Summer Days....

I think this summer in my family is a bit similar to when I was a kid. You'd have nothing to do at times, read a book, maybe fall a sleep for a short nap to reenergize you for the rest of the day, and later go out and play. The great part about being an adult, you can do all this and still have the heart of a kid.

I look at my kitchen counter and there's summer harvest all over the place from my garden and my grandmother's garden. Strawberries, lemon cucumbers, watermelon, grapes, and blueberries. I love the wide variety and colors that summer can bring. Can't have enough fruit and veggies, huh?!

Even while driving around doing errands and such, I count kayaks on top of cars or in trucks, and how I wish I was on the river. Well, that will change tomorrow. Since I can't ride or run due to my eye, and there's so much swimming you can do. I'm going to go to the river and kayak maybe a couple of hours. Take my time and enjoy some more of summer's beauty. What are you going to do tomorrow? Come on, you have to do something, make it good!! LB

How about that Tour de France?

I know it's been awhile, but since I've had nothing to do since my eye injury, except sit on the couch. No exercise, no nothing, I've been watching the TDF everyday and keeping up with the buzz of the cycling world. It's quite fascinating. The strategies by teams, the steep 10% grade mountains (that's very, very steep in layman's terms). They actually seem to claw their way up the Pyrenee mountains in France. I've just been in awe of watching this level of athleticsm (sp?) and humanism of just what these endurance athletes can do. However, in the same breath, I've seen 2 individuals be pulled out of the race and a team (due to one individual) also be yanked from the tour, due to doping issues. I can't believe that some would ruin their chance to be in such an extraordinary race as the TDF and have it all blown away by the results of a blood and/or urine test. It happens rather quickly. But I keep on watching, because our hometown boy Levi L. is sneaking into a possible podium position in Paris. It's exciting, well to me anyways. And I love saying the names of riders, such as Fabian Canncellara, Alberto Contador and Alajandro Valverde. Say that with gusto and a deep voice and you can be a commentator! And my favortie saying by the wonderful Phil Liggitt is "...and the man is riding as though he's possessed." He probably says it once every day during the stages. I wish I had a quarter for each time he said that....

Anyways, my eye is getting better. It's dialated still and it feels like it's as big as a baseball in my head (doesn't hurt, just some imagery at work!). I was finally, after 6 days, able to get back in the pool and swim a few laps and got on the precor, not the treadmill or pounding pavement, the precor and move my legs a bit. It felt wonderful, the blood flow, the sweating, the breathing, the movement, uh, oh, sounds like I'm addicted. Until next time, do something for yourself, dance, walk, groove, sing, it will do your heart good. Luv ya all, Loni Behler

Good evening to all, I sit here with a patch on my right eye due to a soccer injury last night. I took a soccer ball in the right temple/eye and my eye was bleeding in the center compartment. So now I must rest completely for the next 5-10 days, or else suffer further consequences. If I follow doctor's orders, everything should be resolved. And so I resolve. At first I thought this would be hard to do nothing but rest, but I try to look at situations like this in a positive. It was either meant for me to rest and take a break, and take a look from the resting side of things, and it won't be so bad. Well, I might lie at first, but I could catch up on alot of reading, which is all I can do anyways. No physical activity, not even walking the dog. After I left the Eye Institute Center, I was in the car watching 3 little asian ladies walking across the street and smiled at how cute they were on there way to somewhere together happily. No worries, just enjoying the scenery quietly walking. I thought that's what it's all about, enjoy the scenery as you go. So I've decided that soccer shall now be history and enjoy the scenery when I run or bike. I've been enjoying these activities much more. So off I go to sleep in our recliner (head has to be 30 degrees or higher) resting my mind, resting my body, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Good night all, sweet dreams...Loni

It's been awhile, busy weekend aside it's time to reflect. It started Friday with a nice easy ride at Annadel park. My training asked for 70 minutes. So of course, I try to make the most out of that 70. So I make it a strength workout. The whole time I just climb, climb, climb up hill for about 45 minutes and come down with an easy 15, and then finish with some rollers for the last 10 minutes. Nice sunny day. Time to go home and stretch. I love my life.....

