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I was going through my old posts and saw one from when I first went back to pole dancing in December/January (has it been 6 months already? It doesn't feel like it at all) that had a list of pole goals on it. It was very small: #1 get a shoulder mount, and #2 invert better and elbow grip Ayesha. Mostly, just wanted to focus on getting strong without commitments. But there have been other goals, not labeled as such, along the way in my other posts. I really had no idea how far I've come in 6 months; but a lot of that has to do with how bad I was when I started back. But regardless, I think it might be kind of fun to do a list of goals that I've met and start making new ones to knock off. Previous goals that I have since met: Regular invert (when I first came back) Deadlift invert Aerial invert Chopper/Straddle invert (could use some fine tuning) Regular shoulder mount Deadlift shoulder mount Flag with one leg bent Flag with straight legs Full skater Jamilla m...

I finally got my cross-ankle layback tonight! I wore my new Wonder Woman shorts so I'd have more grip in my thighs and followed the advice from a blog I recently read, which said to go into it from a reverse Superwoman. It worked! I was able to get it every time except for once, when I think it wasn't close enough to my crotch. And then because I was able to get the layback, I was able to work on bow and arrow and got it on the first try. After that, it was pretty easy to keep doing it (especially since my leg grip was so good). Also, my flag is looking better. I can raise both legs now pretty horizontally and hold them there for a while on both sides.  BOOYAKASHA!

Lately, I've been wondering if I should start a fitness blog. The purpose would be to document my journey in a way that is helpful to others who came from the same background and starting point as me. Should I do it? I'm still losing inches, but not really weight. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter so long as I'm losing the mass; but there's still something very frustrating about not losing any weight. And of course, the fat loss is very gradual. Yes, I've probably lost a good 2-3 inches around my waist and an additional few inches from my thighs, face, and upper arms; but I still am not happy with how I look. I'm happier , but not happy. I feel much stronger than I physically appear, and I want those things to align. On a tangential topic, I went to my first krav maga class last night (finally) on my birthday. It was a bit of a mix between the muay thai boxing class, regular boxing class, and my traditional karate class. There was bowing in the beginn...

Running I bought a new pair of sneakers a few weeks ago for running (I needed sneakers anyway) and went for a "run" last week in Whitnall Park. They opened a new trail behind the Rock that connects with the ones behind the archery range, and I decided to explore. It turned out to be a lovely trail, but it was really long and poorly labeled. On more than one occasion I was worried I was going to get stuck in the woods past dark and have to call someone. I didn't, and while I don't actually know how long of a walk it was, I'd guess about 5 miles. I ran a decent portion of that, where it was feasible. I was pretty proud of myself because I was able to consistently run non-stop for 1.5-2 minutes at a time. Considering the previous week I was only able to run 15 seconds, it was a significant improvement. I'm guessing I just needed to get my body used to it once and the strength and endurance I had built up took over after that. Pole Not much to talk about here...

Woo woo! Tonight was a very successful pole class. I dropped in to a level 6 class (it being on Wednesday nights and conflicting with trivia, I did not sign up; but today it happened to work out) and made huuuge strides in my pole progress. I was a little worried at first because the other gals were way advanced, and the first thing the instructor had us do was hands-only climbing, which I cannot do yet. But other than that (and that damn brass monkey), I was able to do every single move, including... A handspring!