Being sick is no fun!

Last week was a business trip starting Sunday afternoon. So in-between work, entertaining clients and my Boss being with me the whole week not a lot of time for a run at all. I did manage a short 30 minute (5km) shirtless run along the banks of the Seine in Paris at 06h30 on the morning of the 24th but then nothing till my normal Saturday run with my mates (10k; 8C). No record breaking times either.

On Saturday afternoon I started to feel off colour and by Sunday night I had a raging sore throat, high temp and fully blocked sinuses. I must admit that I have not felt like doing (nor have I done) any running yet this week.

My brain is saying you should be exercising but my body is saying lay off till you feel a little better and can breathe a little easier. At the moment my body is winning that particular fight.

I guess the warmer weather of the past few days and now a short, sharp, cold spell is not helping matters either. I am still braving the cold showers - at least at the start to wake me up and shock my body into a state of alertness. I will finish with warm water these days till I am full recovered from being ill.

I am thinking of running tomorrow (Thursday). If I do I will write it up here.

I hate feeling ill and this is the first major sickness I have had since starting this fitness/toughness/cold regime nearly 14 months ago. I think that's a pretty good record actually.

A weeks worth of postings

Now the cold weather seems to be departing and making way for spring (nothing is certain with the UK weather at the moment) it seems a bit crazy to report temperatures any more. So, I guess this will turn into my shirtless running/swimming blog and log for the foreseeable future - unless something unusual happens of course. At the start of my runs last week the temperature was hovering around 0C, by the end of the week it was around 3C.

Last week as a little hectic with work. As you know I got the standard run in on Monday and then was away. No run Tuesday or Wednesday but by Thursday morning the lack of exercise was doing my head in so I did my standard 7k run on Thursday and again on Friday. Both days were less than 37minutes.

Saturday was a group run with my running buddies. Just over 9km on a relatively flat course in just over 49 minutes (could have been a lot faster). This run tends to be a bit slower as we chat along the way and generally try and keep together as a group.

Today I left my watch at home but the standard 7km run was a pleasant one with the sun shining for a change. My weight these days seems to be stable at around 66.5kg with fluctuations up or down by 0.5kg to 0.8kg depending on what I eat and drink. Is that type of fluctuation normal?

A week later!

Sorry for the delay in posting, but I was away last week on a business trip.

Last Saturday (9days ago)I did a 9km run with some mates and then nothing again till last friday. That was the normal 7km run in around 37minutes. This past Saturday I ran on my own on a different route in the late afternoon in sunny conditions of around +5C. A full 10km in close to 51 minutes (my best time for this distance so far).

This morning was a little tougher with an air temperature of -4C but with sun in the sky back to the standard run of 7km in 36m20s. You could just feel the sun hitting and warming your skin on some segments of the run. However, my hands did not feel the benefit of that and were quite numb by the end of the run. I really must remember to wear gloves on such cold mornings (however, I think that wearing gloves while running shirtless looks even more strange than just running without a shirt).

My weight has been up a little these past 2 weeks (nearly 67Kg) but that could be because I have been entertaining clients and eating a much larger breakfasts and richer meals than normal when away. This week it is getting back to the normal 66kg level. Also no running time when I was away, although I must admit that I should have taken a run on one morning last week when I had the opportunity to. They always say that it is the runs that you don't do that you regret.

I still keep getting the odd comments shouted or spoken to me when people pass on these colder days. Comments like "Put some clothes on, Man!" or the more common one from other runners: "Your'e brave!" are quite the most common. Anyone else have any common remarks of note that people shout at them when running without a shirt? Let me know.

Referral Friday

Today's Run
Today was another shirtless run - standard distance of 7Km with my running partner - a bit slower today (38m 20s) in windy and rainy conditions at an air temp of +2C.

Shirtless Running
I have been looking at the issue of running shirtless and have found a few interesting blogs and/or yahoo groups which discuss this subject. The following one, "Running Shirtless", has some relevant and good articles on the subject.

Thomas is the guy that puts that blog together from various sources. His bio says: "I'm an ordinary guy with an ordinary job and deathly ordinary achievements. Shirtlessness - in the right contexts - should be every bit as ordinary." I thoroughly agree with his stance on the subject and find the articles he posts quite thought provoking at times. There should be more shirtless runners - whatever the weather.

Another related blog is "Shirtless Freedom". This a more generic site about being shirtless in different situations.

