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I did a thing and I feel like a bada$$

Ginevra

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Ginevra

Ginevra

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Brag alert coming up…

I did a cold plunge in The Fairy Pools. I had planned to do this and had “practiced” building my tolerance to cold water. It was very exhilarating! Bystanders cheered. 😄 Here’s a picture or two. 

 

 

 

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24 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Amazing!!!! And in my favorite place in the world, Scotland! 

I think this is my favorite trip ever! 

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wintermom

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That's so cool!!! Probably cold, too. 😉 The cold, spring run-off would probably make the water even colder than the height of summer. How was the hike back to the car? I hope you had lots of cozy clothing to jump into! 

I'd love to visit those fairy pools! 

Thanks for sharing the fantastic photos!  

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33 minutes ago, wintermom said:

That's so cool!!! Probably cold, too. 😉 The cold, spring run-off would probably make the water even colder than the height of summer. How was the hike back to the car? I hope you had lots of cozy clothing to jump into! 

I'd love to visit those fairy pools! 

Thanks for sharing the fantastic photos!  

So, there’s some fascinating physiological science involved, about which I am not knowledgeable at all, but can say I have now experienced. The water was very cold, and the ambient air temperature was cold. It was around mid-40*F, plus somewhat windy. 
 

My understanding is this: training your body to withstand cold temperatures as I have been doing for about a month induces thermogenesis. Your body pulls from fat stores (especially “good” fat, called brown fat) and burns it as heat energy, in order to protect your body from damage due to cold exposure. 
 

So. Here’s where it gets fascinating. Although throughout my life, I have always been one of those “literally freezing” kind of people who are NOT cold-tolerant, I did not experience the ambient temperature after the plunge as cold *at all*. My dd was totally amazed because I was not shivering, was not goose-fleshed, was literally simply not cold at all for hours afterwards. My fingers and palms were warm and pink. I hiked back to the car with only my hoodie and wet shorts on, and I changed back into my boots because the rocks were too sharp for the water shoes. 
 

Even dh, when he saw the pictures and video was amazed because he has heard me say “I’m freezing” for thirty years. Probably the last activity he ever imagined me doing was jumping into mountain water in 40-degree weather and then hiking for another hour in wet shorts, lol! 

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wintermom

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34 minutes ago, Quill said:

So, there’s some fascinating physiological science involved, about which I am not knowledgeable at all, but can say I have now experienced. The water was very cold, and the ambient air temperature was cold. It was around mid-40*F, plus somewhat windy. 
 

My understanding is this: training your body to withstand cold temperatures as I have been doing for about a month induces thermogenesis. Your body pulls from fat stores (especially “good” fat, called brown fat) and burns it as heat energy, in order to protect your body from damage due to cold exposure. 
 

So. Here’s where it gets fascinating. Although throughout my life, I have always been one of those “literally freezing” kind of people who are NOT cold-tolerant, I did not experience the ambient temperature after the plunge as cold *at all*. My dd was totally amazed because I was not shivering, was not goose-fleshed, was literally simply not cold at all for hours afterwards. My fingers and palms were warm and pink. I hiked back to the car with only my hoodie and wet shorts on, and I changed back into my boots because the rocks were too sharp for the water shoes. 
 

Even dh, when he saw the pictures and video was amazed because he has heard me say “I’m freezing” for thirty years. Probably the last activity he ever imagined me doing was jumping into mountain water in 40-degree weather and then hiking for another hour in wet shorts, lol! 

That is so interesting! Can you share your training to tolerate cold water regime? 

I've grown up swimming in cold water, and no matter how often I swam, it was still cold. I can tolerate it, but I enjoy the warming up phase afterwards. I'm not gonna lie! Cold water swimming without sunshine is not my cup of tea. 😉 

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1 minute ago, wintermom said:

That is so interesting! Can you share your training to tolerate cold water regime? 

I've grown up swimming in cold water, and no matter how often I swam, it was still cold. I can tolerate it, but I enjoy the warming up phase afterwards. I'm not gonna lie! Cold water swimming without sunshine is not my cup of tea. 😉 

Part of it is breath training, part is certain foods and part is practice getting into cold water. I mish-mashed a couple of different authorities together. James Nestor, for the breathing training, Dr. William Li for foods that stimulate thermogenesis and brown fat info and Dr. Mark Hyman’s podcast The Doctor’s Farmacy for info on cold plunging and hormesis. There is also a lot of interesting information out there on winter swimming, wild swimming and Wim Hoff, who is an expert on cold tolerance. I have certainly only scratched the surface of learning this. 
 

