Day 39 - Preparation

I think this will be my last post for about 10 days as I am off to the Alps for a skiing vacation from tomorrow. I have my thermometer with me and will be on the lookout for a lake with ice that has a hole in it to take a quick dip (or a snow melt run-off stream). Hopefully someone will film it so I can put it on Youtube. Other than that I am sure that the water in the taps will be colder than the UK so I am hoping to report back that I was able to go down a few more degrees in temp. I didn't have any feedback as to what is the best way to do the really low temps (<5C) - whether to stay in only for a few minutes the first day and then build up the time or stick with 10 minutes and gradually reduce the temp - over the time I am there. I think I may just go with the first option and see how I get on.

Today I only managed a short cold shower but I think was good enough after yesterdays re-acquaintance. Temp outside is 6C so I may just go for a run later too.

The blog has not gone away - will be back with a vengeance on the 10th of March. Have fun while I am away and leave me a comment or two, please!

Temperature: 10C (Shower)
Duration: 4 minutes

Day 38 - Up to my neck (in cold water)

Well, it's great to be back in the UK with cold water readily available. My first really cold water encounter 10C in over a week and it was one I did enjoy. No problems with gasping for breath on getting in either - much more controlled than when I first started. It was so enjoyable that I manage to stay in it for a full 20 Minutes without so much as a shiver until the very end. I would not have thought that possible just over a month ago. I was surprised that I adapted again so quickly actually. I guess I must be pretty tough, or determined, or both not to let a few days in the sun and a warm climate deter me.

Here's hoping I can get a cool evening run/jog in tonight too.

On the weight front, I find from stepping on the scales this morning that I am now down to 70.5Kg. This is really encouraging, especially as I have only been walking these past few days.

Temperature: 10C (Bath)
Duration: 20 minutes

Day 36 & 37 - Still in Hot Water

At least I can say that I am sticking to cold showers - the only problem is that for the past 5 days the coldest water I can get out of the tap has been at 30C. I suppose the bright side of this is that I now have more of a suntan than before and that I have been walking a fair bit too, so hopefully my weight will be down a bit more. The results of weigh-in I will post on the blog tomorrow.

Here's hoping the next 2 or 3 days in the UK will allow me the time for a few cold baths to get used to the cold again.

Day 34 & 35 - Hot Water

Still away in a hot climate and nothing I can do to get the water colder. It still comes out of the tap at close to 30C! I just resigned myself to the fact that I shower hot. I can see that I am going to have to get used to the cold water back in the UK in a hurry on Friday by immersing myself in a bath full to the brim with cold water for as long as I can stand it.

I have been walking (not jogging) since I am here and also, unfortunately, eating a lot too. I just hope my good work of the past weeks has not been undone in an instant. Next weigh-in will be on Friday.

Over the next 2 days I do hope to catch up on some sun tanning to add bit of colour to my skin after a winter drought of the suns rays on my body. At least at my hotel I can get away with wearing a thong swimsuit at, and in, the pool.

My next post will probably be on Friday. If you want to ask me a question, just post a comment.

Temeperature (Air from 25C to 37C; Cold water out the tap 30C)
Duration: Here, as long as you want..........

Day 32 & 33 - A dilemma

I have internet connection so I guess I can blog regardless of where I am. A brief update regarding Day 31 evening (21h30): A short jog on my normal route (Air temp 4C) with a detour into a local woodland at around the halfway point where I managed to strip off completely and cool off walking slowly for around 20 minutes. Unfortunately there is not a pool or water source that I have found where I could swim or even wallow yet to cool of even more and quicker. However, I am stll looking

I arrived last night on my trip in air temps of 26C. A 20C difference from when I left the UK. Changed and went straight to the 11m (too small) hotel pool to do a few laps. I got into what felt like a warm bath - the water was 34C!! After 50 lengths I was so hot I had to cool off - and that was useless too becuase when I got in the shower the water was warm (later measured at 29C), also some 20C above what I have been bathing and showering in and used to. My worst fear is that by the end of the week I will have lost some or all of the cold resistance I have been building up and when I head to the mountains on vacation next week I will need to go back to 15C and waste my vacation getting back down to where I was instead of being able to get down to 1C or 2C within the first few days.

