This week, my running reached several ‘firsts’ for the new year. First, I signed up for two races; one half and one full marathon. I’ll run the Green River Half next Saturday then Tacoma (full) the first weekend in May.
I’m running the half to gauge of my fitness. I ran this race two years ago, but wasn’t nearly as fit as (I think) I am now. Ran 1:46(hr) that year. My Half PR is 1:41 and I “believe” I have an outside shot to beat this. A 7:40 pace would land me at 1:40(hr). We shall see..
Today, I ran a hard Long Run of 13miles with 6 at Marathon Race pace (7:50). I knew I’d be sore, so decided to follow up the run with the first ice bath of the year.
I’ve been taking ice baths for several years and truly believe they help recovery, but hadn’t taken one since last September.
The first 10 seconds in, is the worst part.
26.2 with Toddler 
So how do you go about the ice bath? Do you take it out of your freezer? Or go buy a couple bags after your run?
Depends upon the time of year. In winter, I just fill the tub with cold water. And the water is REALLY cold. Might add some ice cubes from the frig but not many.
In the summer, I’ll need about 2 bags of ice, since the tap ‘cold’ water is much warmer.
After the ‘shock’ of getting in, I try to sit, while holding a hot cup of tea, for about 6-10 minutes. And I’ll do an ice bath after all runs longer than 12 or 13 miles. Been a habit for a few years and I swear it makes a difference in my muscle recovery.
Good Luck 🙂