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!
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Friday, 20 March 2009
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
Friday, 20 February 2009
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:
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.
After a whole month of this new routine I suppose I should pen some thoughts for consideration:
- 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?
- I am not afraid of the cold anymore - just more aware of my limits.
- 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.
- My weight has dropped by almost 2Kg (4.5lbs)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
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.
Friday, 30 January 2009
Day 10 - A Breakthrough?
Hopefully today is a breakthrough day for me. The bath today was the coldest to date a cool 9C and filled to the top. As the outside temp is dropping so is the water temp from the tap.
I am strangely looking forward to these sessions now. Today I set the time for 10 minutes as usual and got in. It still takes me a few seconds to adjust to the cold. I thought by now I would be able to control my breathing better when I get in. Kept my hands in the water again today. I think that is the worst part - feeling my hands become painful and then working through it. I was not shivering by the time the buzzer went so I thought I would set it for another 10 minutes and see how long I could go without getting too cold and shivering. I surprised myself by staying in for another 10 full minutes! I probably could have done longer if I was able to generate additional body heat by moving around (like swimming or water aerobics).
At the end of it my hands were quite numb and difficult to move with "pins and needles" type sensations in them. I was not shivering too badly by the end of the session. I was alert and quite invigorated. I keep looking for signs that my body (or mind) cant cope but haven't found any that I am worried about yet.
I warmed up a little by running up and down the stairs a few times and doing some push-ups. Although as I write this some 30 minutes later, fully dressed and after a cup of hot tea, my body has the occasional shivering "spasm" when I sit still for a longish period. Is this normal when recovering from lowering your body temperature by a few degrees in this way? How long should the shivering last?
Funny observation 1 hour after my cold soak: I tried taking my temperature by putting a ,edical oral thermometer in my mouth. The digital one that I tried first time registered "L" -too low to get a reading so i had to revert to the traditional one. This reads 35.1C so I guess I managed to drop my core body temp by 3 or 4 degrees this morning. I dont think i will be telling my Doctor about this as at these low temps he will be classifying it as self-induced hypothermia!
Teperature: 9C
Durations: 20 minutes
I am strangely looking forward to these sessions now. Today I set the time for 10 minutes as usual and got in. It still takes me a few seconds to adjust to the cold. I thought by now I would be able to control my breathing better when I get in. Kept my hands in the water again today. I think that is the worst part - feeling my hands become painful and then working through it. I was not shivering by the time the buzzer went so I thought I would set it for another 10 minutes and see how long I could go without getting too cold and shivering. I surprised myself by staying in for another 10 full minutes! I probably could have done longer if I was able to generate additional body heat by moving around (like swimming or water aerobics).
At the end of it my hands were quite numb and difficult to move with "pins and needles" type sensations in them. I was not shivering too badly by the end of the session. I was alert and quite invigorated. I keep looking for signs that my body (or mind) cant cope but haven't found any that I am worried about yet.
I warmed up a little by running up and down the stairs a few times and doing some push-ups. Although as I write this some 30 minutes later, fully dressed and after a cup of hot tea, my body has the occasional shivering "spasm" when I sit still for a longish period. Is this normal when recovering from lowering your body temperature by a few degrees in this way? How long should the shivering last?
Funny observation 1 hour after my cold soak: I tried taking my temperature by putting a ,edical oral thermometer in my mouth. The digital one that I tried first time registered "L" -too low to get a reading so i had to revert to the traditional one. This reads 35.1C so I guess I managed to drop my core body temp by 3 or 4 degrees this morning. I dont think i will be telling my Doctor about this as at these low temps he will be classifying it as self-induced hypothermia!
Teperature: 9C
Durations: 20 minutes
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Day 7 - 1 week complete!
Can't believe I have been doing this for a full week already. Yesterday I finally got to the shops and bought a garden thermometer which reads from around -10C to +40C. Not too worried about the accuracy - just for me to get an idea as to where I am on the temperature scale. Also this is the last of the catch-up posts so you will have to wait for a daily update from now on.
Water straight from the tap again. I resist the temptation to see how cold it is before I get in as it may put me off - I wait till the end of the session to find out the temp was 11C. Not as cold as I thought it should have been. I am a little disappointed it is not lower than this. I guess I have to wait for the weather to get colder or find a pool, pond or lake to swim in to get down to lower temps.
I shaved first this morning straight from bed in warm water- a much better result on face, chest and pubic region - silky smooth skin and no blood today!
I start the timer as usual when I get in. I still gasp a little when my chest goes under the water. A quick shampoo and rinse and then lie back. No unexpected sensual problems today! Although as the session went on I did start to sport the start of an erection - is this a normal body reaction to the cold? Is this the sensual gratification you get out of cold water sports?
I decided the fear about my hands yesterday was irrational and decide that today I should keep them in the water as long as possible. They start off getting painful very quickly but I persevere and the pain disappeared over time. Another pain barrier broken.
Today for the very first time I think I started to enjoy the sensation of the cold. In fact, so much so that when the timer went off I decided to stay in the water for longer - a whole 3 minutes as it turned out. By that time I was just starting to shiver lightly. Only a few press-ups after the session to warm up and then dressed straight away. Took me a long time to warm up (I was only beginning to feel comfortable again about an hour afterwards). Is this usual or am I just pushing myself too far, too fast?
Temperature: 11C
Duration: 13 Minutes
Water straight from the tap again. I resist the temptation to see how cold it is before I get in as it may put me off - I wait till the end of the session to find out the temp was 11C. Not as cold as I thought it should have been. I am a little disappointed it is not lower than this. I guess I have to wait for the weather to get colder or find a pool, pond or lake to swim in to get down to lower temps.
I shaved first this morning straight from bed in warm water- a much better result on face, chest and pubic region - silky smooth skin and no blood today!
I start the timer as usual when I get in. I still gasp a little when my chest goes under the water. A quick shampoo and rinse and then lie back. No unexpected sensual problems today! Although as the session went on I did start to sport the start of an erection - is this a normal body reaction to the cold? Is this the sensual gratification you get out of cold water sports?
I decided the fear about my hands yesterday was irrational and decide that today I should keep them in the water as long as possible. They start off getting painful very quickly but I persevere and the pain disappeared over time. Another pain barrier broken.
Today for the very first time I think I started to enjoy the sensation of the cold. In fact, so much so that when the timer went off I decided to stay in the water for longer - a whole 3 minutes as it turned out. By that time I was just starting to shiver lightly. Only a few press-ups after the session to warm up and then dressed straight away. Took me a long time to warm up (I was only beginning to feel comfortable again about an hour afterwards). Is this usual or am I just pushing myself too far, too fast?
Temperature: 11C
Duration: 13 Minutes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)