after having such success with wearing compression socks 24/7 frequently over the past couple of months, i decided to try something else that is vastly touted as a great recovery aid for runners.
the ice bath.
i’d been thinking of giving a cold water soak a try for a while now. when i saw this article in the latest canadian running magazine, i was even a little more motivated:
no idea why this photo is posting sideways…
i know the printing is blurry; the only thing that is important is that you see the title: “take cold baths.”
i’ve told you before that i do not swim because i do not enjoy being cold or wet. so you can guess how *excited* i was about my impending dip in the tub.
i decided to ease my way into these ice baths in incremental steps.
effort #1:
i took my first cold bath in the afternoon after the 10k classic race. in all honesty, it was bearable! i wouldn’t call it a pleasant experience, but i was comfortable enough, and i didn’t even come close to shivering! here’s what worked for me:
- i made sure i was warm before i even got into the tub
- i took a hot decaf coffee with me to drink while i soaked
- i ran a tub of cold water only, no ice for this first attempt!
- i wore a knit cap
- i zipped up a fleecy jacket, rolling up the bottom so it wouldn’t get wet
- i limited my tub time to 12 minutes
knit cap, fleece and coffee mug! (sorry, but i refuse to post any bathtub pictures!)
i just sat in the tub – no reading, no crossword puzzle or any type of diversion. it was almost a relaxing experience!
afterwards, my legs felt refreshed. now, i wasn’t stiff or sore before i got in the tub, so it’s a little hard to judge exactly how helpful the ice bath was in the post-race recovery. i decided that next time i could add some ice…
effort #2:
this second experiment occurred last saturday morning. this time, i kept the wool hat and the fleece hoodie. i skipped the hot coffee (i thought i’d wait for the heating drink until post-bath, so i’d have something to look forward to and warm me up if i felt chilled). and i added ice!
two trays of ice cubes – let’s not get too crazy with the ice; i am too cheap to BUY a bag, at this point…
the tap water felt colder this time (??) and enjoyably refreshing – might i even say fantastic? (yes, yes i can). i ran the tub, then dumped in the ice as i climbed in. i had no diversions (next time, i will try reading or doing a x-word) – i just sat and watched the ice cubes melt (seriously). i only stayed in the bath for 10 minutes as i had to get ready for work. next time, add: more ice! a distraction of some type! more time in the tub (can i do 20 minutes??).
effort #3:
i upped the ante for the ice bath that i took this past thursday morning:
SIX trays of ice (or 3x more than the last bath!) for this effort…
would you believe that as i was running along, i actually thought, “yea! i get to take an ice bath this morning!” -> i am not kidding!
since i had more time, i stayed in the tub for 15-20 minutes. i stuck with wearing the hoodie and the wool cap, did not have a hot beverage, and did complete a x-word puzzle [i thought of phoning mom, we can talk for 20 minutes no problem and that would fill my time commitment, but with my luck, i would drop the phone in the tub - better a wet xword puzzle book than a busted phone].
thanks to the increase in ice cubes, the water was COLD! not frightfully so, but definitely icier than the first two tubs. really, i did not feel cold overall, though – just my toes were uncomfortably chilled!
conclusions:
- i am going to make ice baths a regular thing – maybe every week??
- it definitely helps that it is summertime and i feel warmer, in general; i can’t imagine doing an icy soak in the depths of january
- the winning combo seems to be: wearing the fleece + the wool hat; drinking a hot coffee AFTER the bath, having a diversion (next time i will try reading)
all in all, this experiment has proven to be a lot more positive than i ever anticipated!
any other ice-bath takers out there? what are your tips? maybe i am not 100% opposed to doing some lane swimming again??…never say never, right?!
~*~*~*~*~
30 day photography challenge
day #30: self-portrait
and thus we have come full circle, and we end as we began on june 1st…
the official self-portrait for today:
taken in the exact same spot as day #1! hotter weather, though!
