Dhani Jones - Cincinnati Bengals 230 lb Linebacker climbs mountains

Another Ride with Dhani Jones

The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker rides to work on a fixie and spent three weeks getting eco-tutored by Al Gore--but wishes he had more time for the group ride. 

 

By Emily Furia 

he first time Bicycling spoke with Dhani Jones, he told us about pedaling his fixed-gear Surly to practice at Paul Brown Stadium and his attempts to become more environmentally conscious with the help of Al Gore. This year, during the National Football League's off-season, Jones worked on the second season of his Travel Channel special, "Dhani Tackles the Globe," a show that explores how sports influence culture worldwide. We caught up with Jones to chat about the show-in which he rides a Gran Fondo in Italy and treks in Nepal-shortly before its April 19 debut.

Bicycling: So do you still ride your bike to practice?
Dhani Jones: I still do but a little less frequently. I have to gauge the cost benefit of everything I do in my life. I have to be fresh for my number-one obligation, which is football, so I don't ride in everyday, but I still do it a lot. A lot of times it depends on the number of plays I had in the prior week's game. If I have fewer plays, I can ride more the following week. Everything is balance. You have to find a way to fit the things you like to do into what you have going on and find that balance.

Bicycling: Tell us about "Dhani Tackles the Globe." How did that come about?
Dhani Jones: It's been going great. Season two starts on April 19. I love to travel as much as I love cycling. Growing up I rode to school, did mountain bike competitions and also traveled to places like Africa and Europe. All these things came together for Dhani Tackles the Globe. In the NFL you have to focus your efforts and establish yourself. Once you have done that, you can start to branch out and try new things. That might be different training options or traveling more. The show has helped me learn about different people and participate in the different sports they play around the world. So it integrates everything I like in life: sports, travel and new experiences.

Bicycling: You were just in Nepal shooting a segment for the show. What was that like?
Dhani Jones: We were there trekking and learning the art of mountain-climbing at one of the base camps on Mt. Everest. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It took me a long time to get acclimated. You get nauseous and your body just shuts down. I had to come down from the base camp several times and then go back up. Sometimes you wake up in the middle night and your mouth is dry and you can't breathe. But you are trying to reach new heights and see how far you can go. Ernest Hemingway said, "Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports. The rest are games." There's some truth to that....... read more at Bicycling


http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Dhani_Jones

Netflix to the rescue

I always tend to lose momentum during the Christmas and New Years period, the added snow doesn't help much. I am currently trying to build inertia again to get my training moving in the right direction. Riding two hours or more indoors can be mind numbing, but Netflix has come to the rescue. This is one of the best value for money deals out there - you have access to thousands of movies at only $8 per month. Movies which can be accessed on your iPod, iPad, computer or Internet connected TV. I got rid of my cable subscription about six months ago and Netflix has filled that gap quite nicely. There is nothing like selecting a movie, TV show or documentary you want to watch to help distract you from that two hour spin bike ride.Netflix is highly recommended.

http://www.netflix.com/

Tracking Training

Tracking Training - Miles versus Hours
Although the number of miles ridden (per week) is the most common approach to measuring training, there are those who believe that mileage doesn't count as much as time. For example, compare riding alone at 15 miles per hour versus in a group at 20. Were both equal workouts with an hour of saddle time? Or was the 20 miles a better workout? There is no answer to this question, so you get to pick your own preference.

Using a training log
Keeping track of your training - and using the information to improve - is an improtant part of any training program. How do you use the information?? I'll reprint the comments of Fred Matheny (from www.roadbikerider.com - an excellent on line resource). I'll emphasize what resonates with me in bold.

From RBR's 12/21/06 Newsletter: Motivation & Inspiration: Best of Coach Fred. " How Do You Analyze a Training Diary?"

* Question: You've mentioned that you've kept a training log for almost 33 years. I'm curious -- what are your training totals for 2006, and how do you analyze your entries to help you plan for next year? -- Mark N.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: Good question, Mark. Not many riders keep detailed training logs, which is a shame, and even fewer know what to do with a year's worth of information. Analyzing a training log is crucial to learning from your mistakes, understanding your successes and getting better each year. I'd like to see you and all RBR roadies start a cycling diary for 2007.

This task is easier now that computer-based diaries can be used instead of paper-and-pencil logs. (For an example, see http://www.cyclistats.com) With electronic diaries you can pull out average miles, average heart rate, number of hours at or above lactate threshold and much other potentially useful data.

But having said that, I admit to still using an old-school paper diary. I've gotten comfortable with this type during three decades, although I still find that turning all the data into actual improvement is more art than science.

You asked about my numbers. With two weeks to go in 2006 I've done 527 hours on the bike, 227 hours of other aerobic exercise (mainly hiking and snowshoeing) and about 50 hours of weight training. That adds up to around 800 hours of exercise. My totals have been pretty consistent in the last 17 years, averaging 650-800 hours annually.

But lump-sum hours aren't as meaningful as the hours spent near or above lactate threshold. In other words, quality is more important than quantity. And in this area my ability to analyze my training falls short. It's difficult to pull that information from a handwritten log. I rarely wear a heart monitor, and although I do have a power meter on a bike, I'm not always riding that one when I go hard. So quite a few power profiles of hard rides aren't recorded.

Periodically through the year, I read back over my diary to make a subjective analysis. I check the number of interval sessions I've done and their spacing. I look for rides that were hard even though no formal intervals were scheduled. Examples are spirited group rides, races and courses with lots of climbing.

I also check my body weight, looking for fluctuations that could indicate dehydration or overtraining.

But more important to me than intensity or hours is a subjective rating of my well-being. I find my mental state to be the best indicator that I'm on the right track or doing too much. Do I feel vigorous or flat? Am I eager to ride or am I going through the motions? Do rides feel so good that I extend them longer than I'd planned, or do I plod through a lackluster hour and head home?

Hard training doesn't, by itself, lead to improvement. Rest and recovery are the essential catalysts. If I don't rest enough, everything goes downhill. So for me, charting my mood against the objective numbers produced by my training is the most useful aspect of diary analysis."..... more

Kit Karzen in Trinidad

A Cryptic Track Cycling Training Program from the 80s

I got this Track Training Program from Dereck Gaskin (Booker Junior). It is a throw back from the 80s, I can't seem to decipher its intent (the bad photocopying doesn't help either), maybe you can make sense of it.

Austin Carol Vlog

December 2010 Training Summary Sheet