Here's to new friends!

My blog mostly teeters back and forth between pole dancing and gastric bypass/weight loss issues.  Sure, I write about other things but those are probaby the two biggest topics.  Without the weight loss surgery, I wouldn't have pole dancing.  It's a big part of who I am now.  I am a huge advocate of post-surgery support.  I wish more people would get one-on-one therapy but I also think that online and in-person support groups are important.  I joined a Facebook group about weight loss surgery and ended up "meeting" a pretty cool chick.  She actually doesn't live far from me (about an hour and 15 minutes away) and we are hoping to meet in person this May at Bay to Breakers!

Meet Jessica Mowles Stockton! 

1. You started a weight loss surgery support group on Facebook. What prompted you to do that?

My local support group that I was attending through my hospital was not supported by any professionals. I was getting bored going weekly and hearing the same questions discussed and then answered by other patients. I knew I was done with that group, but did not want to drop out of the WLS world completely. Having WLS has been a life changing event and for me, I feel I need to keep it as something that's part of my daily life. I'm pretty much on Facebook all the time and thought it would be an awesome way to connect with other WLS patients. I searched for WLS pages or groups on Facebook, but did not find any that were really active or geared towards supporting each other, so I thought,"Hey, why not start my own!"

2. Do you participate in any other support groups, either online or in person?

I am on ObesityHelp.com almost every day, posting my support to others and just reading blogs or the message boards. I try and meet up with my WLS friends at least once a month to talk about WLS issues, but other than that, I do not attend any other groups.

3. What made you decide that weight loss surgery was for you?

I made the decision to have weight loss surgery in June of 2007. I was back up to my highest weight, 291 lbs, after another failed diet. I was 29 yrs old and already had hypertension. My family has serious hereditary heart disease and I knew that I was not far from acquiring heart disease myself, if I hadn't already. I am a mother and a wife and wanted to be around for my kids when they have their kids. I wanted to be the person I have always wanted to be. I knew if I didn’t take action I would be in my 40’s with hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, wishing I had had the surgery years before. I had considered having WLS a couple years before but wanted to try and do it on my own again. The deciding day was a day we went to Six Flags. I knew on that day I HAD to do it.

4. When did you have surgery?

I had laparoscopic RNY Gastric Bypass on February 12, 2008.

5. Where did you have surgery and do you feel like your surgeon and/or insurance gave you proper care and follow-up after?

My insurance is Kaiser Permanente. They do not have a local bariatric program, so I had to travel to Fremont, CA (almost 2 hours away) for all my appointments and follow up care. I do feel they gave proper care, however I do have a couple complaints. I feel that they should make it mandatory that there is psychological/therapy appointments for at least the first year after surgery. I also would like to see a professional run support group. There are a ton of people in the greater Sacramento area that have had surgery through Kaiser. Even though there is not a local bariatric program, they should make local bariatric professionals available to us.

6. Did you have any complications? Do you have any lasting effects from losing so much weight so quickly?

No major complications. A couple times I got dehydrated and had to go to my doctor's office for some IV fluids. Every once in a while I feel my blood pressure drop and I get a bit of a dizzy spell, but I don't think I have any major lasting effects from losing the weight.

7. How much weight did you lose? Do you feel like you met or exceeded your goal?

I have been maintaining a loss of 140 lbs. I did lose as much as 145 lbs at one point but had a little bounce back. I am very comfortable where I am at. This is beyond what I ever dreamt for myself. I am at my own personal goal weight, but have exceeded my surgeon’s goal weight by more than 20 lbs.

8. Have you had a difficult time maintaining the loss?

Just recently the weight loss feels like it's getting a little more difficult to maintain. I can tell I am getting hungrier more and am able to eat larger portions. I know that exercise and diet are always going to be a part of my life, even with surgery. As soon as I see the scale creep up a couple pounds I reel it back in and really get back to basics.

9. What has changed about your life since losing weight?

This is a very complicated question. Lots have changed, but then I like to think a lot has stayed the same. I am more the person I always wanted to be. I am more active, more outgoing, but I really feel my life is still evolving. I was morbidly obese for most of my life. Being of average weight is still something I consider new. Losing 140 lbs has been like peeling back 140 emotional layers. There are times I feel very emotionally raw. I am working on becoming the me I was meant to be and always wanted to be.