…and some out-takes, just because they are fun to do! [i honestly thought i'd share more bloopers over the course of the 30 days...]:
my orange sweater is finished! but it’s way too warm to use a sweater photo for an official pic!
relaxing with some grass! 
wheee!!! fake-sliding at the park. would real-slide if the nieces were present!
sparkling water: the official beverage of the 2012 kiki summer!
the end.
Comments
I’m a fan of ice baths….but haven’t done it in a couple years. I think I might soon though—with the workouts I’ve been doing, I’m sore all the time! I found that getting into the icy water was the hardest part for me…once I was in, if I didn’t move, it really didn’t feel freezing. And it did help my soreness when I was running for sure!!
lisa, with the intense workouts you’ve been completing lately, i think an ice bath really work for you! you are right: that first step into the tub is the hardest part!
I have never taken and ice bath and don’t plan to. Just the idea…brrrr. But, since I’m not a runner I think that’s ok. I hear it’s really great especially after long runs. I’ll miss the photo challenge, it was fun! But, can’t wait to see what’s on for July
yes, stacie! with your new pool and backyard, you can take a cool dip much more pleasantly! i really enjoyed the photo challenge – i’m glad you found it fun, too!
Those outtake photos are hilarious! I’ve really enjoyed photo challenge month!
I cannot imagine taking an ice bath….I have a pretty low tolerance for cold water (the few times I’ve been forced to deal with cold water for a shower, I find it feels like a shock [I also remember when I had pneumonia and was running a super high fever, I called my dad who said I should take a cold bath...and I thought, "no way man!"] …so the idea of immersing myself in cold water is just really unpleasant…It’s interesting that it hasn’t been so for you to the point that you *want* to take them…and I wonder about the effects of the cap/clothing….
zo, thanks for sharing about your dad saying you should take a cold bath…just this morning, mom laughed at me for enjoying the ice bath because when we were little and had a high fever, she would make us take a cold bath, something we HATED (but it did work! and when you are sick, any bath is not going to be enjoyable!). i think you should try it after one of your long runs – but do wear warm stuff on your upper body and a hat – i swear that is why i do not feel cold!
I meant to add–come swimming with me! I love swimming and it is totally a mental thing to get in the water. Once you get started you warm up quickly.
kim, you do realize we have QUITE the list of meet-ups to get to! swimming, yoga, death valley’s little brother!…thanks for the swimming invite – knowing i would have you to meet would be a good motivator! glad you find the ice baths work, too. at 42, we need all the help we can get – haha!
I take ice baths after long runs too. You are braver than me. I get into cold water and then dump the ice in after. I find it totally takes away any next day aches and pains.
Just read that article myself and thought I might want to try an ice bath. We don’t have air conditioning so I can see it being a huge motivator on runs during the summer. Did you notice a difference in recovery time?
that’s neat that you saw the article, too, ali! re recovery time: i would say YES, i have noticed a difference: my muscles feel “fresher,” if that makes sense…not fatigued or heavy. i say give the ice bath a try on one of these super hot days and see what you think!
All of the self portraits are great! The ice bath sounds daunting to me, I’m cold most of the time anyway! Only downside of having lost weight. I haven’t been warm since 1988, but worth it for other reasons! You need an iced coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, they’re the best. I hear Tim Horton’s has good coffee, maybe their iced is good. S’bux is always too bitter to me unless it’s one of the flavored ones. Have a great day, Cathy!
thanks, fran! i had fun taking those pics! yum – i would LOVE to try a DD iced coffee – i wish i could meet up with you and ele for an iced coffee outing! i am usually cold in winter, so i am not sure i could do an ice bath other than the months of june-august!
I might give an ice bath a try, will let you know how I get on.
thanks for your comment, john! i’d love to hear how you get along with an ice bath – keep me posted!
your smiles always make my day! And after my walk last night (the temp was almost 90 degrees) I think I should have tried an ice bath…instead I made an iced coffee! Have a great weekend!
ele, an iced coffee is a very good runner-up choice for a cool-down. i need to try one again – i’ve only ever had one, did not like it (s’bux) … that can be another mission for this summer! we’ve had really high temps the last few days, too – sure feels VERY summery!