Pink, Pants and Pole Dancing!

So I didn't really know how much I would want to do at pole dancing last night - what with my bruises and aching neck and chest pains! (Yes I'm aware that I am falling apart!!) But I figured I would go and give it a go anyways!

We started with some spins which were ok as my legs weren't making contact with the pole (it's my knee areas and upper legs that are the most bruised! Along with a kick-ass one in lady garden area!). Then our instructor showed us how to invert from the floor - so kneeling on both knees, hands on pole, pull both legs up at the same time into an inverted position....complete abs killer!! I couldn't manage to leg my legs up to the pole but could hold myself up for a while so I figured if I practise this at home then it should help with getting the legs up. It didn't really help my neck though

Then we had to practise our inverted V's, I did a couple and held them for a while and then I felt my hamstring twang! Oh lovely! Just to add to my menagerie of existing injuries I now have a slightly damaged right hamstring! We then had to try our inverted V's on our wrong side - mine being my left - I hate inverting on my wrong side so thought this would be really hard....it wasn't easy! BUT I did manage to get my legs into the V position! Didn't hold it but was pretty impressed considering I hate left-inversion!

Apparently we will be practising a bit more on our wrong sides in the next level as it will be required for some moves to start on our wrong side to end up on our strongest side....hmmm sounds difficult!! Lol.

When we had to practise sitting I politely declined until my burns are better in the offending area! I am going to practise sitting at home this week though once the burns/bruises have gone! As we deffinately need to be comfortable with it by level 5 and that is only 3 weeks away!!

So as soon as all my ailments are better I am going to have some good pole practise - hopefully this will be maybe Monday/Tuesday so I can practise before lesson!

Oh - we also changed studios last night - to a bigger room, it was strange as I ended up near a mirror right at the front! I did not like my positioning - but did enjoy the mirror-based conversation between me and Knickers! Lol.

So thats about it really! I am aching today - but probably shouldn't have done all of that last night! I will learn.....

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Wow I haven't blogged in aaaaaaages! That is probably due to the fact I seem to have had a full week of Birthday celebrations! I've also used the excuse that "it's nearly/is/has just been my Birthday!" to eat and drink what the hell I want since last Thursday!!

I've also had 2 very drunken pole dancing sessions which have left me so battered and bruised that I'm practically bathing myself in Arnica every hour, on the hour in the hope that they might have faded by the time I have to go to a fancy dress party on Saturday! What I am going as is yet undecided but hopefully will have come to some sort of conclusion by the end of the day!

So I had a really good Birthday (as mentioned the celebrations have been ongoing!) got lots of lovely pressies and had a nice meal cooked for me (on my actual Birthday), went out for tea with family (the night before my Birthday) and went out with friends (2 nights before my Birthday). So now I'm a year older - yes, Knickers, I am fully aware that I'm a quarter of a century old! Lol thanks for reminding me!

I've also since my last blog been involved in ANOTHER car accident (last one was August!), had another break-in at work AND had another good pole dancing lesson (I will update about that in another blog I think!).

So it's been quite an eventful week and it's still going on really - got doctors and physio today as repercussions from the crash (nothing serious!!) and I've also got a fancy dress outfit to find and party decorations to buy and help put up by Saturday! My life never stops!! But I like it! Haha.

So whilst I try and fit in all my errands this week I'm also trying to stop eating crap, drinking so much wine and get out of "Birthday mode" so that I can look as fabulous as possible at the party on Saturday! I also have Arnica tablets ordered at the pharmacy so hopefully they will start healing from the inside!!

Mission Fabulous begins.....

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Tonights lesson was really good! Well I thought so anyway!

We started with a few spins and floorwork - I get a lot better grip and momentum on my class pole rather than my home pole! Spins seem so much "nicer" and longer there! Grrrr I maybe need to dirty my pole a bit?! Lol. Or maybe it's that I have more space there? Hmmm.

Anyways, after some spins we were asked to practise inverting and if you remember there is still one girl in the class who can't get her foot on the pole yet! Until tonight! She did it! Everyone was so pleased for her! And then she was on a roll! But anyway - I digress - our instructor showed us a handstand where her chest was on the pole but her erm....crotch area (?!) wasn't and she had her legs in an "attitude" type pose. I thought it looked new but it turns out I've done this a few times anyway when upside down! Anyway - it's all part of getting ready for further moves apparently! I love upside down moves!!

After that we practised our Inverted V's again, then our instructor said the ones who can hold the inverted V (me and 1 other girl) we could try spinning it! Well - how hard is THAT?! Lol. I had a go but had no real idea on how to get momentum going into the position (since both legs go up at the same time?!) I guess that's something I'm going to have to practise!

