression. On November 15, Bidvest will host a cricket legends’ breakfast at the Sandton Convention Centre with former fast bowler Allan Donald and former Australian opening batsman Justin Langer. All proceeds from the breakfast will be donated to CANSA.

Four days later on November 19, there will be a double-header of activities in Gauteng and Nelspruit. Starting with the third day’s play of the second and final test between South Africa and Australia at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium where fans are expected to join the live action kitted out in pink, proudly showing their support for the Proudly Pink Campaign. Bidvest Wanderers Stadium will be a sea of pink on the day as Bidvest, Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) go all out to create awareness, raise funds and drum up as much support as they can. Bidvest will donate R20 (to be split between both charities) for every spectator who attends the days play.

Later that day, Bidvest Wits host defending Absa Premiership champions Orlando Pirates at Mbombela Stadium where they will once again wear pink kits in support of the campaign. Last month, the students donned their pink kits in an Absa Premiership clash against SuperSport United at Bidvest Stadium. Brian Joffe, Bidvest chief executive, said: “We want to create an awareness of these scary statistics of cancer which will then hopefully encourage men and women to get tested. The support that we have received from CSA, GCB as well as the two charities has been fantastic and we hope to make a notable difference on the 19th.

By using the Test match and the PSL games as platforms to raise awareness we are hoping to reach a wider spectrum of our nation, increase the chances of early detection that will hopefully lead to a successful treatment.” A mobile testing unit, shave and spray stations and plenty of give aways will be available at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium for everyone to enjoy.

I’ve been wanting to create a custom landing page for my Facebook profile for a while but  it meant I’d have to take some time to figure out how. FINALLY I sat down this morning and did it. I wish I had done it sooner. It really wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. It does take a bit of basic html knowledge but if I can do it with my limited understanding of html coding then anyone can. I found a really easy tutorial here (although the sizes they gave weren’t right I was able to figure it out).

Below is the result of a couple of hours of work. If you’re not in touch via Facebook yet please pop by my page and see it in real life (you can do so by clicking on the picture below:

Brad Brown's Custom Facebook Landing Page

The Pink BlackBerry 8520

Ok, so here is the deal. I have been getting a few very strange looks over the last few days when people see what phone I am using. The handset in question is a pink BlackBerry Curve 8520. Why do I have a pink BlackBerry you may ask? This is my story and I’m sticking to it (actually it is the gospel truth).

Having lost my mom to breast cancer in May 2010 I have been staunch supporter of The PinkDrive and the great work that they do. When I was approached by Research in Motion (RIM) and asked if I wanted to be involved in this campaign I obviously said yes. Who wouldn’t want a new BlackBerry handset (and in my case even if it is pink!) right? As long as they’re not making me drink pink drinks, I am in!

You can get one too if you’d like. They are on offer exclusively through Vodacom at CNA and Edgars stores countrywide. Not only are they really cool smartphones but in getting yourself one you can support The PinkDrive as well. For every handset sold BlackBerry will donate R20 to The PinkDrive on your behalf. So it is win win for everyone involved. We are hoping to be able to raise R100 000 for The PinkDrive through this initiative and the only way we can do that is if you go get yourself one of these funky smartphones!

Another bonus of getting this handset at any CNA or Edgars store is that you stand in line to win one of ten specially designed Swarovski crystal back covers which are almost as cool as the pink BlackBerry.

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