Post ice swim!
I don’t do well in the cold. In fact, despite being Canadian, I don’t even like winter at all. I tend to hibernate more than I should. Nevertheless, I managed to take the plunge into Lake Ontario last year on New Year’s Day (only through the proddings of fellow fitness enthusiast Boris), and this year I partook in the January the 1st ritual without any persuasion at all.
Polar Bear plunges are usually done for charitable purposes. I chose to take part in the one sponsored by Habitat for Humanity; this year marking their 5th annual dip here in Toronto’s Lake Ontario. Each year the event grows larger, and today more than several hundred people showed up ready to brave the elements.
While there were a few costumed individuals, I opted for the traditional swimsuit. My Vibram Five Fingers came in handy, as they gave me the sensation of being barefoot while they protected the bottoms of my feet. The small crowd was held back for several minutes (bare skin bracing against the wind), and when the countdown was finally finished, everyone yelled and raced into the frigid waters.
The cold hit like a thousand icy needles digging into the skin. And while it shouldn’t have been as difficult as last year (in 2009, there was a cold-weather alert on New Year’s eve, and the organizers had to spent several hours chopping up the ice so the bathers could get into the water), for some reason it seemed just as bad. I kept my focus, and headed out into deeper waters, finally taking a dive under the surface and managing a few strokes to get some space between myself and the shivering crowd.
2009 was even more icy
I’ll admit that I didn’t swim for very long. In fact, I couldn’t wait to get out of the water as the pain became intense. But as soon as I got myself back onto the beach, I was engulfed by a warming sensation as my body temperature had risen considerably due to the ice water shock. I’m pretty sure that steam was rising from my body. Unfortunately, this warm feeling rapidly diminished as the cold in my fingers and toes set in. I couldn’t even zipper up my coat, as my fingers stopped working. I needed to get warm — fast. Walking back to the car, my Vibrams stiffened and seemed to freeze to my feet so they were difficult to get off. Warm socks and clothes were gratefully waiting, as were my car seat heaters.
Rescuers at the ready
While most of the Polar Bear participants are there for the fun of it, there are some physical culture benefits for the heart-healthy. Cold water immersion can supposedly boost the immune system. In fact, there are many who swear by this like religion, and douse themselves with ice water several times per week year-round (yes, I’ve tried that too, although I can’t claim to be a “regular”). The theory (unproven with no clinical research that I’m aware of) is that immersing or dousing yourself with cold water raises your internal body temperature just enough (like giving yourself a mini-fever) to ward off any harmful colds or viruses. I’m not sure how much stock I put in that, but it sure is invigorating.
Who’s in for 2011?
Tags: dousing, ice swimming, polar bear dip
Congrats Greg!
This is awesome- I actually saw you on the Weathernetwork before I read your Facebook posts about the dip. Good charity, too!
Thanks Andrew, I didn’t know I was on the Weather Network!
Nice one!! I haven’t been in since Thanksgiving…maybe I’ll head down to the bay and hit it!