10. What was one non-weight related goal that you had after losing weight? (Maybe worded weird, but, for example, I wanted to start riding horses again after losing weight...of course I had stopped because I had gotten too fat but it was a goal I had that wasn't "I want to lose 100 pounds.")

I actually had forgotten about this goal until about 6 months ago. When I was obese I would get this urge to run. I would tell my husband "I just want to run!" - I attempted a few times but would only make it a few house lengths before I would begin to walk. About 6 months ago I started running. It wasn't until the first time I ran 3.2 miles that I remembered I had wanted and wished I could run when I was obese. I broke down in tears while I was running. It's those little things that mean the most.

11. What do you do religiously to make sure you are a successful weight loss surgery patient?

I don't drink soda or carbonated beverages. I don't drink 15 mins before, during, or up to 30 minutes after meals. I try to watch the amount of sugar in the things I eat and stick with protein first.

12. Do you exercise?

Yes! I go to the gym, but I prefer running outside. I did two 5k's in the last 4 months of 2010 and for 2011 I have a 10k, 12k (Bay to Breakers!!!), and two half marathon's planned! I will also be throwing in a couple of 5k's here and there.

13. What are some of the habits you fudge on? What's your guilty pleasure?

Ohhhh, the guilty pleasure... I curse you!! PIZZA!!! I remember when I was thinking about having surgery I thought I would never be able to eat pizza again and the thought really did cross my mind NOT to have surgery for this reason alone! LOL So yes, I eat pizza... I probably eat it once a week.... and I enjoy every single bite.

14. Did you have any plastic surgery? If so, did insurance cover any of it? If not, would you like to?

I think we, in the WLS community, obsess over this issue far too much (myself included). I have not had any plastic surgery. My insurance won't cover it. I will eventually have plastic surgery, but at this point it is not something I am willing to go into debt for. When the time is right I will go for it, but I am not going to let the excess skin hold me back or take away from my success. I actually wrote a small article on excess skin that is being published in the next issue of OH Magazine. :-)

15. What would you tell someone who was on the fence about having weight loss surgery?

I think that would depend on who the person is. I think that if someone has done the research and thinks WLS would be good for them, but they are just scared, to go for it! All I can offer them is MY experience with WLS. For me, it's been a very good decision. It has worked for me thus far, without complications. I know there are some out there that feel WLS was not the right decision for them so I would hate to try and sell somebody on it. But I guess, if I am being honest, every bit of me would want to yell at them "Do it!".

16. If you had it to do over again, would you still have surgery?

Absofreakinglutely.

I inverted!!!!!

Three and a half months ahead of my scheduled goal, I INVERTED!!  Maybe not a good one.  But I went upside-down on the pole and did not fall on my head!!!

In fact, every single person in class last night inverted!!  That was the first time for more than one of us! 

There was a lot wrong with my invert.  My hands weren't quite in the right place (PROTECT YOUR COOTER!!!) and my legs weren't really gripping.  I was only staying up because I had the death grip on the pole with my hands.  But it was an awesome first try.  And I didn't die. 

I feel like the only place to go from here is UP.  Quite literally.  And I'm super excited to have started 2011 off right...by already meeting one of my goals.

Thank you to Bel, Daisy, Edna, Andrea, Rita, Mandy and Gina for supporting me last night!  That was so awesome!

This last photo is a failed attempt at a cross-ankle release and back bend.  But it was a start!!!!

Support the AIDS LifeCycle fundraiser

HIV has never had a face for me.  I was recently reading a friend's old blog on Facebook and found out he is HIV positive (and has been for a couple of years).  I was shocked.  Stunned.  I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.  I'd never actually known anyone with HIV.  And then I felt stupid and selfish.  If I was feeling that way, I couldn't even imagine what he was going through.  He didn't look sick.  But now I had a face to attach to the disease.  And it could be anyone walking down the street. 

Then the stories started coming out of the woodworks.  It was like an awakening for me.  I found out one of my high school friends had a brother who died of AIDS in 1995.  And my very own childhood neighbor died in 1986.  I had no idea. 

You all know I'm down to support a good cause.  Some people also know I was brought up in the Mormon religion (and half of my family still attends church), which is an adversary of gay rights.  This should probably create a conflict in my brain, but it doesn't.  I don't want to debate whether it is morally right or wrong for gay people to be gay.  I don't care if they were born that way or if they chose to be that way.  I see people who are suffering and need help.  They are people.  Just like you and me. Besides, HIV and AIDS isn't a gay disease.  It affects everyone.  Gay, straight, male, female, black, white...  HIV and AIDS does not discriminate. 

