Poletastic - Back to class and my first pole-related injury

I haven't kept you up to date on my poling shenanigans lately. Well I was very naughty and last year at the height of my weightloss and super-strength I stopped going to class. This was probably around June/July time. Looking back I feel like I hit a brick wall and just found myself in a bit of a funk. Not just with pole dance but with life in general which is really annoying because I literally forget about my problems when I'm pole dancing so the fact is I pushed myself into that little rut, as always. 

Even though I stopped attending class, I didn't give up at home, well after a few weeks of moping around I got back on my beloved pole and really pushed myself and I've achieved so much since last year even though there were times I felt like I was getting nowhere, when I look back in my notebook at spins I struggled with I really do believe I have come on leaps and bounds. 

I've really found the style of pole I'm looking for, so I'm still really focusing on the exotic style of pole dance. I love how competitive a sport it can be and how there are so many techniques and tricks to learn, but for me as a lover of music and dance the more exotic style of pole dance is definitely the one for me. 

I spend a lot of time listening to music, I always have. So what I really enjoy doing is putting on a song or my pole playlist and I just let my body move. I spin, I twirl, I pout and I toss my hair. Sometimes I dance without heels but a lot of the time it's with. I love my Pleasers and they just add so much more sexiness to the affair. I also find it really satisfying to put on an songs I've never heard before and just really go for it. That's when I learn the most and has massively improved my floorwork too. My plowover is looking alright so I've stepped it up to a one-handed plowover and I'm just working on leg variations which tends to look like I'm trying to kick my way out of some kind of acid bath, legs everywhere. My floorwork inspiration comes from Eva Bembo, Olga Koda. They are my absolute favourites! Also inspiring me to get more flexy, these ladies are so bendy it's unreal! (Video courtesy of Eva Bembo)
 

 

I have unreal pole-goals for this year as I mentioned getting more flexible is top of the list. I am determined to get my splits by the end of the year and I'm also working on my back flexibility, it just looks so impressive. I'm still no closer to inverting but I'm one step closer to being completely upside down, I just need to understand and learn how to grip with my thighs but for now I think it's important to focus and improve on what I can do mainly because it makes me feel good and I spend less time beating myself up about other beginners being better than me which is a HUGE problem. Only child, used to being the best at everything, really competitive and it will be the ruin of me, so by focusing on what I can do I'm still challenging myself and I'm still winning. My life is absolutely like Foxcatcher and Whiplash right now, which is off topic but you have to go and see both films.

I'm feeling really proud of myself at the moment too because I have my first pole injury! A broken toe. Yup, I'm in so much pain but it was so worth it. I tried to to a twisted grip/one-handed handstand, I mean I've gone from a beginners handstand to a full handstand so my next big push had to be a twisted-grip handstand (Video courtesy of Sophisticated Pole) Well let me tell you, the first time I did it, I managed to get my entire body in the air, hooked my inside leg onto the pole, outside leg was swinging around like it was actually trying to detach itself from my body and make a run for it, at which point I was so confused trying to figure out what exactly I needed to do to get the top half of my body back on the ground where it was meant to be. I kind of lowered the arm not on the pole, inside leg slides down the pole and voila, saved by my face. Guys, my face broke my fall. It was like there was no gravity at all and then all of a sudden, gravity was back in the room and I was making out with the floor. You know like the scene in Witches of Eastwick when Sukie, Jane and Alex are floating around and all of a sudden they come crashing back down to earth only they landed in a beautiful, indoor pool whereas I landed on the coldest, hardest laminate floor. Again, in case you didn't hear me...with my face. 

