Monthly Archives: January 2015

Do Anywhere 10×10 Workout

Posted in Healthy Living, Workouts by

Since the big move, I’ve lost the ability to belong to and regularly use a gym. Because we are no longer using daycare, I spend my days with my kids. I’ve learned why it’s so hard for moms – working moms AND stay at home moms – to find time for fitness. I’ve also found that there are times during the day that I can squeeze in time for myself, and why that can still be hard to use for exercise.

It doesn’t have to be that way…during those times – nap times, quiet times, kids are playing contentedly times – finding a way to improve your health is a great idea. It doesn’t have to be complicated or involve expensive equipment. Check out this 10×10 that takes a mat (if you’d like to use one), a stopwatch and a kettlebell. Don’t have one? Mix in your own exercises. Do 10 reps of each move, 10 sets. Take time between sets and modify the numbers to fit your own pace.

Simple Workouts

 

10×10 at home circuit

1. Pushups (modify accordingly).

2. Reverse in-place lunges holding the kettlebell to your chest.

3. V-ups

4. Squats, holding the kettlebell to your chest.

5. Mountain Climbers.

6. Kettlebell Squat, Catch and Lifts.

squatpresslift

 

7. Burpees.

8. Kettlebell Swings.

kettlebell swings

 

9. 30 Second Planks.

10. Squat Jumps.

 

Just a reminder to all of my readers! I’m currently in the process of trying to raise money for New Hope Academy for Team Toby Mac and the Nashville Half Marathon…if you feel compelled to contribute, please visit my fundraising page!

 

 

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Hitting the Pavement…Rebuilding

Posted in Healthy Living, Miscellaneous, Other, Running by

Today was the day. As many of you know, the past year has been a time of learning a whole lot, reassessing, setting new goals and finding a new way to do things. Today I hit the pavement…outside!

Let’s rewind. I got into running to get back into shape…you can read my whole story here, but, the bottom line is that in the beginning, the motivation was solid. I needed a way to find myself again, running gave it to me.

Soon, it became more than it should have. Instead of being proud of milestones, I set out to set new ones at every corner and to keep besting myself over and over again. I wasn’t in it just for the joy of running and enjoying activity, I was in it to win…all the time. Anyone who knows anything about athletes knows that that motivation leads to nothing good, and instead straight to a brick wall. I found mine last March. Then, forced to the sidelines, I had to step back.

Over the past few months, I’ve found myself on a new journey. As many of you know, I set out to get back into activity again and to find a way to love it. I signed up to run/jog/walk for Team Toby Mac and the New Hope Academy for the Nashville Half Marathon in April. With the okay from the doctors, lots of promises to listen to my body and a new mindset, I started back at it. But, I still wasn’t sure what that would look like or if I could really stay true to myself. However, with multiple checks in place, I got started.

For just over the past month, I’ve been hitting the treadmill. Walking, then jogging. No specific thoughts about times, splits or programs, just learning to find my rhythm again. Today, I had the opportunity to take it outside! The feeling I had today was something I’ve missed for a long time, and something that I started to forget when working out became all about schedules and goal times.

Outside

The sun was shining and there were new trails around our new house that needed to be explored. It wasn’t bitterly cold. Everything seemed to be a go. The best part though? I just wanted to get out there. I didn’t have a schedule to stick to. I didn’t have a goal time in mind. I didn’t even plan how far I’d go…I put on my shoes and went out.

After a little over 2 miles, I felt tired. Instead of pushing through…I walked. Sounds obvious right? To a previously compulsive runner, it’s not that obvious and it was a joy just to be able to do it…to slow down and to take in the sights all around me. Guys…I even got to smell the pine trees. It doesn’t get better than that. Toward the end, I picked it up and jogged back to the house. Coming in, I didn’t feel like I’d out done myself and I didn’t feel as though I’d gone too far. I just felt satisfied to have spent some time outside, alone with nature and with my thoughts. That’s a gift that I’d honestly forgotten about.

Sometimes life is about rebuilding toward something new and about finding what really matters and living for that. About living in the moment. About appreciating every step. I’m there…where are you?

 

Just a reminder to all of my readers! I’m currently in the process of trying to raise money for New Hope Academy for Team Toby Mac and the Nashville Half Marathon…if you feel compelled to contribute, please visit my fundraising page!

Settling In and Counting Blessings

Posted in Family Fun, Miscellaneous, Other, Uncategorized by

mountainsIt’s been awhile friends! Most of you know the reasoning…that we’ve moved out of Pennsylvania and into a new home and life in North Carolina. Many of you also know that this move was full of questions for me. I had no idea what the future would look like and what we’d find here. Let me be clear up front in saying that while those fears were not unfounded…they may have been unnecessary.