The last one I want to refer to today is a new Yahoo Group I joined - "Shirtless Running". It needs new shirtless runners for membership and could do with some additional input too. It has some good ideas and should develop quite nicely if it keep on going the way it started off. Join and put your own opinions and experiences about shirtless running across.

That's all for today. Hope you have a great shirtless running weekend.

Cold Runs

This going to be short 'cos its weekend and I'm time deprived (hope that's the PC way to say don't have a lot of time to spare!).

Last 2 days' runs:
Friday: 7km; Air Temp -1C; slight snow on the ground. Time: 37m40s
Saturday: New run 9.9km; -4C air temp; hard frost on ground. Time: 54m28s.

Both runs done in only shorts and trainers.
Comment from fellow runner on Saturday: Q: "How cold does it have to be for you to put a shirt on?" A: Probably a lot colder than this.
Priceless picture of a woman passenger in a passing car bringing her hands to her face in total disbelief at seeing someone running without a shirt (she was inside the car with heavy overcoat on and still looked cold!).

10km and a Pond dip

Today was a good day. 2C air temp, the occasional drop of rain or drizzle and an early start for exploring different footpaths to stay off the roads. I started off on my normal route but then varied it by taking a different footpath at around the 3km mark that I have not taken before.

More exploring on various and different paths in the woods and after about 40 minutes from the start I come to the pond where I strip off and take a dip of around 4 minutes in the murky 2c to 3C water (I really do have to find a place where the water is less fetid - good job I shower as soon as I get home). Suitably cooled off I head into the more dense part of the wood naked to dry off as I run. Around 1km later I get to the edge of the woods where I put my shorts back on to cross the road and head home, about half of it on the road.

Including my time at the pond and stopping to get my bearings on occasion I took around 64 minutes for the entire 10km distance that I ran (a couple of steep >5% incline uphill sections I walked because I can walk them faster than jogging). I am happy that I effectively ran the 10k distance in less than 1 hour.

Hoping for colder weather tomorrow so that I can push the same distance again but maybe in more harsh conditions and in a better time now that I have the new route mapped out.

p.s. Anyone know the easiest way to keep your hands warm when running? I hate wearing gloves, especially when running without a shirt - it just looks plain odd!

Normal running

Monday turned out to be a normal pace run (shirtless of course) of around 37minutes for the 7.1km route. I would say it was a cool run with the air temp hovering around 0C. Nothing special though. Not even a pheasant fluttering out of the bushes along the way disturbed by footfall.

There was a thin layer of ice on a lot of the puddles on the route but I guess that was to be expected. A brisk cold shower after I got home and then on with the normal day-to-day routine of work. Today is an off day as usual, so no report for today. More tomorrow......

Weekend Update

As it turned out I didn't go for a run on Thursday. I felt lazy and stayed in bed till it was way too late to hit the pond run again. It was cold too, -2C. Coldest this week and I missed it! From the weather forecast I am going to have to wait till next weekend for similarly cold temperatures again.

I punished myself Friday for the laziness though. Air temp was hovering around 0C with the occasional snow flurry as I ran shirtless with my running partner pushing us hard to the fastest time we have done to date 35m24s for 7.1km. A full 40seconds plus off the best time so far. My reward was a cold shower of 5 minutes. My next goal for the standard route is to do it in less than 35 minutes.

Today, Saturday, I went off with some mates for a slightly longer (55minutes) shirtless mixed country track and road run in -1C air temp with quite a strong wind chill. All the other guys bar one were in full track suits with multiple clothing layers on! The run was quite hilly and slow (6m55s per km) compared to my normal pace (approx 5m30s per km) but adequate enough to keep warm and have a decent conversation along the way too which makes a change. I mapped the run on www.mapmyrun.com and it worked out at 8km.

I am considering entering my first 10k race soon in the UK. Problem is, I dont know whether race organisers allow you to run without a vest (which is what I want to do). Anyone know if UK athletics or race organisers of official races will let you run shirtless? Please let me know via the comments section.

Run and Pond dip

I took a different route today to my normal run. It's one that is a bit shorter(6.4Km) and goes through woods but it does have its advantages. The first is that is a lot more secluded and much further away from houses; second it has a much denser undergrowth and thirdly there is a small pond at the halfway mark.

The first two advantages mean that I can (if I want to) run part of my route in just my trainers and much less likely to be caught out by other people running, cycling or walking their dogs and also less likely to be seen from other parts of the wood (especially as I take very unfrequented paths). The last advantage means that I can also do some cold water endurance at the halfway point.

