The Ice Bath

There is a routine comedian Billy Connolly did as part of his 1991 Live at the Odeon Hammersmith London video where he tells of growing up in Scotland and being taken out to swim in the North Sea. The cold water hitting you in the nuts for the first time felt "like a hot potato being shoved right up your ass," he vividly recalls.

I had reason to remember this little vignette today when I decided to try taking an ice bath.

The concept here is pretty simple, as a recent Running Times article explains.

Hard running results in the buildup of toxins like lactic acid in your muscles. The cold causes your blood vessels to constrict and your body creates a "blood rush" to force more blood into the region. The sudden rapid transmission circulation flushes the damage-inflicting waste from your system.

Moreover, since the entirety of your legs are submerged, you get a more widespread effect. Which is why it is recommended as a preventive regimen rather than localized icing that is used for post-injury therapy.

Now my Sunday long run had left me pretty sore afterward. I took a nap that afternoon and woke up with burning eyes due to the toxin buildup in my body - the same sensation I get after a very effective massage. Throughout the day, moving around was done with extreme difficulty and it wasn't a lot better this morning.

So I stopped at the Water Plus store to pick up a big bottle of water for drinking and threw in two of the huge bags of ice as well.

Now, to make an ice bath you need to fill a tub with ice and water and submerge your legs into it for between 15 to 20 minutes. I started by just pouring all the ice into the tub and starting the water. Then I got in.

After about 30 seconds I realized the persistent ringing in my ears was actually my own screams. The 'Connolly effect,' as I now refer to it, seemed to be caused by the sensation of my testicles sucking back into my body with such velocity that I fear they may have bruised my kidneys.

I got out and tried to get feeling back into my legs. I also turned the water up to dissolve some of the ice and get the level high enough to submerge my legs.

Turns out, this was a good plan. The recommended temperature is between 54 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Just-above-freezing does little good and is actually pretty dangerous. Not to mention hit hurts like hell.

So, after the tub re-filled I got back in. It was brutally cold and completely agonizing but not nearly as bad as before. I turned on the timer and, never in my life has 15 minutes gone by so slow.

But, after about five minutes, it became much more bearable - although not, by any means, pleasant. I assume this is because of the influx of blood begin forced into the region by the 'blood rush.'

I finally staggered out after a quarter hour and tried feebly to walk and restore circulation. The post-run aches had been replaced by freezing agony but they were, as promised, gone. I actually felt better.

Until about ten minutes later when I couldn't stop shivering. The drop in my body temperature was pretty steep and I was having trouble recovering. I stepped outside into the sun but it didn't help much.

So I hopped into a warm shower. That helped a lot. I let the tub fill with warm - not hot - water, threw in some Epsom salt and lay there for about ten minutes letting my legs get their warmth back. Turns out, this is the method recommended in the Running Times article.

Was it worth it? I dunno. I clearly feel better now but the pain of the experience was as tough as any long run I have done to date. Most of the accounts of the practice I have been able to find on the internet seem to laud the boost it gives the day after.

Thus, the jury remains out on this one. If the pluses seem to be there I'm willing to take it on as a weekly post-long-run practice. But I'll have to remember to do something to muffle the screams.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 4

Distance: 43 miles
Time: 6 hours 17 minutes

Comments: One third of the training down, two thirds left to go. I probably should feel some sense of accomplishment but that's pretty intimidating, actually. A good solid week with a lot of quality miles. I had a lot of good runs and some of the others, although difficult, couldn't be called necessarily 'bad.'

I eschewed the speed training in order to get the mileage back on track. I'm still a bit confused on the best way to integrate speed work into my regimine and I think it might be better to prioritize hills.

Because the lack of hills seems to be the big reason for the boost in my times. Most of the routes around here are gloriously flat. Which is wonderful for the day-in, day-out stuff but not great for longer-term development.

But, anyway, this was a solid week and I'd like to match it and increase by a bit for next week but no crazy jumps in miles or intensity.

Last week I took an hour to head over to the local used book store and wander through their sports section and see what running books they had in stock. I picked up The Competitive Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover and Shelly-lynn Florence Glover and was happily surprised.

This is the book I should have gotten six months ago. It's a complete resource for the dedicated runner. Next eek will be along the lines of last week for me. Lotta miles culminating with a long run in the 16-mile range. The information on speed training in this book has me reconsidering adding it to my regimen so I'll be looking into that this week as well.

The book is aimed at runners who are looking to actively compete in distance races which might make it a bit beyond the scope of a new runner looking to get through their first big race. That said, the specific information this tome provides will come in handy for them as well.

And, the style of writing is relatively pleasant. There is a bit of the runner's posturing here (OK. You have been running longer than most readers have been alive. We get the picture. Can we move on now?) but it doesn't get in the way of the message.

Unlike most running books which rely too much on personal anecdotes to prompt the beginning runner along, it's chock full of facts, tables and information that answers your pressing questions.

Because I don't really care about the personal triumph of Mary Sue in Oshkosh, Wisconsin when I'm trying to figure out why my quads hurt like hell and if I need to change my running schedule to resolve it.

Injury update: The shoulder, although still achy, is nowhere near as bad as it was a week ago. Due to a screw-up at the chiropractor's office I didn't get the massage on Friday I was hoping would work the problem out a bit more. But, I visit the doctor tomorrow for the re-alignment and we shall see how it goes.

My left leg has been very very tight and my quads in particular. I am doing extra stretching on this side but it hasn't helped very much. It is worrisome given the amount of miles I am putting in now.

