Another Day, Another Accomplishment

Yesterday was another great day in Pole Fitness!  Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this class?  It's fantastic. And awesome.  And more fun than you ever dreamed of.  I'm stronger than I have EVER been, regardless of whatever workouts I've done.  Our instructor is amazing.  She's beyond patient and incredible on the pole herself.  She is forever pushing and encouraging us, challenging us to try things even though we don't think we can.  And all too often...we give in and DO just try it so we can say, "See, I told you I can't do it.", only to find out that we CAN do it!!!!  Yesterday was an example of exactly this.  We have been working on an elbow stand against the pole, which then becomes a grab around the pole with your legs, followed by a huge, from the floor, no hands sit up.  Pure strength there.  I was terrified as soon as I saw the elbow stand.  I have never been good at that sort of thing.  My little sister was the one always on her head doing any and every sort of flip out there.  I was the one, right side up with my feet FIRMLY planted on the ground.  So this particular move was going to push me WAY out of my comfort zone for sure!  And apparently...the elbow stand was the EASY part!  Yikes!  We are talking about nailing a headstand basically, against a tiny, skinny pole.  Yeah.  No way that can go wrong, huh?  Anyway...needless to say, I nailed that part...and then without even thinking about it...ALL of it!  And so....without further ado...my newest pole development!  I'm so proud of me!

In case you are wondering...YES it hurts!  My thighs need some SERIOUS toughening up...again!  And YES, I still think it's scary.  That second you make yourself leave the floor...and wonder if your thighs will be strong enough to keep you from sliding right down into the floor....yeah...lot's of mental anguish over that second!   But then you do it....and it's AWESOME!  I needed this move.  We've been working on inverts...and I've got them!  Nicely!  No video yet because I am black and blue from doing them and crazy sore.  I need a few days rest before I can tackle those again.  Here's my latest pole kiss from the inverts though....impressive, huh?

This is on my right side at my rib cage.  Time to try my left side for a bit.  However, I slept wrong on that side and my neck is a bit locked up and with all that out of wack its not the time to start pulling on it and stressing it out with inverts.  And so...you shall have to wait to see that one!  But soon!

Threading the Needle

Today's class was total AWESOMENESS!  Check out my new pole trick!  It's  a variation of a move called Threading the Needle.  SO much fun!

I have more bruises than I know what to do with after today's workout!  But bruises aside...I LOVE pole fitness!

Grounded

This pole mama has her feet FIRMLY on the ground today.  Sort of.  Actually, her left foot is propped up, and taped and is being babied because her broken toes seem to be refusing to heal.  Now...that COULD have something to do with the fact that I started running on them only four days after I broke them?  Or that I rarely slow down and prop them up.  Whatever the cause...one of two little broken toes is still VERY tender and quite swollen and still has a bruise line across the top even though it's been four weeks...indicating that it refuses to forced into submission. 

But the truth is...it's not really my toes that have me grounded.  Because really...no broken toes would keep me off the pole!  I don't even really USE my toes for that.  What's REALLY got me grounded today are my arms.  HOLY COW DO THEY EVER HURT!!!!!!!  I mean, like uber pain.  Like someone knock me out NOW pain.  Like, "Can I please get an arm transplant over here, STAT, please?" kind of hurt.  This has been coming for a while.  And I was thinking I was going to need a day or two off to rest up a bit.  But then, this week, I just decided to push and push and push.  Harder than I've pushed.  And THEN I climbed the pole!!!!  And climbed it again and again and again and...well, you get it.  I KNEW I shouldn't go to class on Thursday after all that pole climbing success on Wednesday...but success kind of goes to your head sometimes.  Makes you euphoric.  And you need just a little bit MORE success.  You need to master just one more little trick.  Nail one more little spin.  Well, unfortunately, that "just one more" mentality put a SERIOUS hurtin' on my poor arms.  Like, I could barely lift my water bottle to my mouth kind of pain.  Like, I can barely drive myself home kind of pain.  Like...hello 3 a.m....my arms are SCREAMING in pain kind of pain.  Sigh.  Getting old sucks!  And so...In light of my poor, overused, abused arms and my tender, broken, bruised toes, I have committed to being home today and off of my feet.  Somewhat.  I might have gone to the Dollar Store and to Ross to gather a couple of last minute things for Clara's Halloween costume?  And I might have washed the car out in the driveway.  I started some laundry but I PROMISE, that's just so I would have something to SIT and fold.  Let's face it.  I don't do sitting still all that well.  And of course...when I sit still...all I can think about...is getting back on my pole! 

