On Monday I could not sleep so went out for a run at around 05h30 in the dark on one of my normal runs using a head-torch.  It's quite a different way to run as the limited light means you need to tread a little more carefully.  As I had more time than normal for a run I decided to run to the little stream where I knew I could get a cold water dip in.  And as it was so dark once I got to the woods I decided to strip off my shorts to get maximum cold exposure and got around 10k of the 14 k run in that state.  It was not that cold (maybe 5C) but it was a little misty.

Once at the stream I took the plunge and spent around 5 minutes in the water and then carried on with my run.  I dont know what the temperature of the stream was but it did not feel much colder than the air and my body got used to the temperature quite quickly.

I warmed up a bit on the run home and then took a cold shower to wash the mud off me.  I did not shiver much on the run, swim or shower but as I was warming up afterwards I did shiver quite a lot.

I am away from home for a few days now and have been pursuing some more cold weather and cold water activities that have been interesting.  I am further north in the UK than my home town and the water  out of the tap is definitely much colder.  So today I also took a long cold bath after I woke up.

I managed around 20 minutes.  The shivering started at around 8 minutes and lasted quite a while.  I managed to keep my head under the water for a few minutes too which is an improvement over past times I have tried that.  I noticed that towards the end my heart rate had slowed a bit but did not have chance to see how much slower it was.

I shivered quite a lot afterwards while warming up but my hands and feet were OK and seemed to recover mobility quite quickly. 

The weather is due to get colder tonight so I may try and get out for a run in the morning in below freezing temps around where I am staying.  I will let you know the outcome. 

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?