The Iceman

You would be forgiven for thinking that this week’s blog title is a reference to Val Kilmer’s character in top gun, but it isn’t ....... the truth is that I’ve always been a little more Goose than Ice Man. It’s actually a reference to the Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof who got this nickname (and entry in the Guinness Book of Records) by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in some very tight wee shorts.

The Wim Hof methodology is currently trending on social media with a rapidly growing following of people who use exposure to extreme cold to trigger one’s inner power. I found myself thinking of this as I tried my first ever wild swim in March in the North Sea after a long run. The plan was that 5 minutes in the icy water would speed up my recovery and reduce injuries.

However, whilst my lockdown hairstyle could easily pass for an 80s perm job I’m no Hoff and I’m certainly no Hof. In his videos Wim sits casually on a block of ice, explaining the benefits of his approach as the scene fades to him meditating blissfully on the same ice in what I assume are the famous record breaking shorts. My version was less 'zen like' and involved me screaming like my three year old daughter and unleashing a range of swear words that would make even my front row friends from the rugby club blush.

I also only lasted 2 minutes. According to my watch my heart rate was higher during the swim than it was on the run. Much to my surprise it worked though and I felt much better for it - my plan is to add 30 seconds at each attempt even if there are some days I would rather have the injuries than get into the ice. The local beach goers in March thought I was mad (some pointed and laughed) but those who are a little closer to me know different..... they KNOW I'm mad. Not Iceman mad and not Iceman graceful, but my own noisy, sweary southern hemisphere wimpy mad. As I head into the water a voice in my head a voice cries out "Goooooooooooooooooose!"