Today I managed both the above. Running around 2km naked and able to take a 3 minute relax in the ice covered pond. Last time I was there I managed 2 minutes and felt OK. so I pushed the time up a bit today. It did not take me long to warm up on the return leg. The air temp was around -1C with a brisk wind chill, the water had ice on it so I guess the water temp was around +1C or+2C (I need to buy that watch with the thermometer built in). The pond is really only deep enough to sit in so the swimming will need to wait for a deeper pond, river or lake.

The forecast is for some snow and temps of -3C overnight so although its not a normal run day tomorrowfor me, I may just venture out and do the same run shirtless tomorrow too!

Bahtime again

After a long break from taking cold baths I managed to eventually get into one today. I have no idea what the water temperature was but I reckon it must have been below 10C (based on past experience) as it came straight out the cold tap at the hotel and we have had some really cold weather in the UK recently. I stayed in the water for 10 full minutes with no shivering at all. I could have stayed longer but I was pressed for time and needed to get to a meeting - so it was just 10 minutes. There was a nice numbness to my skin when I got out that I have not felt for a while. It really needs to be close to zero to get the really numbing effects that I like the best though

No run today but with the temperatures starting to fall in general across the UK and with snow forecast for where I live I think the next few days could make for some interesting runs and comments from other walkers/runners (and motorists?). If i get to run on my own I may try a route that takes me past the local pond twice (one on the way out and once on the way back) for a 2 or 3 minute dip each time. Last time I went past the pond on a run there was ice on the top so I guess the water is close to zero underneath the ice too.

For those of you that are keen to see the type of thing I would really like to do in cold water, there have been a number of new videos posted by many different and new members on Youtube. Take a look at the cold water swimming playlists in my profile on the right to view them. The latest are in the "more cold water swimming video" section. Enjoy.

Weight Loss - a milestone!

I know that my blog is supposed to be about cold water and running and stuff like that. However, one of the side effects of all this cold and exercise is that I have lost weight. I know that it is not just the cold water and the exercise - having a balanced diet; eating less, but more often so you feel sated all the time; and not eating like a pig or snacking heavily between meals nor drinking excessively has also helped.

Over the course of the past year I have lost around 10Kg. It has been a very gradual process as you can see if you trudge back through my posts over the past year. It was one of the goals to lose weight and get fit - which has been proven now. I am definitely healthier and fitter than I was, you can even see my muscles under the skin and the body fat% is definitely a lot lower than it was a year ago. Even the semblance of a 6-pack that was lurking underneath my stomach is starting to show through!

I have a few theories as to why cold water training and running shirtless have helped:-

1. When you get cold your body works harder to generate heat. It gets the energy to do that from your fat reserves. So exercising, swimming or just plain cold bathing/showering helps the process.
   
2. If you are cold your metabolism speeds up to compensate. So when you run shirtless in the cold your metabolism peaks for longer - and continues well after any exercise to bring your body back to its "normal" state. Just running elevates the metabolic rate even without the effects of cold. Again, this raised metabolic rate needs energy and so the fat gets burned. The colder you were at the end of whatever you were doing, the longer it takes your body to get back to normal.
   

At the weigh-in after my shirtless run at 3C (37m45s for 7.1km) this morning I stepped on the scales to see 65.3Kg. The lowest weight I have been since I was at college, many moons ago.

Quite a milestone!

How Cold is "Too Cold"?

My second day in Germany it was already -12C when I woke up (I put the thermometer outside my bedroom window!) and the wind was blowing too. I decided that this was a little too cold to venture out in just shorts and trainers (this was before I wrote my previous post and had decided that even in extreme cold I could do short “out & back” runs without putting myself at risk) so I stayed in bed. Call me a coward if you will. Next time I will run even if it is -20C and I only cover a 300m out and back run.

The third day in Germany it was quite a lot warmer (-2C) so I ventured out and did 3 sequential out and back runs. The first and longest was around 2.5km - I was still warm after that so headed off on another 2 shorter out and back runs with a short interval just lying on my back making a snow angel at the side of one of the fields. Total distance covered it turns out was about the same as the first day but I was not nearly as cold at the end of it. As it turns out I think I could have done the full circuit and more without a problem but I wanted to play it safe rather than being a little stupid like I was on the first day there when I totally underestimated the intensity of the cold and the effects of the wind.

Come the following day and I am back in the UK. A normal 7km run in around 40 minutes with my running partner. A break over the weekend and then another light flurry of snow overnight Sunday with cold temps meant a -3C start to my run on Monday morning. But what a great run. Just the right temperature so as not to get too cold and running with a partner in case of difficulty. A better time too of around 38 minutes. No run today but planning to do a longer 10k run tomorrow, hopefully with a short 2 or 3 minute dip into a local pond on the way back. Depending on how early I start running and on how many people I see out there, I may even try to run naked in the more secluded part of the wood. Wait for my next post to find out.

