One thing you should know about a spinal carry. If you are in charge of the head, you must, under no circumstances drop it. The head I mean. Clearly if you do, you could be responsible for exacerbating their spinal injury.
So with that out of the way let's move on.
As you know I'm starting training for a half marathon in August this year. All the books I've read up on training for it say you can train for it in fourteen weeks. Truthfully it takes me a long time to build up my endurance so I wanted to start as soon as I finished my Bronze. And being my usual type A personality I like to leave time for these things. Alot of time. So my training programme for it started last week. The programme Husband and I both decided was the best one for us was duly chosen. It was photocopied and takes pride of place on our fridge. My diary is filled with carefully pencilled entries for the next month or so with how far and fast I should be running.

There's just one problem.

Yes, that's my leg and I'm not running on it. Neither is anyone else I hasten to add.
You see, when I was doing the spinal carry in my Bronze Medallion exam a week ago I was in charge of the head. Unfortunately there was a sharp ridge of sand and I slipped. It was a choice of my foot or the faux patient's head and I chose to protect the head of my non patient. This was a stupid decision but I wanted to pass my exam. It was enormously painful at the time but fuelled by adrenaline I carried on running in and out of the surf. In fact I carried on during the week thinking it would recover by itself.
I've spent the past few months learning the importance of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate) In a classic case of "do as I say, not as I do" I confess I did none of these things.
A great friend organised for me to see a physio on the weekend. So now I'm wrapped, strapped and on non running duty. For quite a while.
In fact by the time I can start training I'll have exactly 14 weeks to get ready for it.
Awesome.

Firstly, Erika, who inspires my all too irregular posts, has had to move blog addresses because of all kinds of nasty, weird stalker stuff. But she's here and still blogging and inspiring, so maybe drop in for a diet coke after reading this.

Now I know that many people say that you should be healthy for yourself, because you will feel better and look better and I agree with that. But on Saturday I had a revelation. I need to do those things not only for myself but because I have a responsibility to those around me.
And I think others do too.
On Saturday at my Bronze training we had to do board rescues and carries. And it was hard work. I had to help lift and carry some big burly men, including *Bob.*
And they had to carry me.
I thought I would never feel more self conscious than standing in my bathers doing the weekly run, swim run. Turns out I was wrong. Having other people take responsibility for lifting and carrying me was far more confronting.
Before you say that you won't need rescuing from the ocean, because you don't swim, yes you are right.
But if you collapse in a shopping centre or are injured elsewhere, will people be able to lift you? Will they be able to remove you from the scene of an accident if they need to?
Will they be able to safely (for them) put you into a recovery position?
If the answer is no, then it's worth thinking about. And dismissing it as something that won't happen to you is rubbish.
I know too many people who have had terrible things happen to them to duck the very real truth, that I could have an accident or heart attack.
Just look at what happened to my healthy dad and uncle in the space of six short months last year.
I feel I am being responsible for my kids by learning how to be a lifesaver, but I have a broader responsibility to society at large to step in if needed now at the scene of an accident , but also to make sure I don't make any potential gorgeous and handsome rescuers job more difficult by being overweight.
I know I could lose at least 5 more kilos easily. And believe me, when you are carrying or hauling someone it makes a huge difference.
But the thing is this,
I feel better when I'm fit and healthy and well, lighter.
But I'm also reducing the responsibility others have for me.
What about you?

So yesterday, as I stood in my swimming costume at our local pool with a few surly, bored teenagers and a big beefy man (henceforth to be referred to as BBM) I wondered what the hell I was doing there.
I'm 34. I've had 3 children. I'm overweight.
There are a million reasons why it was sheer insanity to be at the pool yesterday morning.
And in view of the challenge I faced I am sure you will agree with me.
I remember saying to you a while ago one of my goals in 2010 was to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a surf lifesaver.
I'd attended a meeting about this in November last year and then pretty much let it slide out of my mind.
So on Friday night at about 6.30 pm there was a phone call saying to be at our local pool first thing Saturday morning for a trial swim.
In order to even start the Bronze Medallion course you must be able to swim 400 metres in under 9 minutes.
So, having set myself this challenge, and even worse, having blogged about it, I had no choice but to be at the pool yesterday morning to at least try the swim.
The surly teenagers and I stood in silence.
BBM started telling us about his gym sessions and his swimming training for this. And then he turned to me, looked me up and down (and can I just say how much I HATE it when people do that) and said in a condescending tone: "Have you done any training?"
I mumbled something incomprehensible and lapsed back in to silence.
As luck would have it BBM and I were the first ones to be selected to do the swim. We were sharing a lane.
He elected to go first and they gave him a 40 second head start.
Then it was my turn.
I won't bore you with the details, only to modestly say I lapped BBM on the third length.
And I finished it in 7.53 seconds.
And BBM?
He didn't fulfill the time requirement and stormed off from the pool. (9 minutes and 40 seconds was HIS time)
And afterwards I started chatting with the bored and surly teenagers, who, like the thousands of teenagers I have taught over the years, were in fact delightful and chatty. Like teens the world over, surly and bored is a great cover for being nervous and shy, which they were.
Like me, they were and are enthusiastic about doing the course.
And me?
Well, my cat got the cream smile was quickly wiped off my face when I blithely told the instructor I was heading home now to lie on the couch for several hours to recover only to be told I now had 2 hours training down at the beach learning how to do tube rescues.
So for now, the half marathon training is on hold. Between 2 beach runs during the week, and a 2 hour training session every Saturday morning for the next few weeks, my plate is full.
But you have to walk before you learn how to run.
Or in BBM's case, swim. :)