Rock Lobster, oooh, aaah

Or, how to make an ice bath less excruciating.

The delight of post-workout ice baths became part of my routine when training for my first Half-Iron triathlon in '08. Sure, it was torturous to step into an ice water bath, but my legs felt so much better afterward, it was worth the temporary agony. And once I got settled in the tub, it wasn't so bad.

However, anyone who suggests you add ice baths to your recovery routine should be required to include instructions for the "lobster method." It wasn't until I started training for the marathon this year that I was clued into this technique for reducing the entry shock. It's ridiculously simple, but makes a huge difference.

I am a cold-natured person, so I tend to wear a lot of clothing for the ice bath - shorts, wool socks (usually the Smartwool socks I ran in), baselayer, fleece top, and toboggan. Then, I make sure I've got a mug of hot tea or coffee. With a 20lb bag of ice at the ready, I turn on the cold water tap and get in while the water runs. Once the water hits about mid-thigh, I grab the bag of ice and pour it in. Just like turning up the heat on a lobster, but in reverse. It is amazing how much easier it is to acclimate to the cold in this way.

Standard timing for an ice bath is 10-15 minutes. I always stay in at least until the ice melts, and go for 20 if I can. A nice wam shower to follow up is great. I prefer to reward myself with a hot epsom salt or mustard seed bath, which may cancel out the benefits of the ice bath, but I don't really care. One recent Saturday, I skipped the follow up hot bath and my feet were still cold at 5pm. No good.

My favorite hat for the ice bath was earned at a Columbia clothing promotion at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta this year. The task: spend 3-4 minutes in a -14 degree F freezer while singing karaoke wearing said hat and a Columbia jacket. First karaoke experience. Ice, Ice Baby has way more lyrics than I realized. Fortunately for you, it was all captured on video. The ice baths feel colder than that freezer did, but the karaoke was more fun.