Maybe I just have to tell the hotel I am on some form of strict training regime that means I have to take very cold baths and that I need half a bath full of ice every morning over the next few days! Does anyone else have any experience of wierd hotel room service requests? Have you made any such requests of hotel room service? What do you think I should do?

Maybe I will let you know tomorrow.......

Temperature: Way too high
Duration: Almost indefinite.........!!

Day 30 & 31 - A month of Progress?

Well it has been a week of showers and I am missing the cold baths. More importantly a whole month of cold showers and baths at temps from 16C down to 7C, my lowest to date. Hopefully I will get back into the bath routine again soon. Next week will be difficult too as I am away in the Middle East (topping up the suntan hopefully too), so unless I buy tons of ice to ship back to my hotel and put in the bathtub it will be "warm" cold showers for the whole week. This may change the week after though as I will be up in the Alps above the snowline. Here's hoping for a few evening runs and rolls in the snow at temps well below freezing air temperature.

After a whole month of this new routine I suppose I should pen some thoughts for consideration:

1. It has changed my way of thinking a little - every lake or stream I see from the window of a car or train becomes a potential place to cool off. Anyone else have that sensation/feeling?
   
2. I am not afraid of the cold anymore - just more aware of my limits.
3. My fitness has improved. My run on day 29 evening was around 13.5 minutes for the1.6 Mile run - not far off my current target time of 12. Maybe if I keep up my exercise routine while away I may be able to go a further distance or set a new goal time.
   
4. My weight has dropped by almost 2Kg (4.5lbs)
5. I need to tell my family what I am doing. It will be easier to practice this lifestyle change if things are out in the open.
6. I want to get to the point where I can spend several minutes in ice cold water (below 2C) before summer really kicks in. Here's hoping the Alps prove to be the place to do just that - I know there is a stream close to the place I am staying that I can run to which may prove suitable.
7. I will start running in only shorts and trainers from now on (OK, well maybe not in the alps except for a few minutes at a time, but certainly for my nightly runs in the UK).
   

If you don't see a post for a while you will know where I am - I have not stopped writing, just unable to get online. Why not send me a comment or a question to answer so that I am not bored and have lots to do when I get back from my trip(s)?

Temperature: 9C
Duration: 10 Minutes (day 30) and 12 Minutes (day 31 - of which 5 minutes straight was with the shower directly on my head despite the pain and temptation to get out)

Please dont forget to look at my playlist of videos collected about this topic on my Youtube link.

Day 29 - Shower & run

Another shower day today - 11 Minutes. Still working through the pain barrier of having 9C water flowing directly on my head from the shower. Managed about 4 of the 10 minutes today - longest session was 2 minutes straight with two other 1 minute sessions.

I went for a jog last night too and probably will tonight after I finish writing this. My standard street circuit of 1.6 Miles completed in 15 minutes dead. An improvement over the previous time which is a good thing. My aim is to get it down to around 12 minutes within about a month.

My weight is slowly coming down too with the cold water and the exercise. Weight was 71.6Kg today (stark naked on the bathroom scale after my shower as usual). Goal weight around 66kg and down to a 30" waist before the height of summer.

Temeperature: 9C (Shower)
Duration: 11 Minutes

Day 28 - A cold memory

Today was another rather boring 10 Minute shower day for me today and with no exercise yesterday I am starting to feel a little edgy. Maybe a longer run tonight in shorts only? The Shower this morning was interesting for one reson only and that was to see if I could overcome this cold head aversion that I have. The pain of cold water flowing onto your head can be quite intense. I was sure that if I kept my head under the cold for long enough the pain would go away or at least subside as my body got used to it. So after a few quick splahes I put my head into the water flow. I timed it - first one minute and then a break as the pain increased, a short break then another 2 minutes straight after which the pain subsided a little. I finished with another 1 minute at the end and that was not as bad at all. Maybe next time I go for 5 Minutes straight. What do you think?

