Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Full Psycle Fever, Catch It!




One of the reasons I’ve been neglecting the Constance Comment the last of couple months is because I’ve joined a cult.  And by that, I mean I’ve been (obsessively) taking spin classes at Full Psycle – a new full-body indoor cycling studio in Costa Mesa.  Now, I’ve been spinning for a couple years now at various gyms and other spin studios in town, but it was if all those classes were just training me for Full Psycle because, well, Full Psycle is the real deal.    

Ambiance: The studio is very minimalist, but clean and well-maintained.  They also have keyed-lockers to lock up your belongings, and two changing rooms in case you’re like me and are always rushing to class from work and don’t have time to change out of your professional young woman’s attire before doing so. 

The Peeps: Paul/Shelly/Kris/every other instructor I’ve ever taken from is ridiculously friendly.  Upon arrival, one of these wonderful instructors will check you in and help you procure a pair of spin shoes in case you don’t already have a pair, as well as help you to adjust your bike in the beginning of class.  Despite that each of these instructors is arguably much sexier than me, and definitely more fit, they each make me feel like “part of the family."  That being said, these instructors will motivate you and push you harder than you've ever worked before. 

The Asylum:  The room is dark, tiny, and bikes fill almost every corner of the stadium setting.  One aspect of Full Psycle, which brings me great relief, is that each bike is sanitized after each class.  This didn’t happen at my last spin studio and it sure as hell didn’t happen at 24 Hour Fitness.  Each bike is also dressed with an orange towel folded with precision for your enjoyment.   

Class Synopsis: The class consists of 45 minutes of energetic music at club-level decibels, sprints, imaginary hills, and races stemming therefrom.  And just when your legs feel like jelly, you’re lovely instructor will then ask you to pick up your weights to give your arms a chance to get in on the fun. If this is your first time, you might think “Is this a joke?” But no, it’s not. So not only will your legs feel completely dead, your arms will burn like they were on fire.  It’s pretty much awesome. 

Leaderboard:  Although the leaderboard is technically part of the “Class Synopsis” it really deserves its own heading.  Each bike is hooked up to a power gauge that estimates how much power you are exerting based on the level of your resistance.  Your “power” and resulting created energy is displayed on a computer screen in front of the class, ranking you against the other people in the room and essentially turning the class into a 45-minute race. Unlike most spin classes, where no one can tell how high you’ve got your resistance cranked up—leading to a room full of riders whose resistance is so low that they are bouncing in their seats—the leaderboard knows how hard you’re working. The leaderboard knows all. 

And if you’re anything like me, once I see my number up there, I wanna win. I wanna win so badly.  It’s no secret that I am an extremely competitive person.  But guess what? I suck.  I never win at Full Psycle.  But I think that’s just what keeps me going.  I'd also like to mention that I almost threw up after my first class at Full Psycle.  I came back the next day.

The Aftermath:  I never fail to leave class without looking like I just took a shower, or feeling like I just taken a shower.  And on occasion, I’ve gone on with my day as if I had already taken a shower and washed my hair. Sorry friends.  But I digress, after class, I am full of positivity and energy and the overall feeling that I can do anything!!!  This is the addicting part.

If any of you are interested in possibly catching the Full Psycle fever, the first class and shoe rentals are absolutely free! Trust me, you won’t regret it!  

For more information, please visit their website: www.fullpsycle.com, and "like" them on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/fullpsycle


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Sorry I've been gone...


not that anyone has cried themselves to sleep over it, but I'm back!  So much time has passed that it would take forever to thoroughly update you, but in a nutshell, this is what I've been doing in 2013 (although some of these events may end up being their own blog post):

1) I learned how to knit.
2) Celebrated the birth of no less than FIVE babies by some of my dearest friends, and now anticipating a few more later this year (none of them my own so don't be starting rumors).
3) Attended the 17th Annual Super bowl in Vegas party and cheered the Ravens on to victory.
4) Honeymooned in Maui.
5) Mourned the end of my honeymoon in Maui.
6) Attempted to bill enough hours at work to make up for the time off during said honeymoon.
7) Caught up on all three seasons of Downtown Abbey to the detriment of said billable hours. 
8) Became hopelessly addicted to Full Psycle, my new spin studio.
9) Ran a half-marathon.
10) Read several books.

And hopefully, I'll add more blogging...

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Dear Santa

Here's a list of just a few things I'd love to find under the tree this year....


In order of upper left to lower right...

1) Lululemon's 'Don't Hurry Be Happy' Pullover - Long ago were the days of me saying "Who the hell wears $90 workout pants? - only to try on my first pair of Lululemon running pants and realize that the answer is "I do."  Although I've never purchased a non-technical item at Lulu, I knew when I saw this top that it too was a must.  It's so soft and comfy.  The cowl neck is huge, but you can let it drape, or fold it down and let it do its own thing.

2) Laura Mercier Makeup Brush Set - I purchased a set of MAC makeup brushes almost a decade ago and still use them to this day.  Although they've served me well, it's time for some fresh brushes.  These brushes look very high quality and the set basically contains every kind of brush I need.

3) Alexis Bittar Delano Rose Gold Earrings - Alexis Bittar is probably my favorite fashion jewelery designer.  I just love the look of the rose gold next to the smoky quartz on this one.

4) ASICS Running Shoes - I'm desperate for a new pair of tennis shoes.  I also signed up for the New Year's Resolution 5K in DTLA on January 5, 2013 and am hoping I can use that opportunity to break these in!

5) A trip to Rivendell - I suppose this will be the most difficult to find gift on my wish list as Rivendell only exists in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth.  Fresh from seeing the Hobbit this weekend, I thought it would be so nice to visit our beautiful and wise elf friends Elrond and Arwen.  Rivendell was always my favorite place because it was so beautiful and really the only place anyone could ever feel safe.  Did anyone hear that? I think that was the sound of a Nerd Alert. 

6) Viktor Rolf's Flower Bomb - I wore this fragrance on our wedding day, but all I have his this teeny tiny miniature bottle.  Unfortunately for all my friends, office mates, and family, I could bathe in this stuff.  In case I do get this for Christmas, I apologize in advance.

Hope you all get everything on your wish lists this year!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Our Holiday Cards: 2012 Edition


As this was our first official holiday card as a married couple, I took the time to make them extra special by letterpressing each and every one of them myself (again).  We were married on that same bridge and this photo was one of the first photos taken taken after our ceremony. Thanks so much to Brandon Humes of Couture Foto for beautifully capturing such a happy moment!  Hope you all love the card as much as I do!


Monday, December 3, 2012

Electric Run


Last Friday night I celebrated the end of the billing year by participating in the Orange County Electric Run 5k.  I have no idea how I even came across this race, but after watching the promo video, I knew I had to sign up.  It was like a dance party in Tron universe.



It rained most of the day on Friday, but cleared up just in time for the race to start.  I had low expectations as to how many people would be there and how it would actually look in real life, and it pretty much knocked my socks off! There were over 10,000 people! This basically made it impossible to find friends, but in a sea of neon lights and tutus, I did manage to find my sexiest friend Sanaz and we ran most of the race together.

As for what it looked like?  Hot damn.  The people who put together the race really did a phenomenal job of making it visually stimulating.  If I couldn't see where I was going because it was so dark, at least I could be mesmerized by the sea of lights.

Finish Line


The race itself was not very difficult and honestly, I don't think it was a legit 3.1 miles.  That being said, I had a blast fist pumping my way past the finish line!