Saturday comes and I decide to go for a club ride. There's one set for 55 miles, but I don't want to do the whole thing, maybe just a couple hours of riding. It starts at Willowside school at 9:00 am. Just enough time to walk Bosco (my beastie yellow lab) in the morning so he gets his workout, then I can get mine. He drives everyone crazy if he's not exercised first! It's all about him, you know! I get ready to go to ride to the school. As I come upon the group sitting in the parking lot, I notice there are not alot of women, I'm the third and last to show up out of about 25 people. Oh, well, I'm only doing about 30-40 miles. Then I hear a "Loni, Loni...". I turn to see my brother-in-law on his cervelo tri-bike. He stands out of the crowd. I thought oh boy, he's going for the long ride, but after chatting with him, he's deciding to a short route as well, he has to run after he rides and just wants an easy ride! OMG! I'm tired already. The club takes off towards Occidental, working it's way to Tomales and back. We get just out of Sebastopol and one of the ladies gets a flat, half the group stops and helps her. How many people does it take to change a flat?! It took 10 of us to watch two of them change the tire. We return to riding, into Occidental for a quick "natural stop"...that would be the same as "nature calls" in my book. I take them up on it of course, then off we go. Down Joy road to Hwy.1, what a ride. Then towards Tomales on Valley Ford Road, that's where Mike and I part ways from the club riders and head back. I'm doing my best to stay with Mike. I draft behind him, it must feel like pulling a sled behind him. But don't forget, this man is like a horse and he can afford to work hard, oops did I say that. I can't feel my legs for a moment. I look down, they're still there! Thank goodness. I let Mike know (a copout) that he can take off if he wants and not wait for me, but he does until we hit Guerneville Road and off he goes, free like a bird as I watch him get smaller and smaller and smaller! He waits for me at Willowside, he kicked my ass and he doesn't even know it! It was like riding with my local hero, trying to keep up with the big dogs (Mike's 6'4" and 205 lbs), it was fun. I get home and feel like I'm going to throw up. It was the quickest 2-1/2 hours/ 35 miles I ever spent with alot of climbing. So much for an easy ride. And today was suppossed to be my OFF DAY on the training schedule. Ha, ha...

Sunday comes and I get to sleep in until 7:30 am, thanks for that recovery sleep. I have to run today for 32 minutes. Not 30 and not 35, but 32 minutes. I chuckle. So I get ready to run for my 32 minutes. I have to time it right, so I can watch the triathlon episode on TV at 11:00 am. And then the Tour de France at 5:00pm, and in between I take the boys' swimming to Grandma Dorothy's house. That's my schedule, don't you love it. Everything goes as planned, except while running in the first 5 minutes, my ipod shuts down. So I keep running with the earphones in my ears so it looks like I'm listening to music, psych people out. Who's the pysched one here....So I find I'm singing to myself. I recently got a tune my son put on my ipod, it's called Low Rider. It's a good warm-up song. "All my friends have a low rider..." Okay, I'll stop singing. Not that I have a low ride, but it's a good song! Are you yawning yet? I am...bless you for staying with me on this, I'm almost done. I did everything I needed to do, the boys' swam and wore themselves out, they're taken care of. See the pattern here...dog exercised, boys' exercised, Steve got exercise (he rode 3 hours to Healdsburg and back), I got my workout and we all sleep well. Life is good. The highlight of my day was watching the Tour de France from 5:00-8:00 pm. I get to do my stretches on the mat while watching these awesome athletes climb a part of the Alps mountains in France. I have to say I love listening to the commentators, Liggett, Roll and others. They make you feel like you are there, they are constantly talking the entire time about the riders, the weather conditions, the strategies and much more. These world of cyclists is remarkable. They ride for 100+ miles everyday, climbing mountains and descending them. They crash and they get right back up and keep going. One rider, Alexander Vinakourov, crashes, has a nasty raspberry on his hip, knees and elbows, and gets back on the bike and keeps going. That evening he was in the hospital getting stitches on both knees and his elbow. I saw him on the next day cycling stage with bandages on both knees and one arm. He's not giving up on this TDF, he's not abandoning it at all. He's having to dig deeper to find the effort to ride another 100+ miles with his team and strategize and keep good time, and he manages to do so with flying colors and my respect. Bless him and the others for all they do and what they inspire in us. For me, I get very excited to watch them. If they can do what they do, I can do what I do, Life is definitely good, wouldn't change it for anything, well maybe eat more pizza, but that's not going to happen! Have a great week everyone and do something outside that pleases you! Luv LB