I wanted to recall a bad experience I had with the cold a few years ago - skiing in the French Alps. I dressed as normal for a day on the slopes, fairly lightly because I ski quickly and get warm just as quick. Normal ski gear for me is a one-piece ski suit with thong underwear and a t-shirt underneath as well as the obligatory socks, boots, gloves etc. On this particular day the weather was not so great, cloudy and overcast, a little bit of snow. I had skied quite a bit and then got a long slow lift to the top of one of the runs. By this time the wind had really gotten up, the snow had started to fall as had the temperature to quite a few degrees belwo zero. Around -12C and with the windchill the station at the top it must have been around -20C effective.

The problem was not the cold while skiing but on the lift - it stopped while we were half way up. Completely exposed to the wind with no shelter at all we were left there for a good 10-15 minutes. Even a good ski suit is not that effective at such temps and with the windchill I got really, really cold. I felt OK after i got skiing again but I think the real cold did not agree with me because that evening when I got back I got really shivery, even after a warm bath/shower, and later was quite violently sick. After a few hours in a warm bed I felt much better. I think I did get a real chill - right to my core that day. I suppose its one of the reasons that I want to toughen up a bit now so that I can overcome these irrational fears about the cold and to recognize and know my limits.

Anyone else have any cold experiences that they want to share?

Day 27 - Penance

After the disappointing weekend I thought I should make the extra effort and have at least 10 minutes in the shower this morning - my self-imposed penance, I suppose.

I have noticed that I get a sort of cramp/pain on the top of my head if I leave it directly under the shower head with cold water flowing over it for a longish period. I am sure this is one of those things that I need to get used to so that the cramp is just another "brain" signal or pain barrier that I need to fight to overcome and conquer. Today I tried ot let the water flow over it for longer than normal. The pain/cramp was quite intense the first 2 times I tried it but for the third time right at the end of my shower I fought the urge to get out of the stream of water and endured a full minute of the 9C water flowing directly onto my head. I survived the ordeal so I guess it can't have been that bad. Does anyone else have this same feeling? How did you overcome it?

Temperature: 9C
Duration: 12 Minutes

Day 25 & 26 - A Lazy Weekend

After the high (or should that be low?) of yesterday, a much more mundane start to the weekend. A 5 minute cold shower. A longish fast walk of around 4 miles in the afternoon and then another cold shower in the evening of around 2 minutes.

Now for the confession. As the shower was just before bedtime I cheated and warmed myself up with hot water afterwards for around 5 minutes or so. I must admit that in the hot water phase I was able to get a good close shave on my face, chest and the rest of my body as the skin is much more supple and pliable to get that really close shave with warm water. I did finish the shower with a one minute cold water blast just to close the pores again.

Day 2 of my weekend was much less eventful - too many things going on so no shower or bath today. However, a late evening quick jog around the block (1.6 miles) in around 16 minutes in jeans and a thin cotton shirt. The next week is going to be difficult for me to take anything but showers unless my family vacate the house for an hour or two.

I really need to get myself kitted out to do proper running in shorts and vest as a maximum. As I have not been into this style of exercise before I don't want to change too many things too fast or too quickly so as not to raise too much suspicion about why I am doing this.

I am looking for innovative ways in which to tell my family about this change in my life-style.

How did others of you raise the issue of toughness and changing your lifestyle with your partners and families? How did they react when you told them? What did you do to raise this with them? Did you do it gradually or just a bold "This is what I am doing now" statement? Do they support you now? Do they think you are crazy?

Day 24 - A nice Day Out - Coldest to date

Today was the day I met up with a fellow Toughness Group (see links) member - lets call him Mr E!. We had been trying to get together for a while but today was the day. I had shuffled my diary so I could meet up mid-afternoon. I arrived at his place and we sat and exchanged conversation and experiences for a time before running a cold bath. He also showed me some of his favourite video clips from Youtube on this subject.

It turns out that his building has an exposed cold water tank on the roof so the water from his tap is about 3C colder than mine. We both had our thermometers with us so we compared notes and agreed that the water was (after adjustment) around 6C.

Mr E! went first and stayed in for 5 minutes only so as not to warm the water up too much for me. I was the second in the water by this time it was around 7C ( a good 2C colder than I have experienced before).

