Ice Water Baths
AK_Steve
Member
I'm seeking advice from anyone that has done ice water baths in preperation for the English Channel. What temperature do you add ice for? How long do you stay in at a time? Do you do it once or twice a day?
I live in Alaska and am about to lose my outdoor swimming privileges because winter is coming fast up here. My little local lake is down to 52 degrees F. It had been 59-65 degrees F through the summer. I think ice baths are my only chance of not losing my cold water acclimation over the winter. I gave up hot showers about a month ago and only take cold ones now and that has helped my acclimation a lot. This was my clue that I really need to be taking ice baths. Also, my little lake won't get back up into the 50's until May and my slot for the EC is the first week of July so I can't afford to lose all my acclimation over the winter. Figuring out the cold really is as long of a process as everyone says. Right now I'm OK with anything 56 degrees F and up, but at 52-53 degrees F I start shaking like someone who is having a seizure after a half hour. I just mention this because should I set my ice bath temperature for this or the nominal EC temperature of 60 degrees F?
Thanks!
I live in Alaska and am about to lose my outdoor swimming privileges because winter is coming fast up here. My little local lake is down to 52 degrees F. It had been 59-65 degrees F through the summer. I think ice baths are my only chance of not losing my cold water acclimation over the winter. I gave up hot showers about a month ago and only take cold ones now and that has helped my acclimation a lot. This was my clue that I really need to be taking ice baths. Also, my little lake won't get back up into the 50's until May and my slot for the EC is the first week of July so I can't afford to lose all my acclimation over the winter. Figuring out the cold really is as long of a process as everyone says. Right now I'm OK with anything 56 degrees F and up, but at 52-53 degrees F I start shaking like someone who is having a seizure after a half hour. I just mention this because should I set my ice bath temperature for this or the nominal EC temperature of 60 degrees F?
Thanks!
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As far as ice baths go, I personally have a 300-gallon cattle trough on my deck which I have to break the ice to sit in during the winter. I find that I can sit still for around 20-25 minute increments (longer if I was actually moving) in the 34-36 degree water. This for me was more about the mental training, versus the physical training - if you can handle that pain, you can handle anything! If you don't have the ability to swim in Channel equivalent water, then focus on the mental training - I feel that is far more important!
For those of us who don't have 55-65 water year round it is a struggle, but you can make it work! Let me know if you have any further questions!!
www.darren-miller.com
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
That's assuming you are single or want to be
@bobswims - Good point! You think that is why I'm still single?
www.darren-miller.com
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
@karent - I could go for one of your awesome cupcakes right about now! I remember the one you gave me in La Jolla - fantastic!
www.darren-miller.com
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
@chickenosea - Ditto. Haven't done the hot tea yet, just a lot of loud music, ha!
www.darren-miller.com
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
I'm scheduled for EC in 2013 as well and haven't decided what I am going to do. It has to be more than I did for Catalina in 2011 - which was nothing. I planned on the water being 62° or warmer so the 65° I encountered was fine. At those temperatures I believe it is just a matter of swimming strong, carrying a "little" extra weight and having confidence in the cold water (I trained in an indoor 83° pool). It's not that the water didn't feel cold, it's just that I taught myself not to mind that it did.
Any guesses on the temperature of the ice bath? Maybe 40 plus or minus 2?
How do you obtain the ice needed to make the ice bath? Do you make it in your refrigerator?
@miklcct, you could try to find a medium-sized chest freezer, just big enough and deep enough to sit in. Fill with water, set temperature and plug into a timer so freezer will only run a couple hours a day. No ice needed. Ready for cold soak anytime.