Pray for me because I have committed to NOT touching my pole until at LEAST Monday...if not Wednesday.  OR running.  OR even any cardio involving my feet whatsoever.  It's gonna be a looooooong few days.  Sniff sniff. 

ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!

Today I had a HUGE victory in my pole spins class!!!!  We have been working on pole climbs since practically the very first class.  Pole pulls, pull ups, push ups...you name it.  All designed to build our muscles so that we can climb effortlessly up the pole.  Except...in my case, it hasn't worked! Try as I might, I have NOT been able to haul my fat booty up that pole!  And believe me...I have TRIED!!!  I have watched others get there.  And our instructor just beautifully floats herself up that pole daily like she's light as a feather and it's just nothing.  I, on the other hand, have been confined to the lower half of the pole because I just couldn't get there.  At the workshop I just did last week, the instructor taught climbing a NEW way.  I was hoping that was going to be my "ah ha" moment and that once I saw it done differently I'd be able to scoot right on up there.  However...once again, gravity won and I was AGAIN disappointed as I found myself still stuck at the bottom of the pole while others were enjoying the view from the top!  This morning, our instructor covered climbing...AGAIN.  I sighed and inwardly groaned because I KNOW that I cannot do this.  I told my instructor "I can't get up that pole, no matter WHICH method I try!".  She looked at me and said "Yes, you can!".  And I said, "Nope.  I've tried and tried and still cannot do it.  I'm just not strong enough yet."  So THEN she says that the next pole fit class was going to be 100% pole climbing so we could get that nailed down.  There was an immediate "OH CRAP" moment...for all of us there!  I'm not the ONLY one who can't climb the pole.  Seriously.  Several of us can't do it!  And I'm like, "Oops!  Sorry guys!".  We were all laughing about it.  And then we got on with class!  I got a couple of fantastic new bruises.  We were doing what I call the "pinchy spin".  Totally not what it's called, but you have to place the pole between your thighs and shift your weight to kind of lock yourself on there because your thighs take ALL of your weight on this spin...and when you do this, it pinches the living crap out of your inner thighs and makes it feel like they are being pinched to death while simultaneously ripping layers of skin off.  Sounds AWESOME right?!  Yeah,  Big fun!  And leaves some wicked bruises too!  Anyway.  We did lots of pinchy spins...and a cool mermaid like spin too and worked on a routine we've been at for a while.  Then we had about 5 minutes of free spin at the end to do whatever spins we like.  And I noticed another gal take off UP the pole...climbing.  And I decided I'd try it.  Just one more time.  And you know what?  I swung my leg around that pole, started climbing, AND JUST KEPT GOING!!!!!!  All the way to the ceiling baby!  Oh yeah!  I TOTALLY did it!  And everyone noticed!  And there was BIG cheering!  I even did it a SECOND time!  AND it was sort of EASY!!!  I'm so stinking proud of myself this morning!  I climbed all 11 feet of that pole!  And it was AWESOME!!!!!  My friends were proud of me too!  There were lots of high fives!  And total relief that now we don't have to do a whole session of pole climbing! 

As proud of myself as I was...my arms were SHOT at the end of this class!  Holy Macaroni!  I could barely get my water bottle to my lips, as my biceps refused to curl, even for some liquid refreshment!  That bottle felt like it weighed twenty pounds!!!  I was so shaky driving myself home and wished I had a chauffeur in my life for times like this!  I couldn't wait to get in the door and grab some ibuprofen.  And my ice pack!  Which I am alternating between my very sore, throbbing biceps and my very sore, tortured inner thighs.  As usual, the thought continually crosses my mind that I am just too old for this, and wish I had discovered this in my twenties.  But had I discovered it then, I am certain I would never have participated because that's just not the person I was back then.  So it is what it is...I discovered it in my forties and am excited about it in my forties.  So I will just continue to push this poor achy, bruised body into submission and enjoy discovering that sometimes I am simply stronger than I think I am!

