A runner's frenemy: the ice bath

Ahh, the ice bath. Tell any runner about the torturous “therapy” and they’re sure to cringe.

Yes, it reduces muscle soreness and treats injuries. Fine, it gets ride of lactic acid, which too much over too long leaves muscles fatigued. I know, it allows for fresh blood to circulate through your legs. But I can’t get over the initial flight response in the first few minutes (OK, seconds).

The last time I took (OK, attempted) an ice bath, it was a disaster. I was determined to try the hydrotherapy before a race, filled a tub with ice and cold water, and gingerly stepped in. I lasted maybe 10 seconds before I hoped out, giving myself the excuse that “Well, I’m home alone right now. If I passed out from the cold, I could drown and no one would know.” (Because THAT scenario is likely to happen.)

I used to take baths regularly in high school. Our cross-country would take turns piling in a waist-deep tub four at a time (incredibly sanitary, I’m sure). We’d be quick to escape after our 15-minute dipping period — a favorite team prank was a slap on a red, freezing leg.

As an adult though, I can’t handle an ice bath. Maybe it’s the lack of a team, or that I’m a total wimp when it comes to the cold. But I’ve tried all the methods — sipping a hot drink, biting a spoon, wearing a coat. Wim Hof, the Dutch world record holder for ice baths (one hour and 13 minutes immersed to his neck in an ice bath!) cites Tummo yoga as a meditative way to control his body temperature. Maybe I need to be a Tantra Yoga master?

So fellow runners — how do you withstand an ice bath?