The right leg has been doing fine but there are some seriously irritating muscle aches that are popping up due to the mileage. Nothing that alarms me but it's clear I'm pushing myself pretty hard here.

Long Run

Distance: 15.5 miles
Time: 2:21 minutes
Pace: 9:18/mi

Comments: My first long run here in Arizona and my longest of training to date. It was tough as I expected but I was as prepared as I could be for the thing.

I waited a bit to head out because I wanted to be a bit more warmed up for the thing. I stretched pretty well beforehand, concentrating on the left leg.I started very slow and just built up to a regular pace that could get me through it.

I had a route along the canals here planned but it turns out you can't follow the ones I chose. So I kept to as regular a path as I could and aimed to bring it in at about two-and-a-half hours - which I figured would put me close to my goal of 16 miles.

And it did.It turned out I made it almost all the way to Arizona Mills mall.

I carried a half-liter of Gatorade made a bit thinner than usual as well as two Honey Stinger ginsing gel packs. They gave me what I needed but my stomach felt a bit upset toward the end of the thing.

Overall it was a good run but it took a lot out of me. Finishing it was an act of will and it is intimidating to think I need to add an hour more of running on to this amount.

But that's down the road. The rest of the day is to relax

Recovery Run

Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 32:07 minutes
Pace: 9:14/mi

Comments: A true recovery run. Every time I felt I was speeding up and hitting a regular pace I made myself slow back down.

I started pretty early and it was rather chilly. That, allied with the lack of stretching, made taking it very very easy the whole way a priority.

But tomorrow will be my first 'real' long run since getting back to Arizona. I want to be ready for it and wasting energy and glycogen today would not be very wise.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 45:00 minutes
Pace: 7:30/mi

Comments: I got started kind of late today and things got pushed back even farther due to my stretching. In retrospect, it may have also been a bit of overtiredness but the jury is still out on that.


As I expected, my left leg was much tighter than my right and even concentrated stretching didn't seem to do much for it. That said, there weren't any worrisome sensations today... but more on that in a sec.

I did a bit of warming up and started off a little faster than usual although still less than the pace I finally settled into. After a mile and a half I hit a stride and kept with it most of the rest of the way.

But the whole run was work. I had to push myself through every step and the last two miles were filled with the 'don't wannas.' I've reached the point where I can ignore this sensation but I still don't enjoy when it rears its ugly head.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:12 minutes
Pace: 8:48/mi

Comments: Headed down to the south end of Chandler to do a run with my sister and my niece. After cranking out the tough run yesterday I though a slightly less intense run would be best.

It was probably good I went, otherwise I would have, to borrow the phrase from another runner I know in training for this race, taken a ride on the excuse train.

But it was a great day to be out. Lotsa sun, low humidity and almost no wind. Afterward I was a bit more tired than I usually am, though.

Training Run

Distance: 8 miles
Time: 61:12 minutes
Pace: 7:39/mi

Comments: A pretty good run. I skipped the stretch (a practice that has got to stop) and hit the road pretty cold. As a result I took it very slow the first mile or so.

After that I dropped into a comfortable pace and tried to keep it steady. I was a bit sore and tired today but nothing major and it wasn't any hindrance after getting warmed up.

At about the six mile mark I realized I could probably fit the run in under and hour so I bumped up my pace and, at the one mile mark, bumped it up even more. I was running pretty hard the last half mile but I didn't quite make my goal.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 45:34 minutes
Pace: 7:35/mi

Comments: Very good run. I started without stretching or a warmup, just at a nice even pace. I gradually accelerated as I got into it but tried to keep the proceedings at about half race pace. On the last two miles or so I bumped that up just a bit but not much.

I felt very strong the whole way and completely in control of the run. I had lots in the tank and wasn't breathing too heavy after finishing either. The weather was about perfect. The clouds blocked the sun but the air was clear and wind was minimal. It doesn't get much more ideal for putting in miles.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 3

Distance: 24.38 miles
Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Comments: Strange week. Half in one season, the rest in another.

I put in three sub-par half-hour runs along the malencon to wrap up my training in South America. Then, after getting stateside, I upgraded my equipment and banged out one super-fast run and a solid long run.

Perhaps the change of scenery was what I needed.

Injury update: Problem number one is this shoulder issue. It is persistant, painful and not responding to my various efforts. It reaches the point that I cannot even turn my head hardly at all. My last hope is with my morning visit to the chiropractor tomorrow.

I will be wary this week of my leg issues due to the new shoes and their radically different feel.

The only other issue on the radar is the tightness in my left leg. The masseuse said it was severe in both the hamstring and the quad. It's something that can quickly affect other aspects of my running.

For example; warming up for the long run the inside of my left knee was very sore but it seemed to respond to stretching. There were no problems during the run itself.

Long Run

Distance: 9 miles
Time: 82:23 minutes
Pace: 9:15/mi

Comments: Did the long run today with my sister and her daughter. I figured the reduced pace would work well with my week since I pushed it a bit hard on Saturday.

We used a concrete and dirt route along one of the canals near her house in the southern part of the city. Very level and very accommodating for running and biking.

My sister pushed the baby runner for the first two miles and I took it for the rest of the run. It was a relatively easy pace for me and it gave her a chance to do a long run without the device affecting her gait.

So I focused on keeping it slow and steady. Concentrating on the details of my run; the regular pace, the steady breathing, my posture and whatnot. It was an effective exercise for a lot of the aspects I have been neglecting.