For the past one-two months, I have been practicing good breath control during exercise. This means that, almost no matter what, I do not gasp for air through my mouth. I keep my mouth closed almost 100% and I will intermittently hold my breath to slow my heart rate during physical exertion. This does something that I don’t know all the science for, but something like: it forces your blood cells to release the carbon dioxide molecules so they can pick up new oxygen. I’m probably not saying that exactly right 🤭 but it’s a process that sounds somewhat counter-intuitive but I have now fully experienced it. I do not gasp for breath or wind up with a stitch in my side from exertion.
 

The same thing holds true when entering cold water. I practiced entering cold water in my bathtub at home using only the cold tap. In an instance or two, I also dumped in ice cubes. When I enter the cold bath, I keep my breathing even and breathe through my nose.
 

There is also a psychological component of not resisting or fearing that it will be cold. It’s sort of entering a zen state where you know and accept that it will be cold but you reassure your body/mind that it is not in danger or under threat. I mentally say, “we will have a towel and warm clothing available in a couple of minutes and we are perfectly safe and fine.” Honestly, I think this part is why it feels so euphoric to have done it. It’s like mastering your physiological response. It’s wicked cool. 
 

I do not think it is negative to enjoy warming up after cold exposure. I don’t necessarily think I will ever *really want* to expose myself to cold water again and again. I plan to keep doing it now and then but I don’t know that I will ever feel *eager* to have cold exposure. But the head-trip of a public plunge will probably always feel euphoric, because it feels like mastery of your own mind and body and everyone cheers you on. I’m sure it is similar for anyone doing any feat that was hard, scary and took a lot of effort: run a marathon, summit a mountain, kayak a rapid River, etc. 

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skimomma

skimomma

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12 minutes ago, Quill said:


 

There is also a psychological component of not resisting or fearing that it will be cold. It’s sort of entering a zen state where you know and accept that it will be cold but you reassure your body/mind that it is not in danger or under threat. I mentally say, “we will have a towel and warm clothing available in a couple of minutes and we are perfectly safe and fine.” Honestly, I think this part is why it feels so euphoric to have done it. It’s like mastering your physiological response. It’s wicked cool. 

This is very interesting.  I wish I had known more about this during my triathlon days.  Open water swims were always more of a psychological challenge than a "race" for me.  The plunging into cold water (while in a thick crowd of other thrashing and kicking swimmers) would take my breath away and adrenaline would course in.  I would spend at least half of the swim just trying to get my breathing and brain under control.  And that is exhausting so by the time I am calmed down and leaving the water, I would be very drained emotionally and physically.....which made getting my shoes on perplexing and balancing on a bike amusing.  It all wears off after a few bike miles but I was never prepared for the toll cold open water takes on you.

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wintermom

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13 minutes ago, Quill said:

Part of it is breath training, part is certain foods and part is practice getting into cold water. I mish-mashed a couple of different authorities together. James Nestor, for the breathing training, Dr. William Li for foods that stimulate thermogenesis and brown fat info and Dr. Mark Hyman’s podcast The Doctor’s Farmacy for info on cold plunging and hormesis. There is also a lot of interesting information out there on winter swimming, wild swimming and Wim Hoff, who is an expert on cold tolerance. I have certainly only scratched the surface of learning this. 
 

For the past one-two months, I have been practicing good breath control during exercise. This means that, almost no matter what, I do not gasp for air through my mouth. I keep my mouth closed almost 100% and I will intermittently hold my breath to slow my heart rate during physical exertion. This does something that I don’t know all the science for, but something like: it forces your blood cells to release the carbon dioxide molecules so they can pick up new oxygen. I’m probably not saying that exactly right 🤭 but it’s a process that sounds somewhat counter-intuitive but I have now fully experienced it. I do not gasp for breath or wind up with a stitch in my side from exertion.
 

The same thing holds true when entering cold water. I practiced entering cold water in my bathtub at home using only the cold tap. In an instance or two, I also dumped in ice cubes. When I enter the cold bath, I keep my breathing even and breathe through my nose.
 

There is also a psychological component of not resisting or fearing that it will be cold. It’s sort of entering a zen state where you know and accept that it will be cold but you reassure your body/mind that it is not in danger or under threat. I mentally say, “we will have a towel and warm clothing available in a couple of minutes and we are perfectly safe and fine.” Honestly, I think this part is why it feels so euphoric to have done it. It’s like mastering your physiological response. It’s wicked cool. 
 