Observations:

• Getting into the water was actually quite easy (even though for a few days before this I had not had such cold water available)
• My breathing was quite controlled
• I ducked my head under at least twice during the session
• Having someone to talk to passed the time a lot quicker than just looking at the clock
• I moved around and had my hands in the water the whole time yet did not feel a lot of pain in them (am i getting used to this?)
  
• Having exercise equipment (static bike) to warm up on afterwards was great - better than press-ups or sit-ups for warming up. Anyone have one to loan or sell me?
  
• I find really cold water easier to handle than cold, cool or even tepid water because I think it shocks the skin more into closing the pores and sends the correct messages to the brain to bring blood back to the core of your body. Anyone else feel this?
• I was expecting to not be able to stay in for a full 10 minutes at this temperature but found it relatively easy to do a full 10 minutes
• I decided want to go colder still

All in all a good day for me. I need to concentrate on the exercise this weekend and get my weight down some. Maybe Mr E! (who I know reads this blog) would like to comment anonymously on today's session and give his thoughts and impressions of how I am doing in my cold water escapades.

Temperature: 7C
Duration: 10 Minutes 40 Seconds

Day 23 - A Pleasant Surprise

When I started to run my cold bath this morning and put the thermometer in it was a cooler 14C. Dont ask me why it was colder than only 6 hours ago but it was. it was a pleasant suprise beacuse I was expecting another boring day.

I settled in for what turned out to be a more than 15 minute soak by which time I was slightly shivering when I got out. Am also finding the cold water shaving is working OK on my face now but rest of me really has to be done in warm water!

Temperature: 14C
Duration: >15 Minutes.

Day 22 - Update

It's late at night and so after a boring evening I came back to my room and ran a cold bath. I even went to the ice machine in the hall twice to try and cool it down some more but gave up after realising I would need to do about 30 trips with the ice bucket in the room to cool it down far enough to make any difference.

So I plunged in and set the timer for 30 minutes. By the time I got out after 33 minutes, I thought I could probably manage 45 to 60 minutes more. I was shivering slightly but that was just enough to keep my muscles warm. Its now 10 minutes after I got out and the shivering has stopped even though I have done no exercise to wam up. I dont think I will try this again. Its really boring.

Thanks goodness I had a magazine to read or it would have been an exceedingly boring soak. I cant wait to get home for a cold evening walk and cold shower tomorrow night.

Temperature: 20C
Duration: 33 Minutes

Day 21 & 22 - Early Days of Cold

Right now I am frustrated. Firstly because I cant find any really cold water and secondly because even the outside air temperature is also so high that even if I went naked outside it would take only slow walking at a snails pace to keep warm. It will be another full day before I can get back to some semblance of cold in the UK. I wonder if it will be shock to get into water at below 10C again because for 3 full days I will have been using water at more than 20C for my daily routine.

I said I would share some of my early day recollections of cold. Unlike toughness group owner Paul, I didn't have a father that initiated me into this cold therapy by dipping in ice pools. I do recall, however, some schoolday experiences of Physical Education (PE) sessions at high school when I was aged 11-13 years old. In those days it was common to only wear white shorts (no underwear) and plimsolls (no socks) to PE. I think the exceptions were when you played sports such as rugby or football out on the field rather than being in the gym doing vaults, bars or rope climbing etc. In the outdoor sports you could also wear a t-shirt. As I did not like football or rugby the only alterntive offered was cross country. My school was near a public park and the school perimeter fence was open to the countryside so the natural cross country route was along public footpaths into the park and back via a different route. It was normal not to wear a t-shirt when doing cross country, even in winter.

I never like running either so taking this option was always a bit of a last resort for me. I did occasionally enjoy it however in the summer or when the sun was shining on a crisp cold day. The route used to take in one or two stream crossings and when there was a lot of rain the fields and footpaths used to flood. I recall on one of those flood days being quite cold and when running with a mate he dared me to sit in one of these very cold wet puddles of water and mud that were in our path. I suppose I was bit gung-ho and did it. I recall it was cold and I got colder as I ran back to the school heading for the hot showers. Did it give me a rush - yes, I reckon it did because I remember doing it again a few times. But then again it wasn't often because I would try and get out of doing anything too physical at that age. I wish I knew then what I know now - I would not be so timid and would throw myself into it wholeheartedly.

