Pole goals 2018

[elysepopplewell]

Image in the spoiler here is the transition from an outside leg hang into a bow and arrow. I had to screenshot this from a video so it's off centred! Getting your hands behind your back when you're upside down is surprisingly hard because suddenly you lose all concept of left/right/up/down/turnaround.

Spoiler

Then from here you let your arms and body slide down until your legs are almost straight - so they kind of stay in the same spot. Hook with your foot and then your other leg falls straight away from the pole so your body is in a bend to look like a bow and arrow.

I've got my application for the student's showcase at home. You make up your own choreography so I'll just try and do something that is challenging so I can try learn things ahead of class time. I'll see...Really nervous to apply and do it but if I just hand the form in then I have to do it, so that's really the best practice. Don't think.

[elysepopplewell]

Here to be accountable!!

So last week I went to pole THREE DAYS!

I didn't really learn any new moves last week, but instead worked on perfecting older ones and trying some new ones that I didn't even get close to mastering. I went to pole on Friday as well for a free-time practice with my sister and we had fun.

I put my deposit down for the same two classes next term, today. And I'm thinking about doing a splits class on Saturday, which will be really good for stretching and hopefully gives all the good benefits of exercise without actually working up tooooo much of a sweat.

[elysepopplewell]

I've had two weeks away from pole while I was overseas and there's something very satisfying and disheartening about coming back after that time.

Last night I started with outside leg hands, which I MASTERED the first three times. I've been able to do it before, but not super gracefully. I put it down to the fact that I wasn't still bruised from the week before so I was pretty fresh with grip. Then I tried a teddy, which should look like this. As you can see - VERY LITTLE TO HOLD ON WITH!!!!!!! I've always had to have my outside arm hold on, but I had some strange ability last night to get it twice in a row. Just know that the people in the photos are very flexible and can do a wide leg spread and I'm definitely not at that level lol. But, I could hold myself without hands for the first time.

Then, the superman. It looks like this. It's sooo difficult for me to get into, I always hurt myself and I panic!!! But, tonight I got sooo much closer than I ever have before and that's great. But, my teacher was spotting me and I got close...then she asked if I wanted another try and I said "nah I can't do it." WHY DID I SAY THAT? NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL I SAY THAT. It haunted me alllll evening that I said no to even TRYING again. Lesson learned.

And then, for the rest of the night, I realised I'd lost so much strength by muscle memory that I'd managed before.

Anyway, I have another class tonight at 8:30 with a new teacher. She's very very experienced and from what my sister says, she's tough. So if you never hear from me on this thread again, it's because of tonight.

(Kidding - no more pole negativity. Only optimism).

[elysepopplewell]

This week was soooo tough (I feel like I'm saying that every week).

Last week was a 100% shock to the system - three days a week at uni, two days a week full days of work, two woolworths shifts, and I just wasn't ready. On Thursday I was in a little ball on the train thinking "the only thing that would make me happy right now is doing yoga that would stretch out the back of my hamstrings." I called in sick for work, I wasn't in a good state. I was still having respiratory issues from India, and it ran me down 10x more than it should have. I suffered all day Saturday aside from going out for breakfast in the morning. Just felt run down, just felt like "oooppsssy I've chewed off more than I can take." Anyway, I went out for a few hours on Saturday night with three special people and that was nice. But the overwhelmed feeling crept into this week and I didn't want to go to pole because I wanted to rest.

I'm so glad I went. I didn't master any new moves, but I tried so many new ones and for whatever reason I enjoyed all of them a lot. I get down on myself when I feel like I'm not even close to getting into a new move, but this week it felt good to be more gentle with myself mentally, by pushing myself physically.

So my hamstrings are as sore as anything, but overall it was a lesson in making an effort for physical activity when everything seems like I shouldn't. That's when moving should be a priority, I think!

[elysepopplewell]

So thanks to SYDNEY TRAINS I was late to pole on Tuesday because my trains were delayed by ONE BEAUTIFUL HOUR. So I missed Tuesday. On Wednesday I went to pole.

And like I feel every now and then, felt kinda defeated. Couldn't get into a whole bunch of moves, everyone else in the class has repeated this level but it's my first time, so they got into it quickly and all had partners and I was all on my lonesome for all of five minutes until I said to someone, "Hey, can you spot me?" and she did and then I thought to myself "I can't believe I was so upset in my head for five minutes when I could've just asked this really nice person earlier and gotten on with it."

So, that was a lesson in being more out there.

I've decided that based on whatever timetable comes out for next term (which begins in four weeks, but I'll see the timetable in about two weeks), I'll just stay in this level to build up my ego by 'mastering' moves, and then I'll move up into Pre Advanced.

So, pole goals 2018 are being addressed, but I wouldn't yet say they are being smashed. With time!

[elysepopplewell]

Hi I'm back to say despite my not updating I have been going to pole. And it's been going REALLY WELL.

I go every Tuesday and Wednesday and this week I'll go Thursday (tonight) as well.

So at the moment at pole my focus is trying new things with confidence.
Have you ever wanted to do something really bad but then you have to try it half assed in case you stuff up and then at least it looks like you never cared anyway? (I'm looking at you - year nine PDHPE classes). So in some weird way this is at the very back of my mind and I can't quite work out why. It's not really as overt as what I just mentioned. But part of it is that you're not wearing a whole lot of clothes and you're around women you don't know too well and before you get into the nice looking pretzel thing you're looking flabby and damsel-in-distressy or as my sister describes it, "you look like a harpooned whale." And the thought of that vulnerability always gets me. But now, not so much. So to help with this I signed up for a new class for next semester..."Aussie exotica."You wear heels (eeeep they arrived today but I'll try them on after uni tonight) and actually dance instead of do tricks. And I think it'll be challenging to "dance" but we'll see

This is my last semester at this studio because I'm moving into an apartment in the inner west in July/August!!! (YAAAASSS) and I definitely won't be commuting for pole!! So I'm on the search for new studios.

And FINALLY, I broke my toe at pole about 11 weeks ago trying a move that I still cannot do. I got it x rayed again on Tuesday and it's still not heeled! Please no boot please please please

[K888]

Elyse, your x-ray! 🙈

I know it's frustrating if you have to take time off for an injury, but in the long term it's better for you. Better to take a few weeks off now than need surgery to remove necrotic bone in the future and be off for months 💁

In my experience, taking time off due to injury just makes you more motivated to get back. I think each injury I've had that has involved months off has made me come back a better trainer and more dedicated to improving my skills.

[vox nihili]

Elyse, your x-ray! 🙈

I know it's frustrating if you have to take time off for an injury, but in the long term it's better for you. Better to take a few weeks off now than need surgery to remove necrotic bone in the future and be off for months 💁

In my experience, taking time off due to injury just makes you more motivated to get back. I think each injury I've had that has involved months off has made me come back a better trainer and more dedicated to improving my skills.

Trust K888 re injuries. She’s only had about a million 😂