These past 2 days I have been able to take my time and have baths. The water is not so cold out of the tap anymore (11C yesterday and 12C today) but still cold enough to reduce body temp sufficiently. Yesterday was a short 10 minute session but today (the same as last Friday) I stayed in the water completely immersed for just over 30 minutes. By the end of the session I was shivering but I reckon that I could have gone for quite a lot longer. I guess the question is at what point do you stop?
I also went out jogging again last night. My time did come down a bit to just over 14 minutes - I need to pick up the pace a little each evening now and gradually work the time down to 12 minutes for my 1.6Mile course and after that build up the endurance by extending the distance till I can run for up to an hour at an 8 mile per hour pace. At my present rate of progress it will take me all summer to get there.
Temperature: 12C
Duration: 30 Minutes
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Sunday 29 March 2009
Day 67 and 68 - Weekend
How come weekends pass so quickly? It never ceases to amaze me that a weekend can go by without doing most of what you intended. 2 showers this weekend and 2 runs, one on friday after I posted the blog and one tonight. My times for the run are not as good as before I hurt my leg but they are improving. And after 2 weeks of business trips and entertaining my weight is back up over 72Kg! I really do need to watch what I eat and exercise more.
Any hints and tips for running/jogging training? Drop me a comment.
Any hints and tips for running/jogging training? Drop me a comment.
Friday 27 March 2009
Day 60 - 66 Another week
Seems like I am getting less time to put a message up on here every day now. Work is getting busier and I have been travelling again. Unfortunately, this normally means cold water at a higher temp than in the UK. This time the coldest water I could find was around 16C and with no bath to lay out in and after a shower of nearly 30 minutes on the first day without feeling even a little bit shivery I almost gave up and went back to hot showers!
Common sense prevailed though and I continued with cold showers the rest of the week whilst away. Back in the UK this Friday and with the cold water temp at only 10C I pushed my bath time out to well over 30 minutes - by which time I was shivering quite a lot, but was not feeling unpleasantly cold. This is the longest I have stayed in cold water, even with my hands in most of the time they did not bother me too much, although the initial lack of dexterity on finishing is something I need to get used to. Even simple things like doing buttons up or tieing shoelaces is not easy with very cold hands.
Anyone else notice these small things?
Temperature: 10C
Duration: 30+ Minutes
Common sense prevailed though and I continued with cold showers the rest of the week whilst away. Back in the UK this Friday and with the cold water temp at only 10C I pushed my bath time out to well over 30 minutes - by which time I was shivering quite a lot, but was not feeling unpleasantly cold. This is the longest I have stayed in cold water, even with my hands in most of the time they did not bother me too much, although the initial lack of dexterity on finishing is something I need to get used to. Even simple things like doing buttons up or tieing shoelaces is not easy with very cold hands.
Anyone else notice these small things?
Temperature: 10C
Duration: 30+ Minutes
Friday 20 March 2009
Day 56 to 59
Today was the first day that I have had time to run a cold bath to languish in and be alone. At 12C it was warmer than I would have liked but I did have 20 minutes in there to relax and enjoy. The previous 3 days I made do with cold showers that were warm by comparison (21C cold water from the tap in Portugal) and 12C back in the UK. I find that I am hardly shivering these days no matter what the temperature of the water is. But as soon as I get out of the water I have what I guess you could call "small" shivering episodes. I guess this is just the muscles warming up again but the feeling is quite refreshing.
At 12C the water is not quite cold enough to numb the skin as much as I have been accustomed to over the past weeks - that is a pity because I quite like the numbness and the fact of losing feeling in the skin, then the sensations returning as I warm up again. I really liked the almost instantaneous numbness you get from 3C water. I don't think I will see that kind of temperature again this year, unless I really make a plan to buy a ton of ice!
At 12C the water is not quite cold enough to numb the skin as much as I have been accustomed to over the past weeks - that is a pity because I quite like the numbness and the fact of losing feeling in the skin, then the sensations returning as I warm up again. I really liked the almost instantaneous numbness you get from 3C water. I don't think I will see that kind of temperature again this year, unless I really make a plan to buy a ton of ice!
Monday 16 March 2009
Day 55 - Contrasts
I must say my life is full of contrasts. 2 weeks ago I was high up in the cold Alps, this week I am in warm Lisbon and inbetween home in the UK. The contrast could not be more evidenced by the temperature of the cold water direct from the tap. France - 3C; UK - 11C; Portugal - 22C!! So from cold to postively warm water by comparison. Somehow it does not seem worth the effort of running a cold bath just to lie in tepid water (I may try it however as its the best that I can gete at the moment). Being in the city also means I can't escape to a nearby river or stream either.