If you have similar experiences why dont you share them with me and I will post some of your stories on my blog too. Send me a comment or an e-mail.

Temperature: 20C
Duration: 10 Minutes

Day 20 - Another European City

Well, an 8 Minute 9C shower this morning followed by 2 minutes outside standing barefoot in the remaining snow left in the garden - all this ahead of getting a taxi to the airport to get to a European city. On arrival I checked the temperature of the cold water from the tap - very disappointing at almost 20C. I was hoping it would be colder. I guess that means a long soak in as cold water as I can find for my bath tomorrow (or maybe a lot of trips to the ice machine with the waste basket to get it colder)

Seeing as there will not be a lot to report te next few days (on account of the water temp being too high) I may recount some of my early experiences of cold.

Taking the advice of Paul I calibrated the thermometer this evening. A glass full of ice with cold water in abouot a 50/50 mix. The thermometer read zero or just below so probably a 0.5C to 1C inaccuracy but I think this is OK for my general purposes here. I guess for the 79p I bought the thermometer for you cant expect scientific accuracy to a tenth of a degree can you?

Also have a question for you experts out there: If you have a cold bath or shower first thing in the morning is it cheating to have a hot one later in the day?

Temperature: 9C
Duration: 8 minutes

Day 18 & 19 Weekend

The temptation to take a break over weekends is always there. It is difficult to find time alone to run a cold bath and soak for a long time - I really have to find a way of telling my family what I am doing and/or find a way to get a bath/tub out in the garden that I can use.

Only managed showers (9C) over this weekend - one longer (5-6 mins) the other short (2-3 mins)- and I resisted the temptation to make them hot ones. I am even finding shaving in cold water easier now. The problem with a shower is that I can't get cold enough in a short period of time so never feel really cold even after I have been in there for 10 minutes or longer. It is still a shock to the system getting out of a warm bed though so I am sure it is better than nothing.

Did manage another 4 mile walk/jog on Saturday night. The last vestiges of snow on the ground were great for laying on and rolliing in at the mid-point of my walk for around 10 minutes of the 20 that I was completely shirtless. Have to get fitter so that I can get to the field and strip off sooner and explore semi, or even fully, naked for longer. Outside air temp was below freezing (-1C) . But I was very warm by the time I got back home after putting my t-short and fleece back on for the last 10 mins or so of the walk home. I really do need to find the time to get out more in less clothing.

Observation & Question:

1. I am starting to find that my nipples are getting harder and stiffer as my body gets colder, and that they are more sensitive than I remember them being before. Is this a normal reaction when your body gets cold?
   
2. I also find that the longer I stay in cold water the more likely I am to get an erection. Again, is this normal and is this another reason why this "toughening process" is attracting more guys to try it? What do you think, let me know?
   

Guys following and commenting on my Blog: Thanks to Paul (owner of the Yahoo Toughness group that got me started on this escapade: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Toughness/ ) and Nigel (member of that group) for the comments and personal e-mails of encouragement- please keep them coming.

Also to the one follower of my Blog (Smooth103) - thanks for showing an interest.

It would be nice to hear from anyone else even if it is just to satisfy my curiosity that someone is actually out there and reading this. Anyone want to publicise it more for me?

Day 16 & 17 - Cold baths

Yesterday was a little hectic so no time to post hence you get 2 days in one today.

Yesterday and today were days I made a little more time to enjoy my bath. 13 Minutes at 10C yesterday. Today I was feeling fine and went a lot longer - a total of 22 minutes, also at 10C. For my own interest I put the thermometer back in the bathwater at the end of the session and it was almost 3 degrees higher than at the start. I guess most of the increase came from me!

What is the longest that you have stayeed in what temperature water? Leave a comment and let me know.

Temperature: 10C
Duration: 22 Minutes

Day 15 - While the cat's away .........

I will play! An early morning start today - was awake early so ran the bath to the overflow with cold water (what else these days). Temp was 9C (that seems to be the lowest temp I can get straight from the tap so far). Started the timer as I got in and was aiming for 10 minutes. I actually managed 15 minutes but was running late so could'nt really do more. Why do hotels have such small baths? If I lay with my body completely in the water my knees stick out!

