Liz Trains for a Marathon: Ice Baths

How many people here played sports in high school or college? If you raised your hand, you probably had a trainer dunk you in an ice bath at least once, as I have. I'd pretty much forgotten the experience (blocked it out is more like) until recently I heard someone talking about ice baths. Last weeks run wore me out in more ways than one and I started thinking "oh, an ice bath would be nice" but I just couldn't get it together after that run.

So last night, I made sure my tub was clean. As I was cleaning it I realized I don't actually own a drain stopper. (Is it odd I've lived here four years and that hasn't come up yet?) Also, I have no ice. I'd done some research and while three bags of ice seems a little excessive, I knew a wimpy little tray of ice wasn't going to do it either. So I ran up to Walgreen's and stocked myself up.

This morning I ran with Beth and some other runners I didn't know very well. We took this route basically, except we started a block north of the starting point on that map. They all swore it was over 13 miles. I tried to draw the actual route with all the little walking trails on Gmaps but I couldn't see the trails well. It must have been summer when they took the satellite pictures because the trees are in full bloom.

When I got back, I stretched out, came in, and poured the ice in the tub. And then, in I went. I did not use any words I can't write here. I'd kind of been looking forward to it because I knew it would help. It's the only thing that compelled me to get in the tub at all really. I sat there with my little iPod and listened to a book on tape, drank some juice and ate sour patch kids. Yum. Fifteen minutes went by relatively quickly with a book on tape. Now it feels like my legs are fine and the top half of me still has the post-run-I'm-so-stiff-I-can't-move feeling.

The instructions say to take a shower a while after the ice-bath, which I'm looking forward to. After that, I'm looking forward to a heaping plate of eggs, bacon, and bagles and the Tour De France on television. I actually missed the live action today on Mont Vontux (is that how it's spelled?), so I'm watching the re-broadcast at 11am. For now I'm trying to stay away from parts of the internet that would tell me the results, including googling the correct spelling of the mountain they're racing UP today. And I mean UP. Go Lance Armstrong.

I want sweat pants. Brrr.