Then came the bit I really dread every week! Sitting on the pole!! I still find this so painful and really do need to practise now I've got my pole! Anyway - then it got worse!! Our instructor asked us to lean to the front of the pole and curl up in like a ball?? What is this called?! (I haven't checked out wiki yet!) Why oh why in the whole of all WHY would she make us do this agonising move?! She held me on the pole as she got me into the position and I swear she clamped me onto the pole so that I wouldn't move! There was deffinate lady-garden pole burn going on!!! This is my new hate! I would rather sit on the pole for 3 weeks than do this move again!! (Ok a bit dramatic but you get the idea....)

So after all that - and some stretching - my ribs ache, my legs and hips are bruised and my lady garden area is officially burnt! But you know what?! As soon as these minor ailments pass........I am going to be straight back onto my pole!!

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P.S. I finally got some time on my own pole:

So the word on the street is that I may have got my own way.....

The pole could be going up as soon as TOMORROW!!!

Now this is just the rumour circulating around my household.......but I'm so so excited at the possibility!

I will keep you updated on the situation as and when it progresses! (But we can all have a secret little inverted WOOP! For the sheer possibility..... )

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Pole dancing tonight was quite good. We practised our spins that we learnt last week and our instructor showed us a spin we will be learning soon where there is 3 different spins in one - we are only just learning to transition 2 spins at the same time but the 3 one looked really pretty!

We practised a bit of going upside down, I've got my inverted crucifix to the point I can do it everytime I get up there now! I feel a lot more confident in taking my hands off knowing my legs CAN hold me there!

We also had our first attempts at the Inverted V. I thought this was going to be a lot harder than it turned out to be! I know that practise will make perfect etc but nearly everyone in the class could get into some sort of inverted v position! Here is one of mine that Knickers so kindly took a picture of...

I like it! It is tough on the abs but I could hold it for a while so I must be doing something right at the gym (I have been focussing a bit more on my abs recently!).

We did some sitting and thigh holds - sitting is still a pain in the actual ass! But when I get my pole up (which, by the way, everyone at class thinks OH is mean not letting me have it up already!!) sitting is one thing I'm really going to work on! I've got a good little training exercise from a forum that I go on so hopefully it will help!

Nothing else really to report - we did a few transition moves and added a few random moves to our dance at the end which confused me a bit as I'm used to the usual routine! At one point I was catterpillaring and the instructor was back on her knees?! Dear me!

Deffinately ready for my bed - even though that is being occupied at the moment so it is the airbed for me and OH Boo to the airbed!!

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So I realised just before my weigh-in that I had to infact lose 2lbs if I wanted me stone and a half award and my scales were not being favourable for THAT outcome so I made the decision that now was the time......

to get weighed IN CLOTHES!!!

Ok - so let me explain! When I was nearing my target I had tried SO SO hard following the "fall through your knickers" Fast Forward plan - basically eating F ALL!! And I was so desperate to reach my target that I decided to take off my trousers and get weighed in my hotpants! (The less clothes the less we weigh!) I did this and I went further than my planned target! So I was happy!

But after that I went a bit off the rails so I carried on getting weighed in these tiny shorts every week.....the ladies think I am crazy.....but it had become "the norm" (even if my mum did get embarrassed every week! Ooops!).

So I figured that with winter drawing closer I am going to freeze my butt cheeks off if I keep this up....so at some point I was going to have to start getting weighed in actual clothes again! I decided that this was the week! I would have settled for a maintain in my normal clothes.....so I was extra pleased when I lost a pound! A WHOLE pound! And wore clothes!! (Ok not quite winter clothes - very much leggings and a very summery thin top! - But still CLOTHES!!)

So now I've got 2 weeks to lose another pound and I get my award! Woop! I actually want to lose a little more so I figured that I don't want to pay if I go under my target.....so I will just add some more clothes each time I get weighed!

Yes I am backwards!! But woop for a pound off!!

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So last night was our first lesson of Level 4. The studio was freeeeeezing but we soon warmed up!

We started with practising spins and then went on to learn a few new spins - forwards sunwheel with no legs which we then added a switch over so that we ended in a backwards sunwheel with no legs (switched halfway through) then we tried from backwards to forwards - not sure which I preferred because when we did forwards to backwards my hands were really slippy and I couldn't get a good enough grip! Grrrr! That always happens about 15 mins into our lesson!

We learnt a few transition moves so that when we land a spin on the floor we can "get up nicely" lol. We learnt something that I think was the back-arch or back bend. Basically when we are on our knees (parted knees and feet almost touching at the back) we make like a crossover motion from our shoulders, arch back and put arms out to either side and kind of balance them on our finger tips while our head goes down to the floor. It looks really effective when it's done properly!

We did some sitting on the pole (which I can now do every time but it's still ouchie! This is one thing I am going to practise like crazy when I get my pole - in 18 days time!!!) and then we practised our inverted spin - well I made up a whole new one and it all went a bit crazy and fast! God only knows what my legs and feet were doing but I was very dizzy when I finally touched ground! Knickers ( ) found it hilarious so it must have looked funny!