I think I will hit the steam bath here at the hotel instead, then take as cold a shower as I can (they do not have a cold plunge pool here, unfortunately). I find the steam better than a sauna as it does not dry your skin or nasal passages so much. A sauna, on the other hand, when combined with air-conditioned planes and hotel rooms plays havoc with my sinuses! It also has the added attraction of meeting, socialising and talking with other naked people. Its a great leveller and a chance to view the eye-candy that sometimes shares the space with you. Also a great chance to get experience some extremes of temperature.
Questions: What do you do when you are away from home and in situations like I find myself? How do you get to find cold water for your daily "cold fix"?
I think I will hit the steam bath here at the hotel instead, then take as cold a shower as I can (they do not have a cold plunge pool here, unfortunately). I find the steam better than a sauna as it does not dry your skin or nasal passages so much. A sauna, on the other hand, when combined with air-conditioned planes and hotel rooms plays havoc with my sinuses! It also has the added attraction of meeting, socialising and talking with other naked people. Its a great leveller and a chance to view the eye-candy that sometimes shares the space with you. Also a great chance to get experience some extremes of temperature.
Questions: What do you do when you are away from home and in situations like I find myself? How do you get to find cold water for your daily "cold fix"?
Sunday 15 March 2009
Day 51 to 54 - Inactivity
More boring days!
My Calf muscle is still playing up despite my daily cold showers and resting it. I saw the doctor Friday and they have organised an ultrasound scan for next week to make sure there is not any permanent damage such as torn ligaments/muscles or separation from the bone - keep watching this space. Not being active is really a pain as I want to run/walk fast/jog and get out in what is left of the cooler weather.
I went on a short, slow country walk today past a promising pond for a dip in the winter evenings. Unfortunately it is on a very popular path so not much scope of a dip during daylight hours. I also found a 2ft deep stream that runs under a road that had promising capabilities too for evening runs.
An update on the water temp at home - crept up to 11C now so would need a good quantity of ice to make a big difference to a bath.
My Calf muscle is still playing up despite my daily cold showers and resting it. I saw the doctor Friday and they have organised an ultrasound scan for next week to make sure there is not any permanent damage such as torn ligaments/muscles or separation from the bone - keep watching this space. Not being active is really a pain as I want to run/walk fast/jog and get out in what is left of the cooler weather.
I went on a short, slow country walk today past a promising pond for a dip in the winter evenings. Unfortunately it is on a very popular path so not much scope of a dip during daylight hours. I also found a 2ft deep stream that runs under a road that had promising capabilities too for evening runs.
An update on the water temp at home - crept up to 11C now so would need a good quantity of ice to make a big difference to a bath.
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Day 49 & 50
Not much happened since I have been back in the UK except catch up on work stuff and some other things at home. My calf muscle is till sore so I may need to see the doctor about it if it is not better by the weekend. This also means no running/jogging so I am feeling really housebound and going crazy. No time yet for a long cold soak but maybe tomorrow or Friday will bring some opportunity for me to do that.
For these 2 days it has just been a short cold shower, but even this feels warm after the very cold baths of the past week. No temperature measurement so far but I will do that tomorrow. It feels warmer than when I left for vacation so its probably above 10C now straight out of the tap. Guess I need to go find that pond/river somewhere for a really cold experience over the next few weeks - or hope for another cold spell with snow and ice to wing its way in from Siberia.
For these 2 days it has just been a short cold shower, but even this feels warm after the very cold baths of the past week. No temperature measurement so far but I will do that tomorrow. It feels warmer than when I left for vacation so its probably above 10C now straight out of the tap. Guess I need to go find that pond/river somewhere for a really cold experience over the next few weeks - or hope for another cold spell with snow and ice to wing its way in from Siberia.
Tuesday 10 March 2009
Day 40 to 48 - A Cold Vacation
Cumulative Post Days 40 to 48
Day 40
Late flight meant a late arrival in the French Alps. No time for anything but a look around at the piles of snow on the ground and feeling the cold night air.
Day 41
Early into the bathroom for a shave (in hot water at the basin whilst running the cold bath) . The thermometer shows 2.5C so the real temp is around 3C my coldest so far. I start the timer on my wrist watch as I get in. The cold hits you when getting in but not as much as I thought it would, my breathing was a little laboured as my chest went under. My skin goes numb almost immediately and turns quite red. The feeling is not unpleasant. I wait about 3 minutes before dipping my head in. At 5 mins I am still OK but don't want to push things too far on day 1 of my holiday. I get out at 6.5 minutes and dry off in a the warm bathroom. I go straight to breakfast and have a cup of hot tea and a bowl of hot porridge oats. I have almost no shivering at all (unexpected). A good day's skiing follows albeit with poor visibility.
