Cold tolerance experiment: preliminary results

If you’re a regular to the blog, you may know that I started a cold tolerance experiment a few weeks ago. Here are some quick preliminary results.

Single digits in Anchorage this morning

Largely, I don’t feel more cold tolerant. The end.

Okay but actually I do think I’ve noticed a small change in my mindset, which is a small win. My aversion to cold has always resulted in tensing up, stressing, and putting on tons of clothes to avoid the feeling. This experiment has prompted the habit of purposely relaxing my shoulders when I first feel cold, dressing more appropriately, and not worrying as much. Being able to relax is important for ski performance, and for most things in life, so I think slowly getting into this habit has been a good start. I’m still worrying about it, but it’s going in the right direction. 

Chester creek trail beauty

Observations

I’ve noticed that being cold can feel different depending on how relaxed I am. If I fight it, it can actually feel like pain, and if I relax, it can be something that I just “notice.” Being tense from head to toe never helps. 

In the past, when I’ve had bad experiences with cold, I tend to overcompensate the next day and way over-dress. This experiment is adding in some composure to my life, and I’ve noticed I’m not over dressing as egregiously out of fear.

This morning, I did a workout in single digits, and was quickly reminded that I'm not yet immune to cold. I definitely underdressed, and had the horrible and familiar feeling of my toes going completely numb and my legs stiffening. I tried to relax through it and it could have been worse, but it could have been better. It’s a work in progress. 

Favorite brands for cold weather clothing:

Socks: Darn Tough

Base layers: Swix, Craft

Jackets/Pants: Swix, Odlo

Gloves: Toko, my sponsor

Headgear: Turtle Fur, Swix, Buff, Skida

Other brands I like: Smart Wool, Kari Traa, Salomon, Bjorn Daehlie,

Thanks for following along. The biggest test will be racing in Fairbanks in early December. More updates to come

-Renae

chilly Hillside

Chicken tikka masala and cheese naan to warm up