Soul DC

If you follow my Instagram (@MacKenzieAGreen), you may have noticed I have a bit of an obsession...Soul Cycle!

I took my first class over 2 years ago.  My parents and I had just gotten our apartment in NYC, and on a walk around the neighborhood I discovered a Soulcycle near by at E83rd.  I figured anything good enough for Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper was a must try.

I would like to say I enjoyed my first class, but I didn't enjoy it...I became obsessed.  I was sweating like someone was pouring water over my head, and crying like a baby.  There were disco balls, black lights, and lots of positive affirmations.  I took as many classes as I could that week.  And when I went to LA 2 weeks later for my UCLA Riordan Fellows interview (I even roped my lovely Miss AZ Brittney Bell in to going with me), I took a Soulcycle class to get my confidence up and nerves out.

Well you can imagine my elation when I heard Soul was coming to DC a year ago.  Ever since my beloved studio came to town I've been the happiest girl in the world.

My doctor's office was near the studio, so I used to stalk the construction site whenever I went to the endocrinologist

 

I have been in heaven since my first Soul DC.  It's as exhausting, wonderful, emotional, and cathartic for me as I remember.  If you know someone who's done Soul, they probably sound like a cult member.  For someone as Type A as me, it's refreshing to know that I have a place where I can go, and let myself be free.  I don't get caught up in how I'm doing compared to anyone, I dedicate my ride to myself, and just LET IT GO!

The finished product...my sanctuary

Garrett is my Soul spirit animal, and anyone that plays a Britney/Iggy mashup deserves a shoutout

What's not to love about Kathleen, she's killer and aspirational!

I've had a particularly hard past few months professionally, and at times I felt like I was just getting kicked in the teeth.  But there was a moment on the bike in Kathleen's class, where I just let it all out.  I cried like I hadn't in a while.  And because the room was dark no one had to know I was sweaty and weepy.

I could go on for hours about how wonderful Soulcycle is, but you should try it yourself.  And don't say I didn't warn you when class is over and you want to sign up right away, and buy every bit of merchandise they have.

https://www.soul-cycle.com/

Classes are expensive, but believe me when I say, I'm a cheapskate, and I think it's worth every penny.

Maybe if you tap it back in a Rooster class, or Soul Survivor on Saturday, we'll be on a bike next to each other.

XOXO,
MacKenzie

Keep On Spinning

If you follow my twitter (@MacKenzieAGreen) or my facebook page you know that I'm a spin instructor.

Eventually I will explain how, among the exhaustive amount of plates I'm already juggling, WHY I decided to add spin instructing to the mix.

But for now I will keep this post simple...mainly because I'm slipping on my New Year's intention of posting bi-weekly to my blog.  So I thought I would share a playlist.  I approach my classes the way I would want them taught if I were taking a class, as a (sweaty) party on a bike.

I want to share a short little 30 minute playlist that's fun for spinning on your own, a HIIT workout, or maybe just to keep you moving when the gym or your workout starts to feel old...

Warm-up: No Church in the Wild - Kanye West & Jay-Z
Scream - Usher
Cockiness (Love It) - Rihanna
Let's Go - Travis Barker
Paris (Ooh La La) - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Hold It Against Me - Britney Spears
Gangnam Style - PSY
Runaway Baby - Bruno Mars

...you can go with whatever you want to cool down, I like a little Hal and Oates to bring my heart rate down :-)

If you're in the DC area or visiting on vacation come down to Off Road Indoor Cycling and drop in to one of my classes, cause I'd love to party with you.

XOXO,
MacKenzie

Turn The Beat Around...Don't Stop Till You Get Enough...obviously this post is about music

I recently decided among my many accidental roles to happen upon the part time position as spin instructor...you know, because I have copious amounts of free time (HA!)

One thing that is essential to me when I teach, and workout is music.  It can either get me going, help me zone out and not focus on how hard I'm pushing or exhausted I feel.  If a bad song comes on my iPod I have a horrible visceral reaction...believe me it is not pretty, and probably freaks out the people on the treadmill next to me.

So I figured I would share two playlists I have recently used in my classes, and maybe they can get you going too.

Playlist 1
1) Mercy feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, etc. (it really doesn't say that on iTunes but I didn't feel like writing all the names)
2) No Church in the Wild feat. Frank Ocean
3) Scream by Usher
4) Bangarang feat Sirah
5) Let's Go from the Step Up Revolution Soundtrack
6) Paris (Ooh La La) by Grace Porter and the Nocturnals
7) Hot Tottie feat Jay-Z
8) Party Rock Anthem (If I need to tell you who this is by I'm going to assume you live under a rock)
9) Moves Like Jagger/Jumpin' Jack Flash (an awesome Glee mashup, don't judge until you hear it)
10) Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars (loooooove this song)
11) Run This Town/Posthumus Zone (if this doesn't get you going and feel like you can go through a brick wall I don't know what to say)
12) Turandot: "Nessun dorma"
13) Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker, Op. 71 No 14a: Pas de Deux: Intrada

Playlist 2:
1) Out of My Head feat. Trey Songs
2) Hard to Handle by The Black Crowes
3) Bad Girl feat. Missy Elliot
4) I'm So Hood by DJ Khaled
5) Brokenhearted by Karmin
6) Part of Me by Katy Perry
7) E.T. from The Sing Off Season 3
8) E.T. feat. Kanye West
9) Otis feat. Otis Redding (If I don't include Jay-Z at least once in a workout, it feels incomplete)
10) Shake It Out (When times get rough, this song helps me keep my head up)
11) Runaway Baby (Did I mention that I looooooooove this song)
12) Rimsky-Korsakov The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu): 6
13) Rimsky-Korsakov The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu): 7

As you can see I enjoy listening to a wide range of music, and every influence in my life creeps in to my music choices.  I like to cool down with classical music at the end of a workout, and some of the songs I like I know how to play on bassoon (yep I just got a bassoon brag in).  Also, anytime I can listen to Nessun dorma, it's a good day.

I hope as you're on your fitness goal these two playlists can add some variety to your workout.  Or maybe you just need a new update to your commute playlist...either way, enjoy the music.

XOXO,
MacKenzie