Also managed to get out to a local naturist swim group I heard about. They meet later in the evening (21h00-23h00). Was worth a try so I went along and managed 1.5Km (30 lengths of a 50m pool). It was great to swim naked again and good exercise too. I feel much better for it - I am definitely gonna have to work swimming in at least 3 times a week if I want to achieve my weight and fitness goals. My closest pool at home is around 3 miles away so maybe that needs to be my run/swim/run routine. 2 good hills along the way too but all on tarmac so not so good for my knees.

Temperature: 9C
Duration: 15 Minutes

Day 14 - Away from home

Early morning shower 5 Mins straight from the tap- around 10C I think. With all the snow my trip to get my connection to travel meant an early start.

Several hours later I find myself in my hotel room running a cold bath. Temp is 9C. I set the timer for 10 mins and hop in. I take my time getting into the cold water, regulating my breathing as I go. It was much better than previously - no gasping this time, just steady breathing. I hope the water gets colder over the next few days as I want to take the coldness to a new level.

The phone interrupts my cold soak telling me I have a meeting in 5 minutes time but by then the timer has already gone off for over a minute. I dry and dress quickly. I can't believe that I am really starting to enjoy this. Is it the endorphin rush or just the fact that it is so different from my previously normal routine. I wish I had had a little more time because I end up sitting shivering a little during the meeting because I havent had time to exercise and warm up very much. Gradually I warm up over the next hour or so. Its a good feeling.

Temperature: 9C
Duration: 11 Minutes

Day13 - Snow!

Well, Snow overnight - most in nearly 20 years they say (about 8 inches here)

Start the day with a barefoot walk in the snow in the garden wrapped only in a towel then come inside for a cold shower (5 minutes). Get dressed and down to work. No exercise, didn't need to warm up.

Boring day really. Went for a walk tonight in the snow (9pm) - about and hour of which 20 mins was shirtless. Found an open space in the field where I stripped off completely and rolled and lay in the snow for a while. Covered my body too by scraping the snow from around and let the cold soak in. Great feeling, have to do that again, and soon.

Heading off on a business trip so dont know if I'll get a chance to post tomorrow.

Day 12 - A Good day

I stared the day with a 5 minute cold shower - to make up for yesterday - no time for more! It actually felt good although I still prefer immersion to a shower. I felt i should have stayed in longer.

I also started my exercise program today. I took a fast walk of about 3-4 miles after dinner (around 18h30 in the dark and alone). I started the walk on roads but then headed to open fields and footpaths close to my house. I was dressed in a button-up shirt, jeans and a winter jacket as well as having my walking boots on. There was a small amount of snow on the ground and the wind was quite chill - around 0C, and lower with the wind chill. As I walked I got hot after only 5 minutes so I undid the jacket and unbuttoned the shirt baring my chest. When I reached the open field I took both the jacket and shirt off and waked around topless for about 20 minutes before heading back to civilisation - I buttoned everything up for the last 500m or so and, surprisingly, I was nicely warm by the time I got home. I think I need to change the gear for the next walk - shorts, t-shirt, fleece and a light windproof jacket that I can stuff into a bum-bag. That should keep me generally cooler than tonight but give me ample warmth if I really need it. For safety, I also had my mobile phone with me. All I need now is an evening toughness walking buddy in my area.

I didn't feel cold at all, the skin went numb on my body and if I had worn shorts instead of jeans I probably would have taken those off too as I love to walk around naked in the moonlight. I still have a problem with my hands getting really cold on a day like today and quite painful. I know I can stand to put them in cold in water at 10C but in ice cold air with a wind chill is different in my view - warm hands means the rest of me doesn't feel cold (I think!). Will need a few more evenings of this to see if that is really the case. Maybe I need to work through the pain and cold in my hands.

Snow expected tonight so tomorrow evening's walk could also mean I could go naked or play naked in the snow when I am out.

Two questions for today:

1. Is it really cheating when out doing "Toughness" walking/hiking to keep your gloves or a hat on?
2. Do you think some pictures would help illustrate the things I am doing here?

Please leave a comment and let me know.


Temperature: 10C
Duration: 5 Minutes (shower)