Undeterred by the first traumatic experience, I've gone in for another and rather than hooking my left foot onto the pole like before, being the cool kids that they are, my foot and the pole have high-fived as if they were both in on some kind of prank the lower half of my body (including my brain) had no idea about, which in turn has pushed me back down full force and as I'm coming down I'm thinking, 'I'm pretty sure I've not slid the couch out of the way.' Annnnnd at that moment I've slammed my toes onto the arm of the sofa, which you would think is quite soft, it isn't. Now with the sheer force and my entire weight on one toe, I wasn't really going to come out of that uninjured was I? The pain didn't actually hit me until I drew breath and the vomit rose up from the deepest depths of stomach/you should be dead but you're not hell, my eyes watered and then a pain worse than anything any character in the Saw movies has been through took over my entire foot. NO, my entire soul. I'm not even exaggerating. I'm still debating whether I actually died for a few seconds or not. I'm surprised I can't see dead people, walking around like real people.

Anyway I stupidly went to work on the the following day and it just wasn't feeling any better. By Tuesday it was a lovely shade of purple and I could just about fit it into a trainer it had swollen that much. I went to A&E had an X Ray and I was told I have a slight break/fracture, but honestly all I heard was we were going to cut your foot off but you've actually been dead for two days, this was after I freaked out because the DR asked me to sit on a bed and I asked him if he was going to cart me away on it, you're right. I didn't ask I kind of yelled. 

Luckily I had my very rational boyfriend with me and because I blacked out from my mental breakdown while the Dr was talking, Ben kindly reiterated that I've been told to keep off it until the swelling goes down and then it'll need exercising. So no poling for a while (which made me cry) as it could turn into a full break if I even slightly bang it again while it's healing. I keep looking at my sofa like it's killed my entire family I honestly don't know how me and the sofa can move on from this, it's kind of like the time I trapped my finger in our garden gate and spent days stood at my Mums bedroom window staring it down, plotting my revenge which was melting it down into a metal ball and tossing it into the Ocean, which I also have beef with after the time I drowned to death in Anglesey, but that's another story. Nevertheless it hasn't put me off wanting to try the handstand again only this time I'll wait for Ben to spot me, like I was meant to the first time.

So yeah,  I'm back at class and I couldn't be happier. Lots of new fun and friendly faces and quite obviously the best teacher in the world.

What have you guys been up to? Any injuries or success? Any advice? Let me know :) Leave a comment! 

Love Beanie xoxo

We're getting married!

I thought I'd start the New Year off with some fun, happy news. Even though the title pretty much gives it away, Ben and I are (finally) getting married this year! We've been together for eight years now and have been engaged for four so marriage has always been on the cards but for us there was never any rush, but now the time just feels right and it was definitely a mutual decision, I didn't have to threaten him in any way (for once.) I'll tell you how we came to the decision, before our trip to New York Ben had mentioned that he'd like to get married there just the two of us. This was the plan for about two weeks and I would have been so happy with that choice for both Ben and myself but the truth is a lot of people think a lot of us who would be so happy for us but also so sad not to be a part of our day my Mum and Nan at the top of that list. So he gave me the go ahead for a traditional wedding and we got to planning! 

Thankfully, I'm an only child (Mum's only child) which is has worked in my favour always, especially come birthdays and Christmas and just for general daughter-appreciation which I can never get enough of. Although it's not so great when it comes to things like weddings. I don't feel pressured in the slightest (maybe a little bit) because there's been nobody before me to set the bar for me. I'm my own setter of standards and I'm not going to lie, I'm a mess! Like some kind of foolish rebel, that's most definitely the best way to describe it. It just means that I've been the only one my Mum saw graduate and I'm the only child she'll see walk down the isle so not only am I planning this wedding, I'm really wanting to make it as special for her and my Nanny as it is for me and Ben.