Day 42
Same early morning start before the rest are up. Shave in warm water at the basin before getting into the bath. A longer time this morning - 10.5mins. Hands in the water for most of the time. They get numb and painful very quickly but the pain is constant and manageable after about 3 minutes so they stay in the water. I am surprised at how easily I manage the colder temperatures - it seems easier somehow. Easy to warm up despite no exercise
Day 43
Another early start to get first shot at the bathroom. Cold bath ready - set the timer and in we go..... Hands stay in for the first 10 minutes then I take them out for the next 5 as they feel more sore today than yesterday. A full 15 minutes today. I still feel fine at the end - relatively little shivering - just a bit toward the end of the session. As I did very little exercise afterwards it takes me a while to recover and I have short bursts of shivering through breakfast but all done by the time breakfast is over some 30 minutes later. Another good day skiing ensued thereafter.
Day 44
Dull and boring day today. Snowing heavily so no skiing looks possible. Regular cold bath but only 10 minutes today. No issues at all with shivering or pain in hands although at 10 minutes the mobility and dexterity of my hands is somewhat compromised (i.e. it would be difficult to do buttons up on a shirt or perform tasks requiring fine motor coordination). I take a walk along a stream but as I am with the group and the path is well utilised I resist the urge to strip off and jump in - although I would like to try it. I feel that I would need to be in a group that understands why I feel that way and would not be judgemental but encouraging such activity. On the way back we cross a field that is nearly waist deep in soft powder snow and I think i must return here to enjoy it.
Any takers for a ski/cold/toughness holiday next year at this time?
Day 45
After yesterday's rather dull and boring activity I decide to push things along a bit today. I run the bath full of 3C water and start the timer determining to stay in longer than before. I managed 17.5 minutes before I felt it was time to get out. Again, no shivering during the session in the bath but as I warm up afterwards with a few press-ups and squats in the warm bathroom and a hot towel dry-off I start to shiver and continue to do so for around 15 minutes. The bath temperature at the end was around 7C so I guess by body warmed a lot of water up today.
I guess if I am going to do these longer sessions I need to have a good warm-up routine planned. After a days skiing and a good evening meal I take a lone walk to the field of powder snow I passed through the day before. At the edge of the field and under the reflected light of the nearby streetlights I strip off and enjoy a few minutes of naked enjoyment in the snow. Covering myself from head to toe in it. Lying down and playing around in it like a child. The feeling of planting your bare feet on top of the snow and it sinking to above the knee is quite incredible. Falling over and being gently cushioned to rest on a bed of snow is also a feeling I want to have more and more of. As I lay down in the Snow I piled snow on top of me leaving only my head uncovered. I lay there for at least 1 to 2 minutes before getting up, dressed and for a short sharp walk back to the chalet to warm up. A great end to a great day.
Day 46
An unfortunate skiing fall late in the session yesterday means that today I have a very strained and stretched (if not torn) calf muscle. The only way of easing the pain and tension is to have a hot bath, it seems to ease the pain and I do manage to ski today - but not at my normal pace.
Day 47
Back to the 10 minute routine today No undue effects of 3C water - in fact I am quite enjoying the experience.
Day 48 Whilst I started with good intentions of pushing the envelope to 20 minutes plus today I did the opposite and had a warm shower. I did enjoy it and although it goes somewhat against the spirit of what I am trying to advocate here, I think that occasionally it does not hurt to have a "relapse" into the old ways.
General Observations
Duration: 6.5 Minutes Minimum to 17.5 Minutes Maximum
Day 40
Late flight meant a late arrival in the French Alps. No time for anything but a look around at the piles of snow on the ground and feeling the cold night air.
Day 41
Early into the bathroom for a shave (in hot water at the basin whilst running the cold bath) . The thermometer shows 2.5C so the real temp is around 3C my coldest so far. I start the timer on my wrist watch as I get in. The cold hits you when getting in but not as much as I thought it would, my breathing was a little laboured as my chest went under. My skin goes numb almost immediately and turns quite red. The feeling is not unpleasant. I wait about 3 minutes before dipping my head in. At 5 mins I am still OK but don't want to push things too far on day 1 of my holiday. I get out at 6.5 minutes and dry off in a the warm bathroom. I go straight to breakfast and have a cup of hot tea and a bowl of hot porridge oats. I have almost no shivering at all (unexpected). A good day's skiing follows albeit with poor visibility.