I decided to write this blog to support my friend Lety's brother, Dan, as he rides in the AIDS LifeCycle Ride to End AIDS.  Dan needs to raise $3,000 and is asking everyone to send him only $1.  I already put my dollar in an envelope today and plan to donate more on the website.  I ask that you watch the video (and prepare to cry) and please send a dollar.  It's only a dollar. 



If you'd like to donate through the website, please do:

http://www.tofighthiv.org/site/TR/AIDSLIFECYCLE10/AIDSLifeCycleCenter?px=1119463&pg=personal&fr_id=1320
I recently attended a Christmas party at the Rainbow Community Center in Concord.  What an amazingly nice and warm group of people.  I've decided to start volunteering some time there when I can.  If you have time or money to contribute, please consider the RCC!   

As you know, my favorite drag queen is Stephanie Nicole Le Dream.  Check out her Facebook page.  She is a HUGE advocate of safe sex, HIV prevention and awareness.  Just call her Safe Sex Stephanie -- the Triple S (Love + Lipstick)!

Here is Jimmy's speech from World AIDS Day 2010:

Nearly two and a half years ago, five words changed my life.

“Your test came back positive”

At that moment, I could barely breathe… barely function. At that moment, my life was over.
But I was wrong. Being diagnosed with HIV didn’t mean that my life was over, but it did give me a new purpose. For all of my adult life, I have been involved with the fight against HIV. I have done my best to educate my friends and loved ones. I have fundraised to help fund HIV prevention and outreach. I have done whatever I could to remind people about the Red Ribbon… which is why, I am still here today.

Two weeks after my diagnosis, a friend took me to the Rainbow Community Center to get help. As I walked into that support group, I was scared out of my mind. Everything I had ever learned about HIV was forgotten the instant I got my results back… but luckily, there were dozens of men willing to share their strength and their stories with me. There were men who had lived with this disease for decades… it hadn’t been easy for them, but they were still here, willing to share their knowledge with someone they had just met… a total stranger. And it because of these men that I realized that I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon… and that I had a responsibility to educate others

Every 9.5 minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with HIV. Even after all of the deaths, the memorials and public outcry… people continue to get HIV. During the 80’s and 90’s, people were very aware of the dangers of unprotected sex and sharing needles… but at some point, people forgot. Perhaps it was the vigils, perhaps it was memorials that made them close their minds and try to forget everything that the thousands of lives we lost to HIV meant. Maybe it’s this new generation of young people that don’t realize or remember what we went through… they didn’t grow up in a world where the red ribbon meant something. They simply forgot.

The statistics are staggering. Young people between the ages of 13 and 24 make up the largest percentage of people being diagnosed. Being young, we sometimes feel that we are invincible… that nothing can hurt us. We all know that smoking is bad for us… we know that drinking and driving is a really bad idea… and we know that we should always wear a condom… but, being young isn’t an excuse for stupidity.

The fact is, that HIV doesn’t care who you are. It doesn’t care the color of your skin. It doesn’t care who you love, who you sleep with, who you marry. How many friends you have on Facebook. HIV isn’t particular… it’s a real danger to everyone.

Here in Contra Costa, the numbers of people being diagnosed with HIV are on the rise… and unfortunately, funding is very limited. So programs get cut drastically, outreach is stopped due to budget cuts, people can’t get tested because their isn’t a place available for them… and eventually, we end up with more people living with this disease. The little money we do have, is focused on helping only select groups of people… but isn’t everyone at risk?

I was lucky to find a place like the Rainbow Community Center. It gave me the support when I needed it most… and now I have the strength to continue to educate and protest. There are so many resources available to those of you living with HIV… and there are still resources available to those of you who need to get tested. The important thing to remember, is that you are never alone… there are people that care about you and your health. The Rainbow Community Center cares… We all care… I care.

It’s would be really easy to just shut down and stop caring… to keep this disease a secret, a dirty little secret that nobody wants to hear about. But the fact is, that if people like you didn’t show up here tonight… didn’t remember what the Red Ribbon stands for… the cycle would never be broken. It is my personal mission to help fight this disease, to educate people about safe sex, to get as many people tested as possible… in fact, it’s my job now. As hard as it is to stand up here in front of all of you and speak of hope and strength, it has to happen. We need to continue to fight. We need to continue to remind people about the red ribbon. We have lost So many lives… We lost people that we care about… people like Chad. And we have to do it for them.