When it came to practising inverting we did a lot of practise on pulling ourselves up instad of kicking up - and then controlling it back down again - really good for the tummy muscles this was! It will be a good exercise for when I get my pole at home! Our instructor said this is to get our core muscles ready for the inverted V - I can see why!!

My shoulders are aching today and I'm really glad that I won't be going to the gym - a day off! Woop! I am, however, going to weigh-in later so that can only mean one thing......

STARVATION THURSDAY IS BACK!!!

Oh yes! I'm secretly (well its not so secret anymore now I've just told Blog World!) hoping to get my stone and a half award tonight - it means I'd be at the VERY bottom of my target (not allowed to lose anymore or I would have to PAY!). So I need to lose 1.5lbs for that! My scales are predicting 1lb so I'm hoping to lose half by half 5! Haha.

We might be going to Aqua Torture after Slimming World! But I will see if I think my body can cope with it after all my gymming this week! Could do with a full days rest I think!

So......wish me luck for weigh-in!

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So for anyone wondering how poor little Max is doing out there in the wilderness, I have an update.....

When I had got sat down with a cuppa in my DRY clothes I had a little brain wave regarding Max's whereabouts....

I rang my Dad!

Bless him, he didn't even think twice about trenching out in the rain to re-trace my steps from the gym (where he was currently at work!) to scour the pavements for Max!

BUT

He got to the Sainsbury's that was close to the point we realised Max had gone (and he wasn't anywhere nearby when we realised this!) and had had no luck! He said there were loads of kids around leaving school so one of them had probably picked him up

I convinced him just to go a little further just incase Max had been dropped closer to where we realised he had gone.......I stayed on the phone.......Dad carried on walking (in the pouring rain!).......

"I've GOT HIM!!!!"

Phew! Someone had picked him up and sat him on a wall - he was very very soggy (atleast he didn't have leaves on his shoes!!) but he was BACK!

WOOP for Super Grandad!!

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You know when you cannot possibly get ANY wetter......well this is me right now!

I have just got in from my 40 minute hike in the pouring rain which started at the gym...

Drizzling quite heavily I thought I could cope with this walk, my dad brought C to me at the gym and we set off with him in his pram all snug with the rain cover up and his 2 snuggle toys - both called Max....

By the time we reach the traffic lights (after about 10 minutes!) I realise how soggy my trouser legs are getting - not only is the rain falling on them but they are soaking up the water from the floor and slopping it all over my feet - which are bare apart from my thin, flat work shoes! This does not amuse me!

Half way to school C starts shouting "Max! Max!!" so I look in the pram and he's only got one.....I look around and there is NO Max to be seen ANYWHERE! Time is running out and I'm already going to be late for M at school so I have no option but to carry on....leaving Max somewhere in the wilderness! This does not amuse C! (And I'm guessing it won't amuse me later when C realises that part of his Bedtime entourage has actually GONE!)

The rain is getting heavier now and I have to trample across a big muddy field in order to get to school in time - with a heavy pram AND puddles in my shoes! Yes, actual puddles had started to form in my shoes and was squelching between my toes!

I got to school just as M was leaving and set off on the 2nd part of my journey - school to home. My shoes are now covered in mud and leaves! And I can feel the rain coming THROUGH my hood - wetting my newly washed hair - this also does not amuse me!!

I was supposed to stop off and buy chicken for tea on the way home but I was so actually soaked to the bone in my stupid squelchy shoes (with leaves on!) and my wet hair and freezing cold hands that I just didn't bother! Sod bloody tea!!

And do you know what annoys me EVEN MORE now I am safely in the warmth and dryness of my own home?! IT'S STOPPED RAINING!!

ARRRGGGH!!

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As I sit here with the incessant dripping noise of bath water behind me (yes this happens everytime I even think about washing my hair! The water drips through the ceiling and into my living room! And yet still the bath hasn't been sealed properly!!) I have a confession to make.......

I have started.....

making lists.......

for Christmas!!!

I have had to give in and start actually thinking about who I've got to buy for, what to buy then, who I've got to get cards for, how many rolls of wrapping paper I will need.....oh the lists are endless!! And all on the most minimal budget possible! ARGH! I hate budget Christmas and it hasn't even started yet!! I had better get bargain hunting asap!

I haven't even got OH and C's pressies for their Birthday next week yet! We do have that under control though....me and M are having a girly shopping day on Saturday We are going to get her ears pierced (this is her treat for her brother's birthday!) and then going shopping in town for the boys' pressies and meeting Knickers ( ) for some lunch! Should be fun!

I'm thinking that I really should get another towel as the puddle behind me is still growing.....HOW?! I washed my hair atleast half an hour ago! God this house is pants!

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