We have been blessed with much as we settle in. Many of you have asked for updates…let me share a few of the highlights:

  • The weather has been fantastically mild. In fact, the past two days we reached the 60’s. We couldn’t ask for anything more.
  • We were welcomed into our new church home Sunday and it felt like coming home. It’s a great feeling and we look forward to growing with Summit Church and doing life with some great people.
  • Our home has come together well. We are mostly unpacked. While we are still waiting on a few pieces of furniture, things are shaping up well.
  • We will be starting our Friday Night dinners this week, inviting whoever wants to come! So far it’s mostly established friends, but we are anxious to see what these grow into, and to get to know those we’ve already met better!
  • The boys have found a few friends. Let’s rephrase that – many potential friends. Our neighborhood is FILLED with children their ages and we’ve spent the past 2 days outside playing with those children. I’ve also started to get to know their parents. Coming from a place where few of our friends had kids and a neighborhood without children, this is an amazing blessing. We’ve been told that in the summer, everyone spends pretty much all day outside!
  • We’re starting to adjust to a more laid back lifestyle. Things really do move at a slower pace here and we absolutely love it. The rush and stress that we didn’t even realize we were living in has been reduced.
  • John’s work is going well. He is getting to know his team and is working hard to keep things moving forward smoothly.
  • We’ve started to identify local stores, have started local accounts and have found great medical teams…this is big.

Asheville – so far – seems like an amazing place with so much potential. We love the outdoor lifestyle and are excited to jump in. It’s only been a week, but it’s been a great one. We appreciate all the positive thoughts and prayers that were coming our way during this transition. I’m sure it won’t always seem so smooth, but for right now, we are simply overwhelmed with thankfulness!

 

Just a reminder to all of my readers! I’m currently in the process of trying to raise money for New Hope Academy for Team Toby Mac and the Nashville Half Marathon…if you feel compelled to contribute, please visit my fundraising page!

 

Giving Back and Paying it Forward

Posted in Uncategorized by

As some of you may have seen through my social statuses, I have teamed up with Run for Hope to raise money for New Hope Academy during the St. Jude Nashville Half Marathon in April.

With my registration, I made a donation to St. Jude, and now, I’m going above and beyond to raise money for New Hope Academy’s mission: to provide a solid foundation and education to kids that would otherwise be completely overlooked, to break down racial boundaries and to give all children a shot.

As part of this initiative, I must raise $1000 by March 6. All proceeds are tax deductible and go straight to New Hope Academy. But, this isn’t just a shameless plug to try to raise money for my cause alone. Instead, I want to turn it into something bigger; for that, I need YOU.

Anyone who donates to my cause, let me know – through a message, through a comment or through social media. Along with that, let me know the charity of your choice. This year, I’ll commit to giving back to that charity, through a donation or by participating in an event in one way or another. It’s that simple.

Let’s make 2015 a year of doing great things…wanna join me? Visit http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/LauraPyne/runforhope2015teamtobymac or Click Here. Please feel free to share to help me spread the word…let’s make a difference together!

Thanks for your support!

HOPE

What Does the New Year Mean to You?

Posted in Family Fun, Healthy Living, Miscellaneous by

New YearIt’s here! The old has ended and the new has begun.

In past years, for me, that meant setting a list of crazy expectations, coined “resolutions,” and obsessing over how to make them a reality. Blame it on a competitive nature or a need for perfection, I’m not sure – maybe they’re the same thing. Regardless, New Year’s was another excuse to put some extra pressure on myself and those around me.

I’m not sure what it stemmed from, but, honestly, I think it has a lot to do with what our culture has become. Sure, everyone wants to lose a few holiday pounds and to make a list of fun things to do in the New Year…there’s nothing wrong with this. However, with social media blasting images of perfection: perfect Pinterest pictures posted by professionals that are unobtainable to the average person, selfies filled with laughter, new records being broken and opinions from all angles, it can be a little overwhelming.

This year, I’ve decided to take a step back and evaluate. I started realizing that what we see all around us – and at all times thanks to mobile technology bombarding every aspect of our daily lives – is manufactured happiness. How hard is it to get a family laughing in a photo – or a hundred photos – and to make everyone think that’s an all the time thing? How hard is it to post photos of workout sessions 10x a day to make people think you’re living at the gym?

Let me step back for a second to be clear: I post just as many of these photos as anyone else. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them; I think they’re a great way to share some amazing memories and to connect with friends and family members that we might not see so often. However, there’s also a drawback…when we focus so much on this social reality that we’ve become a part of, we start to see it as the only reality. It can make us feel inadequate…”why is everyone else succeeding?” “why is everyone else so happy?” “why are all my friends doing amazing things without me?”

What I’ve noticed is that when we only focus on what we see – what’s on the surface – we miss what’s underneath…we miss reality. We don’t see the struggles every single person has. We don’t see the hard times; which makes sense…who wants to share them on social media for the world to see?

I’m not saying we need to stop posting. I’m not saying we need to stop sharing joy and happiness – there are a lot of people who need those very things. What I am saying is that the way we perceive these images shared by others needs to change. We need to stop setting ourselves up with unmatchable goals and comparing our lives to the “perfection” that we are served on a constant basis.

Because of this, I’m not making any huge New Year’s resolutions, nothing that requires a check mark for completion. This year, I’m focusing inward, on my family and self. I’m hoping that by injecting a little more love and a little more focus into everyday events, that the result will trickle outward to those around me. I’m planning on facing 2015 and whatever it brings without my own agenda or “plan.” I’m opening my arms and embracing whatever comes my way with a positive outlook and thankfulness. Forget the checklist, this year is just about living right and loving both the good and the bad.

Happy New Year; thanks for being a part of my journey! Let’s do life together and do it well.

What’s your game plan for 2015? What does the New Year mean to you?

Just a reminder to all of my readers! I’m currently in the process of trying to raise money for New Hope Academy for Team Toby Mac and the Nashville Half Marathon…if you feel compelled to contribute, please visit my fundraising page!