Will you join me in this fight? A fight to get people tested, regardless of their sexuality or the color of their skin? A fight to help those young people who are out their this very minute, making all the wrong choices? It’s never easy. But it has to be done. And I know that somewhere up there, everyone we have lost to this disease is listening and they are smiling down on all of you for being a part of this night.

Never forget the Red Ribbon. Never forget the lives we have lost. Never forget the people still here fighting for this cause, fighting this disease. Together, we can make every day World AIDS Day. And I will be here with you every December 1st until we find a cure… and even then, I will be here. My name is Jimmy Gale… I’m 26 years old… and I have been living with HIV for 2 years… and I’m not going anywhere. I’m still here.

This is a note posted on Facebook by my childhood neighbor, Mike.  I am posting this with his permission (although it was published previously already).

Struggle with Death

by Mike McClelland on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 8:00pm

 

Some of you who have known me all of, or most of my life, are very familiar with the events I wrote about when I was 18.  This article was actually published in May of 1988.  I hope that everyone will carry away something positive from reading this.  If nothing else, you get an insight into who I am.

Struggle with Death by Mike McClelland

As we walk back into the hospital, my sister Gaylene walks down the hall toward us and tells us that he is gone.  My heart sinks and anger strikes my chest.  As I enter the room, a scent of death is in the air and all I hear is weeping.  I walk over to his limp body and kneel beside him.  I forget that others are there in the room as I hold his hand and begin to cry.  I feel my father’s hand on my shoulder as he tells me, “I love you, Michael.”  I reply, “I love you too, Dad.”

I was 13 years old when my brother Stephen was shot and killed at the age of 26.   Now at 14, I find out that my 22 year old brother, Robert, is moving back from Miami because he is going to die.  I learned this in March of 1984 and at the end of May, he came home.  It was a good day for me because I hadn’t seen him for almost a year, yet it was also a sad day because it was the day that my brother came home to die.
I helped Robert unpack and move things into his room, and after we were done, we sat around and talked as we set up his VCR and stereo.  I had realized that he was going to die, but I didn’t want to think about it until I had to.  In school I never talked about him dying,  and at home I didn’t think about what the words meant.  When I said the words it was as if they were the names of food, or people.  I didn’t think about what I was saying.

My brother had a lot on his mind, as did we, but he had a lot of things that he intended to do before he left this world.  He needed to get his relationship with God back together and make things right with his friends and family.  Robert and I became much closer than we ever had been during this time.  Closer, because before, our age difference of eight years had been a barrier in our relationship.  He wanted to be good to everyone and he tried to make friends in any way that he could with the time that he had.

The disease that Robert had was incurable, but he tried to use drugs that would fight it.  Three times a week, our father would take Robert to San Francisco to get shots.  Over time the drugs didn’t help much and sores showed up on his skin, which he tried to cover with make-up.

As time went on and we all got closer and relied upon God and each other, Robert would do things for me and take me places so that we would become closer than ever before.  Eventually Robert became very close to God, and I would pray at night for that to continue.

I remember many things about Robert during that time, mostly trips to the mall, but most of all I remember the hospital.  A few times when he would get really sick, we would take him to the county hospital in Martinez where he would be treated.  More trips would come as time went on, and by November, 1985, he was put in for a couple of weeks.

Things went bad on Christmas Eve of 1985.  He had chest gas, so someone told him to drink beer to get the gas up, but the medication that he was taking wasn’t supposed to mix with alcohol and he had a bad reaction.  On Christmas he went into the hospital for the last time.

On January 14, 1986, he lost his ability to speak, but he still communicated with us using his hands and eyes.  My brother-in-law and our pastor took me to dinner, but all I could think about was Robert and getting back to him.  When we returned, my sister told us he had died.  When I entered the room, all I saw was pain and mourning and I began to cry as I knelt beside him.

On Friday, January 17, 1986, we buried him.  I think that day will be clear in my mind forever.  The pain and suffering that we experienced will probably dim in time, but I think that Robert would have wanted us to think about the good times, not the bad.

Now at eighteen, as I look back on the events that happened then, I realize that God decided how I would face my brother’s dying and maybe I wasn’t supposed to be there.  To this day, I always think about Robert and how his face had lit up in the sunshine just before I left him.  I believe that he saw heaven then and still believe it now.