A couple of questions for any of you out there that are actually reading this:
1. What is the coldest temperature you have ever run in and for what period of time?
2. How were you dressed when you ran in the cold (naked; trainers only; trainers and shorts, trainers, top and shorts; trainers, full track suit hat and gloves)?

Please let me know your answers in the comments section.

Nearly Famous?

I was chatting to a guy I had not heard from in a while on Instant Messenger. He has a racy little blog too ( which is worth a look provided you are not afraid of a little nudity and gay/bi themes - click here to view).

It does not fit with the theme of this blog but he offered to give my blog a push 'cos I am sure he thinks I am a little strange and 'cos he know I have some interests other than those I write about in this blog which seem to align with his (like being naked, exhibitionism, sexy undewear etc).

He asked while we were chatting if he could put up some pictures and do a short piece about me and whilst before I had said "no" to his requests, this time I said "yes, sure!".

He is not into cold water, running or other Toughness activity but I do think he admires guys that have a certain "edge" to them and do stuff that is a little more interesting, weird or a little different from the norm. So if you want to find out more about a much different side of me to the probably boring view you get on here hop to this link(allaboutme) to find out!

I will give an update on the final day of my German trip plus what I got up to this coming weekend on Monday.

Running on Snow

I have been in Europe for the past few days at a hotel on the oustkirts of a big German city. There were fields on 3 sides of the hotel with footpaths and cycleways criss-crossing them. I had been to this hotel before but not since I started my running, so I did some prior research and mapped out a 4km circular run from the hotel. Just to check it out for suitability I walked the course in my full cold weather gear (hiking boots, socks, jeans, T-shirt, hoodie and winter jacket, gloves and a hat) on the evening of the day I arrived.

It seemed a good run. So next morning I decided to run the same route. Up at 07h00 it was cold out(I guessed that it felt like it was around -2C or -3C) but I decided to run it in just shorts and trainers because I have done longer runs at those temps before at home in the UK. I started off with a running vest to get me out of the hotel but stripped that off as soon as I was out of sight of the hotel and main hotel access road.

I soon warmed up on the first 1km quite nicely but what I didn't realise was that running on snow was slowing me down from my normal pace and I was having to be more careful about foot placement. Also until I changed running direction at roughly the 2km mark (the furthest point away from civilisation and literally in the middle of an open field) I hadn't noticed that the wind had come up and the temperature was dropping quite quickly (wind chill). Undeterred I carried running but was aware that I was a lot colder than normal.

Around the 3km mark I was thinking that I may be getting too cold, was getting out of breath but not shivering, so pushed on regardless (no other choice available). The cold was definitely taking its toll on the muscles too, slowing me down even further. My skin was already numb from around the 1.5km mark - nothing unusual about that. If I was not now within sight of my start point I think I may have been more worried, but by now I knew I could make it back without putting the running vest back on. I eventually put the vest back on just to walk across the hotel lobby and up to my room. It took me a while to warm up and then jump into a cool shower (a hot shower after getting very cold is not a good idea - look it up) to gradually raise my body temp.

After I got into the office I looked up the temperatures for the morning. It turns out it was around -5C to start with and was declining through out the morning and once the wind started to ratchet up the effective temp was around -9C or lower as I was running into the wind from the 2-3km mark and had a cross wind for the last km.

Lessons Learned:
1. I think I may have been in trouble if I had been on a longer route.
2. My running vest would have offered no warmth at all even if I had put it on.
3. My body is capable of a lot more abuse and can endure lower temps than I had anticipated
4. Find out how cold it really is before you venture out, not afterwards! (I did not run the following day as it was -12C at 07h00! However, I did enjoy a run today as there was an inch of fresh snow and the temp was only -1C and I took my own advice as per the following point #5 with an initial 800m out and back followed by 2 x 500m out and back for a total of 3.6km)
5. In order to be out of the cold danger zone and no be too isolated, run multiple "out and back" routes of 400m-500m rather than a circular route so you are closer to warmth and help. This way I could have venture out in the really cold weather in just shorts even though it was -12C.
6. I enjoyed the excitement (adrenalin?) of being in a position where I was isolated and faced with no choice but to carry on or face hypothermia if I stopped. This feeling of "no safety net" can be quite addictive I think.