I do not think it is negative to enjoy warming up after cold exposure. I don’t necessarily think I will ever *really want* to expose myself to cold water again and again. I plan to keep doing it now and then but I don’t know that I will ever feel *eager* to have cold exposure. But the head-trip of a public plunge will probably always feel euphoric, because it feels like mastery of your own mind and body and everyone cheers you on. I’m sure it is similar for anyone doing any feat that was hard, scary and took a lot of effort: run a marathon, summit a mountain, kayak a rapid River, etc. 

Wow! You were VERY committed to this project, I can see. I'm glad that it all paid off and you had a fantastic experience!! 

Most of these steps are very much the "necessity" or norm when swimming outdoors in northern Alberta. I wonder to what degree diet actually plays, though. I would think that swimming ability, comfort level in all kinds of water and surfaces, would be much more important. I don't see anything on that. Getting in and out of cold water when the entry/exit is rocky and slippery, would potentially mess with people's capacity to complete a cold water swim - and then want to do it again.

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Selkie

Selkie

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You might be interested in following Diane in Denmark on Facebook or Instagram. She lives in Copenhagen and she and her friends go skinny dipping in the ocean every day all year round. She just recently competed in the Ice Swimming World Championships that took place somewhere in the French Alps.

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GailV

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OMG, I adore Wim Hof IN THEORY ... a cold rinse in the shower is as far as I go in actual practice.

Also a fangirl of James Nestor. In other words, you're living my dream-life! What I'd do if *I* were a badass!  

Thanks for letting us all experience it vicariously!

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2 hours ago, wintermom said:

Wow! You were VERY committed to this project, I can see. I'm glad that it all paid off and you had a fantastic experience!! 

Most of these steps are very much the "necessity" or norm when swimming outdoors in northern Alberta. I wonder to what degree diet actually plays, though. I would think that swimming ability, comfort level in all kinds of water and surfaces, would be much more important. I don't see anything on that. Getting in and out of cold water when the entry/exit is rocky and slippery, would potentially mess with people's capacity to complete a cold water swim - and then want to do it again.

Well, I am no model of comfort level with swimming; I am not a “good” swimmer, in terms of form or correct instruction. I did choose the particular pool I was willing to go into based on certain criteria. I did not want to go into one that was above a strong waterfall because of current. I also had already experienced the rock bed a couple days prior when I forded a stream in bare feet while hiking to a massive waterfall. So I was aware how the mossy rocks can be quite slippery or unstable. The pool I chose to enter had a pebbley entry/exit and would not be over my head. I sat down in it for my plunge; I did not jump off a cliff into it. (Although that would also be cool! Just not in this instance!) 

There are foods that promote brown fat and thermogenesis, so that is the diet piece, however I am not well-versed in this part yet. I do think, though, that my low percentage of body fat (and most likely, also low brown fat) throughout much of my life is why I was always an “I’m freezing” person. 

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wintermom

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4 minutes ago, Quill said:

Well, I am no model of comfort level with swimming; I am not a “good” swimmer, in terms of form or correct instruction. I did choose the particular pool I was willing to go into based on certain criteria. I did not want to go into one that was above a strong waterfall because of current. I also had already experienced the rock bed a couple days prior when I forded a stream in bare feet while hiking to a massive waterfall. So I was aware how the mossy rocks can be quite slippery or unstable. The pool I chose to enter had a pebbley entry/exit and would not be over my head. I sat down in it for my plunge; I did not jump off a cliff into it. (Although that would also be cool! Just not in this instance!) 

There are foods that promote brown fat and thermogenesis, so that is the diet piece, however I am not well-versed in this part yet. I do think, though, that my low percentage of body fat (and most likely, also low brown fat) throughout much of my life is why I was always an “I’m freezing” person. 

Well, there's a good reason why whales and walruses have blubber! 😅 Body fat (particularly subcutaneous) keeps them protected from the cold. However, I've been reading that the Inuit in northern Canada who have access to eating blubber do much better surviving in those cold climates than southern Inuit (not many left now) who did not have access to animals with blubber. They got their animal fat to keep warm through boiling the bones for the marrow. This is particularly for people living and working outdoors. It would be much different for people who are indoors in controlled climates most of the time.

I know that my appetite changes automatically every fall/winter, and I crave more solid, protein-rich food and stews. Last winter I had my first ever vacation to a very hot climate, and I stopped eating protein and craved fruit. It was a very rapid change.

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