I struggled with the fact that my brother died of AIDS and it was a struggle for everyone involved.  I’m getting over it now, but I still have had to call on God’s help to do it.

Addendum:  This was written during my freshman year in college in the Spring of 1988.  Since then I have also lost my sister Diane in 1993, my father Wesley in 1995, and both of my grandmother’s since.  My grandfather’s both passed before I knew them.

Facing the death of a loved one is a very difficult thing to do.  Hold to those friends and family that are there with you, facing it as well. 

------------------

HIV and AIDS affects us all so I hope that you will consider contributing to the LifeCycle link I provided above.  If not, I hope you at least walk away with a new understanding of the disease and appreciation for what people living with the disease and their families are going through.

Back to blogging for The Pole Dancing Shop

The Pole Dancing Shop has been amazing to me!  They sponsored the Twirly Girls calendar and they just allowed me to guest blog for a third time!

http://www.thepoledancingshop.com/news/76/Will-Pole-For-Charity-by-Lori-Myers.html

Will Pole For Charity by Lori Myers

Posted on 1st Jan 2011 @ 8:42 PM

In April 2010, Twirly Girls Pole Fitness held a fundraiser to benefit the National Kidney Foundation.  One of our very own, the Lovely Rita, is a three-time kidney transplant recipient.  She does the NKF 5k walk in San Francisco each May and needed to raise money.  The studio happily held a day of classes, an open house, silent auction, raffle and dance recital to benefit the foundation.  We raised almost $3,000.

We decided to do it even bigger in 2011.  The Twirly Girls put together a calendar shoot, featuring students, instructors, and our supportive men.  We are planning to do another day of classes, etc. in April 2011.  We should easily be able to double or triple our donation this year.  We are asking other studios who are interested in getting involved to contact us to coordinate.  We can put you in touch with the National Kidney Foundation for fundraising materials.  It's a fun way to promote your studio and feel like you've done something good for the world.  [See my blog post:  http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/2010/11/calling-all-pole-studios.html]

For me, the biggest challenge is getting ready for the dance recital.  Performing for people outside of my comfortable and supportive class is very scary.  I am doing a group number with the FEVER! girls.  But I am also doing a surprise (guess it won't be much of a surprise if Rita reads this...so I won't reveal TOO much here) number alone.  I had set a goal two months ago to lose enough weight and gain enough strength to invert within six months (which would be somewhere around April).  I have a goal of losing a total of 35 pounds.  I have lost 8 so far.  Sometimes I move a little slowly, but at least the scale is finally moving in the right direction.

I am planning to start the Couch-2-5k plan in January so that I can start preparing for the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco (it is a 12K over some difficult hills).  I am already doing 5k's but I mostly walk/jog them and I want to be able to run the entire way.  It won't help much with strength but it will give me a good cardio workout so that I can lose the weight.  On January 3, I am starting a 7-week boot camp that promises to kill us on Mondays.  While losing the weight, I also need to work hard on gaining strength so that I can actually haul myself up into an invert without breaking my neck.

I have already increased my yoga classes and am going to add pilates reformer classes next month to help with flexibility and core strength.  I also took a pilates class that incorporated ballet moves, so I am becoming more interested in using those moves to make me stronger and help with my fluidity.
So, that is my plan for the first quarter of 2011.  I hate setting New Years resolutions because they are so easily forgotten.  That's why I set my goals now and plan to keep them.  What are your goals for 2011?

Lori Myers
Student at Twirly Girls Pole Fitness Studio in Pleasanton, California
http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/

I don't bend in half

So, I realize this has been a theme throughout my blog, but I am NOT the "normal" pole dancer.  Pole dancing has BLOWN UP in the last couple of years.  The dancers who compete are training with aerial circus acts, contortionists and gymnasts. 

I can't even do a back bend. 

I have a goal to be able to invert by April.  It doesn't even have to be a good invert.  I just want to be able to go upside down and not fall on my head.  I'm working hard to lose weight and get strong.  Will that be good enough?  If I can't fly through the air with the greatest of ease like the other girls (and boys) do, will I still be happy?

I sure hope so. 

I just wanted to write this so I could include a couple of really cool videos from YouTube.  Someday...I will be this amazing.  Someday!!!!!

