On July 1, I celebrated the anniversary of my first of a year of cold showers. No, it isn’t what you might think; my libido is not out of control and in need of frequent dousing with cold water. Just for the record, no, the cold showers haven’t dampened whatever libido I do, in fact, possess. A year of taking cold showers might not sound like much of a milestone to commemorate but just try it some time. It is harder than it may appear. 
To those not familiar with this blog and the otherwise uninformed, the logical question arises: why would anyone take cold showers for a year (aside from the obvious, but incorrect, assumption above)? Well, it started with a seemingly innocuous comment from my son-in-law, David, who shared that some elite triathletes take cold showers as a part of their training. Why? It takes them out of their comfort zone, helps them focus on the goal, and aids in recovery after hard workouts. Innocuous comments can sometimes lead to unexpected consequences. The light bulb over my head, figurative though it might be, went on as I thought, “what a neat idea”. I was swatting at the notion of doing an ironman tri, which seemed to buzz incessantly around my mind and simply would not die. Resigned to the fact that this would continue to pester me until I did something about it, this seemed like a good way to jump start the mental and physical process of, as the Nike ad states, just doing it.
So, on the morning of July 1, 2012, I stepped into our shower stall to take my first of an endless line of cold showers. That’s right, I haven’t turned on the hot water for 365 days. It has been, shall I say, an interesting journey. Have there been any epiphanies? Yes, a few.
First, a cold shower, especially in the winter, is a spiritual experience. If you don’t think so, just try it and see if you don’t starting praying before you turn the water on, then invoke deity repeatedly during the entire shower. I don’t think I have ever called on God with greater sincerity than just before that first icy blast from the shower head.
Second, if everyone took cold showers, our water consumption would plummet. There is no such thing as a long, luxurious cold shower. Just the term long cold shower is an oxymoron.
Third, and this is important in our present culture which seems to delight in continually espousing the idea that we can do anything we put our mind to. Despite Nike’s “Just Do It” mantra for our generation, no, you can’t do anything you put your mind to. If you think otherwise, just try stepping off of a tall building while flapping your arms and see if you fly. Dreams and goals stop where harsh reality begins. This is not cause for despair, however. I think we all tend to sell ourselves short in what we are capable of. You can do is more than you ever believed possible by putting your mind, will, and heart towards a goal. I have spent the past year taking cold showers, slightly less than this as a vegetarian- after a lifetime as a diehard carnivore, and put in the training for an ironman triathlon, none of which I would have thought remotely possible a mere 12 months ago. No, you can’t do anything you put your mind to, but you can do A LOT.
Fourth, cold showers make you mindful. You will never find yourself blithely entering a cold shower stall early in the morning without thinking long and hard about what you are about to do, and why. The why better have a pretty good answer before you reach for that handle to turn on the water!
Finally, one can become a connoisseur of cold showers. I have learned that cold showers in Florida are refreshing. Cold showers in New York City in October are bracing, invigorating, even. Cold showers in Virginia in the dead of winter are so cold that they give you brain freeze when you dip
your head under the stream.
Cold showers in Montana in July make the cold showers in Virginia seem positively refreshing. 
Happy anniversary to me......
your head under the stream.
Florida Ironman training log: The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of work, travel, and trying to fit in training in the midst of all this. I was able to maintain reasonable consistency with training but missed some training sessions unavoidably. How do others do this? I cannot imagine what kind of life people have who do ironman tri’s repeatedly. Do they have any other life? The last big commitment, our trip to Montana for a reunion of old friends and colleagues from our Navy days and a few days hiking Glacier National Park, was completed June 28 and for the next 4 months, I am as committed to training as I can be within the restraints of my “other” life. I envy those who can devote themselves to just this one thing. There are days I feel that I will be able to do this but others where I still ask myself “are you nuts?” There is no doubt this is the most daunting physical challenge I have ever undertaken. Karl, my strength coach and overall strategist assures me he will have me ready. All I can do is trust……..
Week’s training summary:
Mon. 7/1- Swim, 2775 yds, 2:12/100 yds, total time 1:10:38 hr
Cycle (trainer), 6.61 mi, 13.2 mph, total time 30:01 min.
Tue. 7/2- Swim, 3375 yds, 2:13/100 yds, total time 1:25:31 hr
Wed/Thu. 7/3-4 One 30 min run on New Smyrna Beach on 4th of July
Fri. 7/5- Swim, 3375, 2:13/100 yds, total time 1:25:31 hr
Run, 4.88 mi, 9:30/mi, total time 46:21 min
Sat. 7/6- Cycle, 45.66 mi, 15.2 mph, total time 3:00:01 hr
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