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 I'm a little stiff and sore
in, ahem, all kinds of places.
I didn't get to go as fast as I would have liked mainly due to ALOT off walkers I had to battle my way past on the first leg of the run.
But I LOVED it.
The atmosphere was amazing. It was hard work. It was fun.
And I'm signing up for the half marathon for next year.
For those of you who are interested it took me 1 hour and 21 minutes to complete 12km. I can hear you doing the mental maths, I don't run fast, but I can cover long distances at a steady pace.
And one of the big lessons I learned from these past ten weeks is that when it comes to my fitness, there are no excuses.
If I can keep up a training regime whilst supporting my dad through major heart surgery, through my children having swine flu and you know 3rd degree burns, as well as working both full and part time, well you can too.
The fact that I coped with all those things is probably because I was getting fit.
I remember starting and doing two kilometers nearly killed me. But I persevered.
This isn't a call to arms by any means, but I urge you to find a sport you love or if you can't find one you love, instead find one you don't hate. And do it.
Because we all have struggles in our lives. And we all need time out. And sitting on the couch eating isn't the way to do it. Trust me on this. It has its place, but tragically, it's a very small place. In fact my doctor would say it has no place.
Seriously.
And I have to tell you, there are some BIG hills on this run and one of the things that kept me going was reciting the names written on the flower on my tshirt in my head.
Remembering them, and remembering you.
It gave me a reason to keep going and for that I thank you.
And now, in what is the ONLY time you will ever see my rear view
Kinda pretty don't you think?
The flower I mean....

Compassionate human being and informed citizens the world over are looking on at the current health care 'debate' in the US (and I use the term debate in the loosest way possible) with something akin to slack jawed disbelief.

The American health care system - if you could call whatever is going on down there a system at all - ranks as the world's most expensive while delivering close to the worst service in the developed world and insurance/pharmaceutical industry interests are working overtime to scare Americans into the ill-founded belief that health care coverage is somehow bad for them.

Canada has been a prominent target in that fearmongering, but now Canadians have a chance to voice their views. Avaaz.org has launched a petition aimed at US legislators that debunks the lies being told about the Canadian system, and urges them to make their decisions based on facts.

Visit Avaaz to add you name. They're fast approaching their goal of 50,000 signatures, and every voice counts.

Canada is set to allow greater amounts of pesticide residue on fruit and vegetables because our stricter regulations pose a potential "trade irritant" to US producers. The change in policy will affect hundreds of products.

The move is part of an effort to harmonize Canadian pesticide rules with those of the United States, which allows higher residue levels for 40 per cent of the pesticides it regulates....

Canadian regulators and their U.S. counterparts have been working to harmonize their pesticide regulations since 1996, as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

This at a time when municipalities throughout Canada are fighting for - and winning - the right to restrict the use of toxic pesticides in their communities, the most recent of which was the high profile court battle in Toronto. In 2005, Toronto finally received the legal go ahead to reduce the non-essential use of pesticides when the Supreme Court of Canada rejected the pesticide industry's final court challenge. Now the government of Canada is set to loosen the reigns on pesticide control on the food we eat to accommodate American trade interests. Welcome to the world of free trade and blurred borders.

Brilliant....just bloody brilliant.