Steven Retchless practicing...UH-MAZE-ING!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kBmVXRoYMo

Miss Pole Dance Australia 2010 intro...More AMAZING!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce7HgItK4Vs

P.S.  The Twirly Girls calendars will be printed soon!  The price is $15 (add $2 for shipping).  Please contact me if you are interested in pre-ordering and I will give you an address.  All of the proceeds will go to support the National Kidney Foundation on behalf of our very own, Lovely Rita!!  We have sample photos on Liquidpulp Photography's fan page on Facebook.  Don't miss out...we've had a lot of interest and we're only printing 250 calendars! 

Lookee meeee -- PoleSkivvies Interview!

http://poleskivvies.com/2010/12/pole-dancer-lori-myers/

Pole Dancer Lori Myers

This week, meet the lovely Lori Myers, a protege of Twirly Girls Pole Fitness!

How did you get started learning to pole dance?

A few years ago, I went to S Factor in San Francisco and took one of their intro classes. I had heard some of their instructors on a local radio show. I loved it, but the studio was difficult for me to get to (almost two hours commute each way with city traffic). Flash forward to October of last year … my friend received an e-mail about Twirly Girls Pole Fitness in Pleasanton, California (only about 25 minutes away from my house). My friend, Rita, and I set up a taster class for November and we were signed up for full time classes by December.

How do you learn (pole dancing classes, DVD, Youtube …)?

I take classes one to two times a week with Bel Jeremiah at Twirly Girls, but I also have a pole at home and have a couple of Jamilla Deville’s DVDs. I took one of Jamilla’s workshops at the studio this year. She was so beautiful to watch, a lot of fun, and had great information for those of us just starting out (even though I’m almost a year in, I still consider myself somewhat of a newbie).

What do you like to do when you’re not pole dancing?

I love photography and horseback riding, although I had to give up my horse last year. I am spending a lot of time at the gym lately (to lose some recently-added weight and get stronger for pole dancing). I work for a law firm to pay the bills, but I definitely don’t like to define myself by my job. I love using my blog as an outlet. It started as a pole dancing blog, but I write about health and exercise in there a lot since they are so much a part of my life (I had gastric bypass almost seven years ago and lost 165 pounds).

What is your dream for yourself in pole dancing?

I see videos of the famous pole dancers and envision myself doing everything they do. I recently saw the introduction for Miss Pole Dance Australia 2010 (Felix Cane starts it out). I thought, I want to do ALL OF THAT. Realistically, I may not be able to, but in my mind, I’m already there. I also saw a photo of Jessalynn Medairy at Pole Summer Camp in the Caribbean with Milan Pole Dance Studio. The bend in her back is amazing. Again, in my mind, I look like that. Realistically, not so much! My current dream is to invert within six months. I am spending a lot of time at the gym losing weight and gaining strength to get there.

How would you describe your personal style?

I think most would describe me as a down and dirty rock chick. I like loud, fast rock songs. I am working on slowing things down and being more sensual.

Favorite makeup tip:

I am all about false eyelashes. If I don’t want to spend a lot of time on make up, I put in my purple contacts and false lashes and I’m good to go. Otherwise, on a daily basis, I’ve stopped wearing make up. Only when I want to go out or feel like I have someone to impress (like myself).

Barefoot, sneakers, or platform heels?

I am more comfortable barefoot. I have five or six different platform heels and I’m trying to practice in those, as well. I performed at a dance recital to benefit the National Kidney Foundation Walk in San Francisco earlier this year. The video below is of me practicing in my shoes; I feel clunky and slow. When I did it for real, I went barefoot and felt a lot better about it (although I was still less than six months into dancing, so I am definitely not a professional).

Favorite grip enhancer:

I have Mighty Grip in my bag, but I try not to use anything (and am not yet able to do the tricks where it might be more necessary).

Pole dance move that made you proudest to learn:

Last night, for the first time, I was able to hold myself up for kind of a sad-looking boomerang. I was pretty excited about that.

Pole dance pet peeves:

I make funny faces and do weird things with my hands. While I’m dancing, I don’t always notice it but I see it in the videos, so I’m trying to be more aware of my entire body (and yes, Jennifer, I’ve watched your videos on the subject).

Favorite treatment for bruises and sore muscles:

Rest and an epsom salt bath.

Who would you most like to have in the audience when you pole dance?

No one. I get really, really nervous dancing in front of people. I have a hard time making eye contact and would love to always dance in the dark! I’m a much better dancer if I think no one is looking.

Who is your hero or role model?