Day 42
Same early morning start before the rest are up. Shave in warm water at the basin before getting into the bath. A longer time this morning - 10.5mins. Hands in the water for most of the time. They get numb and painful very quickly but the pain is constant and manageable after about 3 minutes so they stay in the water. I am surprised at how easily I manage the colder temperatures - it seems easier somehow. Easy to warm up despite no exercise
Day 43
Another early start to get first shot at the bathroom. Cold bath ready - set the timer and in we go..... Hands stay in for the first 10 minutes then I take them out for the next 5 as they feel more sore today than yesterday. A full 15 minutes today. I still feel fine at the end - relatively little shivering - just a bit toward the end of the session. As I did very little exercise afterwards it takes me a while to recover and I have short bursts of shivering through breakfast but all done by the time breakfast is over some 30 minutes later. Another good day skiing ensued thereafter.
Day 44
Dull and boring day today. Snowing heavily so no skiing looks possible. Regular cold bath but only 10 minutes today. No issues at all with shivering or pain in hands although at 10 minutes the mobility and dexterity of my hands is somewhat compromised (i.e. it would be difficult to do buttons up on a shirt or perform tasks requiring fine motor coordination). I take a walk along a stream but as I am with the group and the path is well utilised I resist the urge to strip off and jump in - although I would like to try it. I feel that I would need to be in a group that understands why I feel that way and would not be judgemental but encouraging such activity. On the way back we cross a field that is nearly waist deep in soft powder snow and I think i must return here to enjoy it.
Any takers for a ski/cold/toughness holiday next year at this time?
Day 45
After yesterday's rather dull and boring activity I decide to push things along a bit today. I run the bath full of 3C water and start the timer determining to stay in longer than before. I managed 17.5 minutes before I felt it was time to get out. Again, no shivering during the session in the bath but as I warm up afterwards with a few press-ups and squats in the warm bathroom and a hot towel dry-off I start to shiver and continue to do so for around 15 minutes. The bath temperature at the end was around 7C so I guess by body warmed a lot of water up today.
I guess if I am going to do these longer sessions I need to have a good warm-up routine planned. After a days skiing and a good evening meal I take a lone walk to the field of powder snow I passed through the day before. At the edge of the field and under the reflected light of the nearby streetlights I strip off and enjoy a few minutes of naked enjoyment in the snow. Covering myself from head to toe in it. Lying down and playing around in it like a child. The feeling of planting your bare feet on top of the snow and it sinking to above the knee is quite incredible. Falling over and being gently cushioned to rest on a bed of snow is also a feeling I want to have more and more of. As I lay down in the Snow I piled snow on top of me leaving only my head uncovered. I lay there for at least 1 to 2 minutes before getting up, dressed and for a short sharp walk back to the chalet to warm up. A great end to a great day.
Day 46
An unfortunate skiing fall late in the session yesterday means that today I have a very strained and stretched (if not torn) calf muscle. The only way of easing the pain and tension is to have a hot bath, it seems to ease the pain and I do manage to ski today - but not at my normal pace.
Day 47
Back to the 10 minute routine today No undue effects of 3C water - in fact I am quite enjoying the experience.
Day 48 Whilst I started with good intentions of pushing the envelope to 20 minutes plus today I did the opposite and had a warm shower. I did enjoy it and although it goes somewhat against the spirit of what I am trying to advocate here, I think that occasionally it does not hurt to have a "relapse" into the old ways.
General Observations
- If you plan your time you can enjoy cold water and other cold experiences even in a "hostile" group environment.
- Playing in fresh, powder snow is a thrill and adrenaline rush I want to have again and again - I need to actively plan it into future winter holidays.
- My body can take a lot more cold punishment and recover far more quickly than I had ever imagined.
- Pain in the hands in cold water reaches a threshold which is manageable.
- Going with a like-minded group would make the experiences much more enjoyable. Is anyone interested in joining a "Toughness group" winter ski/walk/stream/lake/splash holiday if one were organised? Let me know via the comments box.
- I am looking for suggestions as to where to go for my next winter holiday. Guaranteed snow is a must as is having a lake or stream/river/lake nearby for swimming or cold water dipping. Suggestions via the comments page or via e-mail please.
- A pic of the stream I walked along on day 44 - I would have played in it if I had the chance
- A pic showing the depth of snow and close to the place I played in the snow on the evening of day 45
Duration: 6.5 Minutes Minimum to 17.5 Minutes Maximum
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