I've had to attend wedding shows, sit in and watch girlie wedding films, you know the whole shebang. Not that I mind, it's lovely seeing my Mum happy. I'm just not one of those screechy, let's shout 'Oh my god I'm getting married' every three seconds kind of brides-to-be. I'm more of a Lord Voldermort kind of wedding girl. You know, the kind that acts all cool, wears black everywhere, doesn't break into a sweat at the sight of a ruffle but will shout 'Avada Kedavra' in your face with absolute intent to kill if you dare attempt to purchase the last discount Swarovski tiara I've been hovering around right in front of my eyes.You know, the psycho-kind. You've never in your life seen anything like it. I'm actually so thankful right now that I am not etching this blog post into a cell wall. I'm all kinds of crazy but absolutely over-the-moon. I find I'm having to admit this more often than I'd like as people ask me, their eyes filled with excitement 'Is this what you've been dreaming of all you life?' Or other silly, cliche statements like, 'This is every little girls dream!' I kind of want to say,  firstly I've never been little even as a 6 year old child, I was quite the size of a fully grown adult and secondly what is this? The 1950's?! No friend (I say friend because they aren't my friend it's a woman who's all up in my personal space in the Magazine isle in WH Smith, while I browse through wedding magazines on my lunch break), it wasn't my dream! Honestly, when I was a little girl I dreamt about being older so I could eat all of the chips and donuts one could possibly manage (which explains why I'm struggling to fit into the style of dress I want.) I dreamt of having a fabulous job, with a German Shepherd and at least three boyfriends. I actually blame 90's TV for the last one. I couldn't choose between AC Slater (Saved by the Bell), Dean Cain (Superman) and Richard Gere. I know I sound so miserable, I'm not. I'm so happy but you all must understand this is something I've only wanted since getting with Ben. He's changed me. I'm a changed woman! I guess I didn't think there was anybody crazy enough to want to be with a three-timing, former baby prostitute (thanks Pretty Woman!)

So yeah, I've been indulging in all of the fancy, girliness that comes with wedding planning. It was lovely attending the National Wedding show with my Mum. We had the best time! It was really nice to see her so involved and I feel like she's happy she's done her job right but she's mostly happy because now this brown, bundle of insanity is somebody else's problem! 

I highly recommend attending wedding shows, I mean you don't have to do a gazillion but one or two definitely. For the experience, the fun of it all and just to get an idea of what there is to offer. I had absolutely everything planned and since making the choice, I knew what style dress I wanted, how my venue would look, where the venue would be everything. But the minute I stepped into that wedding show I realised that maybe some ideas wouldn't work as I'd hoped and just that there are more options out there. It's good because unlike trawling the net you can see everything in front of you, there are people there to talk to directly and although it gets a little busy there's all kinds of things to look at,  feel and try on. I definitely recommend front row seats at the catwalk show too! Amazing! So make sure you check the timetable, grab yourself a glass of bubbly and get yourself seats on the front row.

What I did was took information pack from all of the exhibitors, even if I wasn't particularly interested in what they had to offer. I came home and sorted everything into categories and stuck them inside my folder, my very big, pink folder. I might be a wedding Nazi but I am still a girl darn it! This made it easy for me as whatever I wanted to look up I knew exactly where to go in my folder, making notes on each if I'd been in contact and got quotes or arranged to visit also eliminating the useless stuff as I went along. 

So where I'm at now, approximately two months after attending the wedding show and nine months before our big day. I have my dress, chosen, venues booked, bridesmaids sorted and flowers picked just to list a few. I'm a super-organised person so this behaviour is normal. In my experience so far I would say that if you're more of a laid-back person I wouldn't worry too much about not having everything done just yet. Just the main priorities like venues and such and make sure you ask whoever you want to be your Maid of honor, because if yours is anything like mine you won't really need to worry about a thing! What I plan on doing next is another trying on of dresses including the one I have chosen just to make sure. I'll be attending church every other Sunday (massively important for me and my family). Ben will be looking for anywhere he fancies for a honeymoon and I'll be attending my last Wedding Show next weekend just for a bit of fun with my bridesmaids. Killing-curse at the ready, just in case some over excited bride-to-be beats me to a bargain.

Are you getting married this year? Have you been to any wedding shows? Have any advice?

Until next time my pretties

Lots of love Beanie xoxo