A New Passion

I recently discovered the world of Pole Fitness at the tender age of 42 years and 11 months.  I attended an "all about pole" introductory workshop where they showed us a butt kicking workout and taught us one teeny tiny simple spin.  There was nothing sleazy or even remotely sexy about it.  It was just an awesome workout and a glimpse of the muscles and feats that could possibly come.  And I fell in love, was immediately hooked, 100% ALL IN!  Why?  Oh...so, so, so many reasons! 

For starters, I have discovered muscles I never knew I had!  Muscles buried deep, deep, deep within myself.  Muscles that never imagined they might be summoned and put to work in this fashion!  Muscles in my arms, my back, my abs, my ARMS, my legs, my chest, MY ARMS!!!!  Awesome new muscles. 

And it's pushing me out of my comfort zone.  WAAAAAAAY out of my comfort zone!  It requires one to dig deep and let go.  Sometimes...literally!  Letting go of that pole with one, or BOTH hands scares the mess out of me!  I'm not typically a brave, dare devil type.  But pole makes me feel like I am!  I watch our instructor and I am AMAZED.  Beyond impressed.  She is so fluid and strong on that pole.  The way she pulls herself up, up and up and spins and twirls and then flips upside down, hanging on only by her thigh muscles....YOWZA!!!!  I'm even more impressed with all of it now than when I started because now, after a couple of months of classes, I know just how much PAIN is involved and what it takes to do that and I am, daily, newly blown away!  I also, as a side note, feel compelled to mention that I am still FIRMLY planted in an upright position on the LOWER half of the pole!  I can "one hand" it OCCASIONALLY...but for the most part...this gal has two hands on the wheel at all times!  I'm working on that.  Slowly.  But most definitely! 

And it's FUN!!!!!  Just plain old, super fantastic, love every second of it FUN!  You wouldn't believe how quickly an hour can go by when you are spinning and working out on the poles!  Time literally flies by!  And it's such a fun and supportive group of women!  The group I work out with is all moms.  Some a little younger, some a little older.  Some a little thinner and some a little more generously padded.  And every single one of them makes that class amazing!  We laugh so much and have a blast cheering on each other's accomplishments!  The hours I spend there with those gals on the poles are the best hours of my week! 

Now...it's not ALL fun and games.  In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that there have been a few bumps in the road!  For example...three weeks into my classes, I managed to dislocate my rib.  OUCH!!!!  That was an ordeal and put me out of activity for a solid three weeks!  I thought it would NEVER get better!  But it finally did, and on my birthday, I got the go ahead to return to classes.  I was over the moon excited.  I was back for ONE week and while doing a spin series, managed to break TWO toes!  I'm not even sure at what point in class I broke the toes...I was having too much fun to notice!  But I sure noticed by the end of class!  FOUR weeks later, I am still sporting tape wrapped toes and they are still not entirely happy with me.  In addition to the breaks and dislocates....I've also had my fair share of bruises.  Here is a collection for your viewing enjoyment! 

Inner thigh bruise with pole burn!  The bruise is covering the huge KNOT that came with it!

My newest bruise of the week! 

I've also bruised my shins, my feet, my knees.  You name it...I've bruised it!  My hubby has wondered on more than one occasion why in the world I want to do this.  It's completely unlike me to collect so many injuries and just keep going back for more!  What can I say?  I am officially addicted!  I will leave you today with the very first spin I learned to do back on day zero at the workshop where the pole stole my heart!  Hopefully, there will be many more to come!

So there you have it!  My new passion.  My new addiction.  The activity that I cannot wait to wake up each day and do!  Wish me luck!  I imagine it's going to be a pretty wild ride!