I adore my instructor, Bel. She is so supportive and really creates a safe, family-like atmosphere at Twirly Girls. I have often found when you gather a lot of estrogen into one room, you get a lot of cattiness – but Twirly Girls is not like that at all. We are all at different levels and there is no jealousy. Everyone is supportive and we all celebrate our small victories when they happen. I’ve never really witnessed anything like it in my life and I’m excited to be part of this amazing group of ladies. What I love most is that we laugh and have fun while we’re learning.

What are your favorite words of encouragement?

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right!” Look, I’m a big girl – 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds. I GET that I physically won’t be able to do ALL of the moves I want to do. But I am trying not to limit myself right now. I’m setting small goals and hoping I can either get myself there or at least find an acceptable modification for whatever move it is.

Favorite pizza toppings:

Pepperoni and black olives. Sometimes sausage, too.

Cupcakes or ice cream?

CAKE! CAKE! CAKE!! I LOVE CAKE! I’m a foodie. It’s one of my downfalls. And it’s something I have to work to avoid. There is no one bite when it comes to cake. It’s all or nothing. So I try not to have it around much.

Favorite music to pole dance to:

Rock music. Fast and hard. Right now I’m going to start working on a routine to Slash and Fergie’s Beautiful Dangerous.

Weirdest place you’ve ever poled:

My house. Whodathunk I’d ever have a pole in my house?! Oh yeah, and that one time I was in Texas and I tried to turn Neptune’s arm into a pole (didn’t work)!

Pre-performance rituals:

I don’t really have any … although I’ve really only performed for small audiences at our studio. I just get really nervous and have to force myself to get out there.

Strangest pole dancing question/comment you’ve ever received:

I can’t really think of the strangest but most definitely the most irritating is: So you’re a stripper?! My response is usually: I WISH! If I had the body and moves, I’d be grabbin’ those dollas!

Anything else you’d like to share:

I’d love for everyone to participate in our Twirl Around The World. We are asking for pole dancers to send us their photos and locations so we can add to our album on Facebook! Also, we will be doing another benefit for the National Kidney Foundation next year. If anyone is interested in getting involved, have them add me on Facebook or get in contact through my blog.
We are doing another fundraiser to benefit the National Kidney Foundation (our very own Lovely Rita is a three-time kidney transplant recipient … she wasn’t supposed to live past 20 and she’s about to celebrate her 45th birthday!). Bel would like to get more pole studios involved, so we are asking anyone with a pole studio to get into contact with us if they are interested in coordinating. The fundraiser isn’t until April but we wanted to start early to get other people involved.
Lori is a pole dancer filled with enthusiasm for dance, life, and helping her fellow pole dancers. Visit her on her blog!

Couch to 5k program

In the past, people have suggested I try the Couch to 5k program.  I've always said no...I don't really enjoy running so why am I going to make something I hate part of my weekly workout routine?  I "do" 5k's (or, for Annie, I do the little-more-than-three-miles) with Brazen Racing, but I walk/jog them.  If it's a flat course, I can do that in about 45 minutes.  If it's really hilly or muddy, then maybe an hour.  I am slow.  I know I'm slow.  I walk slow.  I jog slow.  I  meander.  John can do Half Dome in six hours.  AJ did it in eight.  It took me 13 hours -- both times.  John would always try to give me advice to move faster -- put on fast music and just move to the beat.  Doesn't work for me.  I'm just a sloth.  And I'm ok with it.  So, any time someone has suggested I run, I'm like, NAW!

I recently had a change of heart.  A group of Twirly Girls are planning to do the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco next year (it's the 100th annual).  It's a 12k (about 7 miles), and I understand there are some pretty nasty hills.  So, I decided I need to learn to move a little faster (hip and back problems are getting better, so it's good timing).  We may not run any of it...but I don't want to be the one holding up the group.  And I imagine the Couch to 5k program is my best bet for being able to walk/jog a 7 mile hilly course.  The program takes you from basically doing nothing to running for a full three miles non-stop.  You follow the program three days a week for nine weeks, and it starts you walking for a bit, then jogging for a bit.  Then you work up until you are jogging for 30 minutes straight. 

I don't set New Years resolutions because I don't want to feel like a failure if I don't meet them.  So, this is my goal for January.  If I finish that in two months and feel good, I can start working on their 10k program.  I will have five months until the Bay to Breakers, so it will give me plenty of time to lose weight and get in shape.  It will also help me reach my goal of inverting on the pole by April. 

Has anyone else tried the program??