It's Thursday evening and it's been a good of couple of days. I worked at the Wednesday Night Market downtown. I like being there, people watching has always been a fun thing to do. I love watching the teenagers walking by, and how the girls seem to be not eating anything and how some of the boys are eating turkey legs on a stick, while carrying the kettle popcorn! They're probably just holding it for the girls so they can eat it later when they go home! All kidding aside, I know that teenagers want to impress. I know because I was there at one time. Then I started to wonder when did I not worry about curling my hair or putting eye shadow on or wearing the brand name clothes. Was it after having kids? Was it after being married? No, I think the thought of impressing others turned differently, like how could I impress myself to feel better, how can I impress my friends to make them feel better about themselves. It started to be more about myself first, then thinking about how to impress this world to make it a better place. That's when things became more real, more impressed at what we could do locally, globally and locally again. I love this life! Okay I'm tired now, a good tired that will put me to sleep like a big baby. It's the swim I did for 35 minutes in a pool. It may seem like a long time or it may not. But I did it and I feel better about myself, I just impressed myself that I could last that long in water and not swallow some along the way! Thanks life for letting me move today, I hope others moved today....over and out 'till tomorrow. Luv you all, LB

Today feels like a good day, probably because I don't have much on my agenda today. It's a "rest day" from training. It's a day you don't have to do anything and not feel guilty about it! It's a funny thing how we feel guilty when we don't to something we feel we should. I was talking with a client today and she said she felt guilty missing her cardio workout when she was slightly hurt. So she did it anyway and trudged through it. She hurt a little more after that session. If she had let that day go and just did the workout a day later, her body probably would of thanked her for the rest. So listen to your body, then listen to your heart and not your mind, they'll all thank you later for the best intuitive decision you make.... sleep well another chance comes up tomorrow for a new day!

Well today has gone quite smoothly considering how much I had to do today. The morning was spent with my boys' selling items on ebay, kind of a part time job for them. Learning to use the computer, communicate, calculate, photography skills, marketing, all this to sell things. It was very interesting to watch them work their magic. Then I got on with myself, first rode for 42-minutes (that's what the training called for) around the countryside what I call the Willowside/Olivet/River Road/Piner Road loop. Very different ride from the last 33 and 66 mile rides I've been doing. Then I swam for 21 minutes (again what my training called for). Afterwards I sat in the sauna for a few minutes and assessed my day, I noticed how comfortable I felt in the water and it felt like I was gliding instead of desperately treading water! Then I asked myself if I could run after all that and I said "yes" to myself. The most interesting thing since doing all this training is the people I meet--in the gyms, on club rides, at 10K's and triathlons. I spend more time chatting away about kids, work and summer stuff, just about anything. I love it, luv it all!! Oooohh, I smell some brownies..... gotta go....
Good night all, sleep well...Looney Loni

Lucky 7/7/07...how lucky are we?
How lucky do you feel today? I feel very. I rode with the Santa Rosa Cycling Club today on a volunteer appreciation ride. With 33 miles of riding and a catered lunch at the end of the ride, what could be luckier than that! Simply beautiful. To feel the warmth of the sun on your arms, to feel your lungs breathing heavy from the work of the hills and the legs feeling good to bring you from point A to point B, all in the company of great people. We have this wonderful source of recreation all around us. Hiking at the coast, biking anywhere in Sonoma County, taking a nice walk right out your front door, tennis courts everywhere or just going to a park with your coffee in hand and watch the birds and tall trees sway in the wind. It's yours for the day, that's lucky.