Not Even Remotely How I Planned It

In my brain it worked out perfectly.  We would drive up to Dallas as a family on Friday afternoon.  My BFF, Regina, would meet us up there at the hotel.  Saturday morning she would take her kids plus mine to LEGOLAND while my husband watched me pole dance in the competition.  Then we’d hang out with some of the other competitors from ATX Pole Fitness after the show, and go a museum or something the next day with Regina and the kids.  Perfect, right?

Except Rylee got pneumonia.

Rylee using nebulizer
Rylee using nebulizer

Well, actually after taking medicine that didn’t totally work she got the X-ray and the doctor said she had bronchitis with a touch of asthma.  Anyway, the point was she couldn’t go to sleep away camp the week she was supposed to and the only other week available meant that her end-of-camp show was the same day and time as my competition.

So I drove four hours to Dallas by myself, performed the next morning without my husband seeing it, and drove back home after my dance teacher finished her routine.  I could have stayed later to see the night show, but I hadn’t seen my daughter in a week and missed her terribly.

Oh well.  Stuff happens.

Erin helping everyone with their hair
Erin helping me with my hair

There was a photographer/videographer at the competition, but the pictures and video won’t be ready until 30 days, and since Henri wasn’t in the audience, I don’t really have anything to show you of my own performance yet, but I promise to post them when they arrive.  Here are some pictures of the other ladies from ATX Pole Fitness getting ready.

Stacy putting make-up on Jackie
Stacy putting make-up on Jackie
Veronica getting her hair done
Veronica getting her hair done

I’m happy to report that this year I remembered the choreography (an improvement over last year) and I felt like the dance was clean and looked good for my skill-set.

Maybe I should have skipped the competition and just have taken some dance classes instead, to learn more pole spins and tricks and build up my confidence more.  Sometimes I think I push myself too hard and get into things before I’m fully ready.  Thus, I’ve made the executive decision that I’m going to take a solid year of dance classes before attempting another competition.

But there were benefits to doing a competition.  It gave me something to focus on besides my mother’s passing in May.  It gave me a reason to stop sympathy eating and get back to my meal plan (because who wants to lift an extra ten pounds up a pole when you don’t have to?)

Everyone got to test the static and spin poles before performing
Everyone got to test the static and spin poles before performing

And I did learn two new tricks:  I figured out how to do a Sad Girl Drop (where you start at the top of the pole in a ball and then let go and drop almost to the ground before you catch yourself) and I also was able to do a pirouette without tripping.  I literally didn’t figure it out until the day before the competition.  I’m actually pretty happy with those accomplishments.

Getting ready with Dez
Getting ready with my dance teacher, Dez

But I also realized that as far as sports go, my true love is bodybuilding.  I’m impressed with pole fitness dancers and how beautifully they can control their bodies and tell a story through dance, but, while waiting backstage to perform, I found myself sneaking on Instagram and typing in hashtags like #bodybuilding and #npcbikini.

You can take the girl out of the gym, but you can’t take the gym out of the girl.  7 weeks till my next bodybuilding competition.  Whoo hoo!!!

And, also on a happy note, I met up with Regina and family today at the Thinkery and followed it with a lovely cheat meal.  (Don’t worry, my bodybuilding coach said I could have one.)  I guess all things eventually work out in the end.

The Traugotts and Dargahis being silly
The Traugotts and Dargahis being silly

Lisa 😉

Lisa Traugott is a Mom’s Choice Award winning writer, fitness blogger, wife and mom of two.  Her book, “She’s Losing It!”  is available at Amazon.com.High Resolution Front Cover.4837209

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